Sleep paralysis is a disorder that occurs just after waking up or when trying to fall asleep and that prevents the body from moving, even when the mind is awake. Thus, the person wakes up but cannot move, causing anguish, fear and terror.
This is because during sleep the brain relaxes all the muscles in the body and keeps them immobile so that energy can be conserved and prevent sudden movements during dreams. However, when a communication problem between the brain and the body occurs during sleep, the brain may take time to return movement to the body, causing an episode of sleep paralysis.
During each episode, hallucinations such as seeing someone by the bed or hearing strange noises are possible, but this is only due to excessive anxiety and fear caused by the lack of control of the body itself. In addition, the sounds heard can also be justified by the movement of the ear muscles, which continues to happen even when all the other muscles in the body are paralyzed during sleep.
Although sleep paralysis can happen at any age, it is more frequent in adolescents and young adults aged between 20 and 30 years old, being related to less constant sleep habits and excessive stress.
What to do to get out of sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is a little-known problem that goes away on its own after a few seconds or minutes. However, it is possible to get out of this state of paralysis more quickly when someone touches the person having the episode or when the person is able to think logically at the moment and focuses all his energy to try to move his muscles.
How to prevent sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis has been more frequent in people with poor sleep habits and, therefore, to prevent episodes from happening it is recommended to improve the quality of sleep, through strategies such as:
- Sleep 6 to 8 hours a night; Go to bed at the same time; Wake up every day at the same time; Avoid energy drinks before bed, such as coffee or soft drinks.
In most cases, sleep paralysis occurs only once or twice in a lifetime. But, when it happens more than once a month, for example, it is advisable to consult a neurologist or a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders, which may include the use of antidepressant drugs such as Clomipramine.
See also other tips that help improve sleep and that can decrease the chances of having sleep paralysis: Ten tips for a good night's sleep.
Symptoms of sleep paralysis
The symptoms of sleep paralysis, which can help to identify this problem are:
- Not being able to move the body despite being supposedly awake; Feeling of shortness of breath; Feeling of anguish and fear; Feeling of falling or floating over the body; Auditory hallucinations such as hearing voices and sounds not characteristic of the place; Feeling of drowning.
Although worrying symptoms may arise, such as shortness of breath or a feeling of floating, sleep paralysis is not dangerous, nor is it life-threatening. During episodes, the breathing muscles and all vital organs continue to function normally.
