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Woke up before sleep paralysis set in. What is sleep paralysis and what are its causes?

A mysterious phenomenon that doctors call “sleep paralysis” is experienced by many people. This condition is not considered a disease; some peoples have many beliefs associated with it, and individuals prone to mysticism see various devilry in it.

What is sleep paralysis?

Many beliefs have been forgotten modern world, therefore, few people know the answer to the question of what sleep paralysis is or, as it is called unofficially. This state occurs on the verge of sleep and reality: a person has not yet fully woken up or has fallen asleep and is in a state of paralysis, stupor. Very often, at the same time, it seems to him that a mystical guest is sitting on his chest, who is drawing out vital energy or strangles the sleeping person. Other visions are also possible; sleep paralysis with hallucinations of “black people”, witches, ghosts, aliens, brownies, and demons is especially common.

Additional symptoms that can help diagnose this condition:

  • severe fear, palpitations;
  • chest compression, difficulty breathing;
  • disorientation, a feeling of separation of the soul from the body;
  • feeling of body floating, dizziness;
  • feeling of someone else's presence;
  • visions strangers and creatures;
  • the presence of alien and unnatural sounds.

Sleep paralysis - psychology

Visions during sleep paralysis, according to doctors, are not dangerous to human health, but psychological problems he still has problems, especially because of the fear of dying, going crazy, falling into coma or lethargic sleep. The peculiarity of this condition is that all hallucinations are extremely realistic, and the feeling of helplessness is very frightening. In addition, some sound illusions - amplification of sound or its distortion - can cause horror in a person.


Sleep paralysis - scientific explanation

The phenomenon of sleep stupor has two varieties: the first occurs when falling asleep, the second - when waking up. Doctors explain it this way: when the phase begins REM sleep in a person, the motor functions of the body are “switched off” (except for those necessary to ensure vital functions), so that rest is safe; when entering the stage of shallow sleep or upon awakening, the body “turns on”. In some cases, the brain transmitters that control these processes fail, and motor functions are either “turned off” too early or “turned on” too late.

Sleep paralysis is especially common when a person wakes up. Studying the processes in the body during a night's rest, somnologists noticed that if awakening occurs immediately after the stage of REM sleep, a person experiences stupor. At this time, the brain continues to experience vivid dreams, the body has not yet gained mobility, is relaxed, the result of this is a vision of a mystical creature “pulling out” the soul and strength, and the inability to do something. Normally, a person should awaken after the stage slow sleep, when the body has rested and prepared for wakefulness.

Sleep paralysis - causes

A distinctive feature of sleep stupor is that it occurs upon self-awakening. If a person is returned from the dream world loud sounds, shaking or something else - there will be no paralysis. The phenomenon of sleep paralysis may have the following causes:

  • disruption of biorhythms due to moving to a different time zone;
  • lack of sleep due to stress, anxiety, depression;
  • sleeping on your back, in an uncomfortable position;
  • alcohol, nicotine, gaming addictions;
  • taking certain medications - neurometabolic stimulants, antidepressants;
  • mental disorders and diseases;
  • genetic predisposition.

The risk group for this violation includes:

  • overly suggestible and impressionable individuals;
  • suffering from neuroses;
  • people with an overworked nervous system;
  • introverts who prefer to keep all experiences to themselves;
  • teenagers.

Is sleep paralysis dangerous?

Everyone who has experienced an unpleasant phenomenon wonders why sleep paralysis is dangerous. The attack lasts only a couple of minutes and doctors do not consider this condition to be serious, but it can harm mental or physical health:

  1. A person can become very frightened, which will provoke heart attack or breathing spasm.
  2. If there is insufficient information, a person suffering from stupor when waking up or falling asleep may begin to fear for.

Sleep paralysis - consequences

Very severe fear and poor health of cardio-vascular system- these are the conditions for the answer to the question of whether you can die from sleep paralysis to be positive. During an attack, a person feels that he cannot move and speak, very often he sees something otherworldly and scary, and is especially dangerous if he has diseased heart. Although statistics are not able to determine the percentage of deaths from this phenomenon among all those who died during sleep, according to doctors, there is a risk, but it is minimal.

How to induce sleep paralysis?

Despite the fact that most people are afraid of night stupor, there are individuals who want to know how to get into sleep paralysis. Often these are those who are interested in esotericism, astral travel, etc. Such individuals can follow one of the following tips:

  1. To induce stupor when falling asleep, you need to lie on your back without a pillow and monitor your sensations. If the sounds change, the body “paralyzes,” which means the desired state has been achieved.
  2. The next technique is to reproduce the feeling of flying before going to bed - on a swing, in zero gravity. When the desired sensations are achieved, a sleepy stupor will occur.
  3. The last way is with coffee. In a state of extreme fatigue, you need to drink strong coffee and go to bed. The body will begin to fall asleep, and if coffee takes effect right moment and will not allow the mind to fall asleep, the necessary phenomenon will arise.

What to do with sleep paralysis?

Sometimes people are so scared of sleep paralysis that it can become dangerous. Then you should use tips on how to get out of sleep paralysis. Since the mind is already awake, you need to remind yourself that this is a temporary state that does not last long. All visions and sound effects are just an illusion and should not be frightened. The stupor does not last long - only a couple of minutes, you need to wait out this phenomenon without falling into panic, while you can mentally read a poem, solve a problem, but if the fear is very great, it is advisable to set an alarm clock and get rid of the habit of sleeping on your back.

How to get rid of sleep paralysis?

To find out how to treat sleep paralysis, you need to visit a doctor. Drug therapy in this case it is practically not prescribed, because this condition is not considered a disease, with the exception of those cases when stupor is accompanied by mental or somatic ailments. The doctor may ask the patient to keep a diary of the syndrome and conduct sleep studies.

The main method of treating the syndrome old witch is a complex preventive measures which includes:

  • proper nutrition;
  • quality sleep;
  • maintaining wakefulness and sleep patterns;
  • decrease stress loads;
  • walks and physical activity.

Sleep paralysis and astral travel

The condition of sleep paralysis and the astral plane are connected by myths of various peoples and religions. People believed that when stupor sets in, a person gets the opportunity to begin a journey through the otherworldly world, and all unpleasant symptoms sleep stupor, such as the presence of a hostile mind, pressure on the chest, and even sensations of sexual assault, were attributed to spirits, demons, and other entities coming from the astral plane.

Sleep paralysis - the Orthodox view

Unlike doctors, the church believes sleep paralysis dangerous condition. The clergy explain their position as follows: sleepy stupor occurs in spiritually weak individuals and in this state they come into contact with the world of the invisible. Since most people do not know how to distinguish between good and evil spirits, contact with the otherworldly may seem to them something interesting and attractive. Church ministers urge believers to become less involved in the practices of altered consciousness (meditation, yoga) and to pray more, and when the old witch syndrome occurs, to read the Lord’s Prayer.


Sleep paralysis - interesting facts

Disputes on the topic of sleep paralysis - is it a disease or a mystical phenomenon periodically begin and die out, without reaching a common opinion. Most people will be much more interested in learning various facts about this condition:

  1. The more often a person experiences paralysis, the more intense it is. Scientists believe that many religious miracles, mystical phenomena, and alien abductions are actually just visions against the background of this state.
  2. The syndrome was first described in the 10th century by a Persian physician. A doctor from the Netherlands had a chance to see a patient in a state of stupor in the 17th century. He had to calm the patient down, telling her that it was nightmare.
  3. The artist Heinrich Fussli embodied his idea of ​​sleep paralysis in the painting “ Nightmare", which depicts a woman with a demon sitting on her chest.
  4. One of the most frightening nightmares of the syndrome is the feeling of being in a dead body. Therefore, among various peoples, sleep paralysis has names that include words associated with death.
  5. Old witch syndrome is the opposite of somnambulism.

Sleep paralysis is a condition in which a person awakens from sleep but is unable to move or speak. Sleep paralysis may also be accompanied by difficulty breathing, a feeling of impending doom, or a feeling that you are being watched. This unpleasant and often frightening condition can be prevented with the help of certain measures: sleep more, take herbal remedies or visit your doctor. If you experience sleep paralysis frequently, or if improving your sleep does not help you get rid of it, seek medical help.

Steps

Immediate measures

    Try to relax. Sleep paralysis is often a terrible feeling and you may feel the need to get rid of it, especially if it is accompanied by the feeling of being held down. Wherein The best way is to relax. If you feel as if something is holding you in place, do not resist or try to break free - allow the unknown force to continue to act. This will help you wake up completely or fall back into sleep.

    • Try telling yourself: “I have sleep paralysis, this natural state, I’m not in danger.” Repeat something like this to yourself when you are trying to wake up fully or fall back asleep if you have sleep paralysis.
  1. Remember that everything is okay. Understanding this will help you relax if you experience sleep paralysis - if you know what is happening to you and understand that it is only a short-term phenomenon, it will be easier for you to relax. Although sleep paralysis may be a sign rare disease, the so-called narcolepsy, is usually not associated with any serious health problems. During sleep, you are in “atonia,” meaning your brain keeps your body calm and relaxed (which is probably why you don’t move according to what you dream about, which could be harmful to yourself and others). With sleep paralysis, you are aware of the condition.

    Wiggle your toes, try wincing, or clench your hand into a fist. Some people are able to break their sleep paralysis by moving an arm or leg. Try to focus all your attention on your toes or fingers and try to move them or make a fist with your fingers. Another way is to try to wince as if you felt bad smell. Repeat these steps several times to finally awaken.

    Talk to your partner. If you share a bed with a loved one, talk to them and tell them what you are experiencing. In this case, he will be able to help you get out of sleep paralysis. Ask loved one scare you if he notices that you are breathing heavily and intermittently. This doesn't always work - your partner may make a mistake and interrupt your normal sleep- but it's worth a try.

    Don't eat anything for about two hours before bed. Eating late can disrupt your sleep and increase your risk of sleep paralysis. If you are used to snacking before bed, try to do it no later than two hours before bed.

    Don't exercise before bed. Intensive physical exercise late hours make it difficult to fall asleep, so try to plan your workouts later early time, that is, in the morning or after lunch.

    • If you still need to exercise in evening time, give preference light exercise such as walking, lifting light weights, and stretching exercises.
  2. Limit or avoid caffeine intake in the afternoon and evening. Caffeine makes it difficult to fall asleep. Reduce your consumption or completely avoid caffeine-containing drinks such as coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola in the afternoon.

    • For example, if you're used to drinking a cup of coffee at 4 p.m., try replacing it with decaffeinated coffee or a cup of green tea.
  3. Relax before bed. Taking some time to relax before bed will improve your sleep and help prevent sleep paralysis. There are many relaxation techniques. For example, you can try the following methods:

    • progressive muscle relaxation
    • deep breathing
    • taking a bath
    • yoga or light stretching
    • soothing music

Herbal remedies

  1. Take valerian root. Valerian root has a calming effect, it helps you fall asleep and promotes deeper and longer sleep. Nutritional supplements with valerian root can be purchased in pharmacies or stores healthy eating. Before taking valerian root, be sure to consult your doctor.

    • Valerian root may interact with other drugs such as fexofenadine, alprazolam and lorazepam.
    • The usual dosage is 400-900 milligrams approximately two hours before bedtime, for 28 days.
  2. Try taking passionflower. Passion flower will help you calm down and improve your sleep quality. It can be purchased at a pharmacy or store healthy food. Before taking passionflower, consult your doctor.

    • Passion flower can reduce blood pressure, so if you are taking medications to normalize blood pressure, consult your doctor first.
    • Do not take passionflower if pregnant as it may cause uterine contractions.
    • Try taking one 90-milligram passionflower tablet per day.
  3. Drink chamomile tea. Chamomile calms and improves the quality and duration of sleep. Try drinking 1-2 glasses (250-500 milliliters) of chamomile tea every night before bed. To make chamomile tea, place a tea bag in a mug and simply pour boiling water over it. Wait about 5 minutes for the tea to brew, then remove the tea bag. Wait until the tea has cooled slightly before drinking it.

Sleep paralysis is a state of muscle immobilization that occurs when a person is on the border of sleep and wakefulness. If the consciousness wakes up before the body or the body turns off before the consciousness has time to fall asleep, the functioning of the motor center in the brain is disrupted. This state is the antipode of sleepwalking, in which the consciousness sleeps, but the body wakes up, can walk and even talk. Sleep paralysis is scary and causes hallucinations, but is not harmful to health.

The picture of sleep paralysis is always the same: a person wakes up and realizes that he cannot move. Because of this, panic begins - even those who have such attacks often become scared; This is due not so much to paralysis as to the fact that the person does not fully understand what is happening. Due to incomplete awakening, the subconscious actively manifests itself, and a feeling of someone else’s presence in the room appears.

It is not surprising that such attacks have been the subject of hoaxes in the past. Some peoples considered paralysis to be the tricks of a brownie, others - the curse of a witch. Because of such beliefs, scientific interest in sleep paralysis for a long time did not have. However, modern researchers have found an imbalance between brain function and skeletal muscle tone during sleep.

Medical explanation for the condition

An analysis of people who have experienced sleep paralysis has shown that it occurs only in cases where sleep is shallow or restless. Rarely, the condition is associated with mental disorders.

There are two types of sleep paralysis:

  • hypnagogic - occurring when falling asleep;
  • hypnapompic - happens upon awakening.

The condition can last for varying amounts of time - from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. It appears after REM sleep.

Sleep is divided into two phases:

  1. REM sleep - brain activity is at a level similar to wakefulness, but the body completely shuts down, except for the eyes, which move quickly. REM sleep lasts 15–20 minutes. It is during this phase that a person sees memorable dreams; It’s easiest to wake up in it.
  2. Slow sleep. Lasts up to one and a half hours. It is divided into 4 stages, differing in depth. At the deepest of them, the bulk of dreams are dreamed that are not remembered. Despite the fact that the brain is deeply asleep during this phase, the body does not lose muscle tone.

So, waking up in fast phase, you can experience sleep paralysis, and if you wake a person in a state of slow-wave sleep, an attack of somnambulism is possible. An attack occurs due to an imbalance of neurotransmitters, which leads to disruption of the smooth transition between phases of sleep.

The feeling that the mind is separated from the body is the main symptom of sleep paralysis.

Distinguish sleep paralysis from lethargic sleep, madness and other groundless fears are very simple. This condition has very specific symptoms:

  • The ability to think and move the eyes in the absence of tone of other muscles. Sometimes complete paralysis is not felt - you can move, but it seems that a lot of time passes between the impulse to move and the physical movement of the body.
  • Visual and auditory hallucinations. It seems that there is someone in the room (fuzzy silhouettes, ghosts), other people’s voices and footsteps are heard. Audibility increases, the frequency and volume of the sound increases - it turns into a squeak.
  • Due to the stupor of the intercostal muscles, pressure is felt on the chest, there is not enough air - it seems that chest someone is sitting or something heavy is lying.
  • Fear, disorientation. Leads to increased heart rate.
  • The feeling of separation of consciousness from the body, the feeling of flight - this is associated with active work vestibular apparatus.

Similar symptoms occur not only with sleep paralysis, but also with a number of mental illnesses. However, in most cases it is still a simple disruption of neurotransmitter communication.

Sleep paralysis is also called sleep/wake cataplexy. If muscle stiffness occurs not only before sleep or after waking up, it may be a symptom of narcolepsy or schizophrenia. ABOUT mental illness additional signs indicate - heightened senses, vivid dreams that are difficult to distinguish from reality, hallucinations in reality, a feeling of persecution.

According to statistics, signs of sleep paralysis were observed at least once in their lives in 40% of people aged 10–25 years. The risk group includes:

  • easily suggestible people;
  • those with a weakened psyche;
  • introverts;
  • people exposed to increased physical activity;
  • people under stress nervous disorder, overwork.

Most often, this condition affects teenagers whose lifestyle is not conducive to healthy good sleep. However, adults are not protected from sleep paralysis; The prevalence of attacks in adults is unknown, since somnological studies are carried out mainly on students.

Causes of pathology

Most often, sleep paralysis occurs when a person falls asleep on their back or right side. It can only happen if a person wakes up on his own - forced awakening or sharp sounds always lead to a complete interruption of sleep.

Attacks are provoked by the following factors:

  • moving between time zones causing a crash biological rhythms regulating sleep - the risk of sleep paralysis will drop sharply after a short adaptation period;
  • restless sleep associated with stress and various experiences;
  • lack of sleep;
  • addictions - drugs, nicotine, alcohol, gambling and others that do not allow a person to completely relax;
  • restless legs syndrome;
  • psychiatric diseases;
  • hormonal imbalances;
  • taking antidepressants, neurostimulants.

There is also an assumption about the hereditary nature of sleep paralysis. Researchers know of entire families who suffer from repeated attacks of this condition from generation to generation.

Treatment and prevention of attacks

In order for an attack of paralysis to end quickly, you need to calm down, which can be difficult if the attack occurs for the first time. It is important to breathe correctly - strongly and deeply, despite the immobility of the muscles. If you try to scream, there will be no sound, but the brain will understand that it’s time to turn on the muscles. After finally waking up, it may be scary to fall asleep again, but the attack will not happen again if you wash your face with cold water.

If there is a tendency to attacks of paralysis, it is necessary to exclude factors that provoke them:

  • lack of sleep - sleep should last at least 8 hours;
  • stress, neuroses and disorders - for this you should drink soothing herbal decoctions before bed;
  • taking medications - you should stop taking them for a while;
  • use of drugs, toxic substances, exclude other addictions.

In general, sleep paralysis does not require treatment unless it occurs systematically. In this case, a course of antidepressants may be prescribed to cope with stress and normalize the psycho-emotional state, which will allow you to begin to sleep calmly and deeply.


To successfully combat pathology, it is necessary to get rid of bad habits.

Effective relief from attacks is possible only after an accurate diagnosis and determination of the cause of paralysis. For this it is necessary.

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to move even a finger. There is darkness all around, but there is someone nearby - you can feel it on your skin, but you can’t even scream. This could happen tonight, but what to do if you don’t have the strength for even the slightest resistance?

This frightening phenomenon is called “sleep paralysis.” According to statistics, it occurs in 40 percent of people. In the past, such states were attributed to the actions of otherworldly forces and it is not at all surprising, because the sensations during sleep paralysis are difficult to recreate and convey in words. Waking up completely immobilized is very scary, but absolutely safe for your health.
Sleep paralysis is a frightening feeling of lack of control over the body that occurs either immediately after waking up or before falling asleep. In this state, it is impossible to move or even speak, and you may feel the presence of foreign entities in your room. Simply put, sleep paralysis is one of the most terrifying experiences we can have in life.
It is believed that between 20% and 60% of people have experienced sleep paralysis. Studies have been conducted that show that 21% of people at least, experienced it once, but only 4 percent experienced it five times or more often.

Scientists have begun researching the causes of sleep paralysis quite recently. A special science - somnology - explains them by an imbalance between the work of the brain and the muscles of the body. In phase deep sleep muscle tone is very low. That is why, if a sudden awakening suddenly occurs during the deep sleep phase, the muscles simply cannot keep up with their master and remain in a state of inability to do anything for a couple of minutes. It is at times like these that you can feel completely paralyzed. The biological meaning of paralysis is to prevent sudden movements so that the sleeper does not wake up from his own movements.
In Basque mythology, a special character is responsible for sleep paralysis - Inguma. He sneaks into houses at night and squeezes the throat of the sleeping person.

The state of sleep paralysis is accompanied by a feeling of complete immobility. This is complemented by a state of panic, suffocation and the presence of a stranger in the room.
Factors that increase the likelihood of sleep paralysis include sleep deprivation, stress and sleep disturbances.

How to fight?

Don't fight. You should not try your best to move if your body is completely immobilized. This can only increase the feeling of pressure on the whole body and cause many negative emotions.
Relax. Instead of panicking and trying to do something, you should just relax and wait for what will happen next. Then you will either fall asleep or finally wake up and the horror will seem like nothing more than a night vision. It’s worth reading this article before going to bed, and if paralysis suddenly sets in, you should immediately remember that physiology is at work here and nothing terrible is happening.
Focus on the soles of your feet. The toes are the furthest part of the body from the brain. If you try your best to move them, the nervous system will quickly tone up and at the same time wake up the rest of the body.
Make a fist with your hands. The same scheme works here as with the toes. The signal to clench your fingers into a fist will pass throughout the body, toning the muscles, thereby eliminating the feeling of complete paralysis.

Every day every person spends 6-9 hours on night rest. Although we sleep every day, and there have already been many various studies sleep, today this phenomenon has not yet been fully solved; it is fraught with many mysteries. There are many different forms dreams, everyone has their own individual characteristics brain, which manifest themselves at night. In addition, there is various pathologies dreams that occur in different people belonging to different age categories and gender. One of these pathologies is night paralysis, or old witch syndrome. This article will discuss: what sleep paralysis is, what forms it can take, what the danger is, and how you can get rid of it.

What is he like?

Scientists have studied a lot about the condition when healthy man suddenly paralyzed while falling asleep or waking up. They established that this state is a short-term muscle atony, that is, weakness that goes away quite quickly on its own. This syndrome cannot be called a disease, but sometimes it is a symptom of an illness. In addition, it cannot be called a form of sleep disorder. It most often affects teenagers 12-14 years old and young people 20-30 years old.

Paralysis that occurs at night is popularly called the old witch syndrome. People have known about it for a very long time, but in ancient times little was known about how our brain works, so temporary muscle immobility was explained by the influence of spiritual beings. This negative syndrome was often associated with the influence of evil spirits or witches on a person.

When in the Middle Ages someone experienced this condition, they could even burn him at the stake, because scientists at that time thought that temporary immobility was caused by sorcerers or evil spirits. On pain of death, few would tell other people about this condition if they encountered it.

Nowadays, this syndrome is already described differently. Some survivors said that at that moment they felt aliens or fantastic creatures nearby. Each person may experience sleep paralysis differently, and this is not surprising, since everyone's brain creates different visions and images. While in this state, some people see any creatures, while others do not observe anyone, it all depends on religiosity, mental development and fantasies.

Forms of the syndrome

This condition has 2 forms, and the symptoms of sleep paralysis in both forms are very similar, but they manifest themselves in different time. The first form is quite rare; it is observed at the moment of falling asleep, before the brain has had time to turn off, and it is just entering the rapid phase of sleep. At this time, paralysis is quite harmless, the person does not see any otherworldly creatures or hallucinations, and there are no other negative symptoms.

During the first form, a person understands perfectly well that he is not yet sleeping, he perceives everything that is happening around him well, he hears all the noises and sounds, during this period the senses are often heightened, but there is no way to react in any way, to say anything or move. All the muscles of the body are completely relaxed, so the person is not even able to move his fingers. Any, even the slightest, movement is achieved only with colossal efforts, but this movement will be very slow and heavy, as if the body is in viscous resin.

The second form has different symptoms, this sleep paralysis occurs upon awakening. It usually occurs when the brain was in REM sleep. A person wakes up very quickly, but the muscles do not have time to activate, and a state of wakefulness arises, during which the brain cannot control a single muscle of the body, they are completely paralyzed.

In addition, other unpleasant symptoms occur:

  • hallucinations, scary visions;
  • panic fear that appears for no reason;
  • disorientation in space;
  • sensation of very fast rotation in a spiral;
  • feeling of flying or falling rapidly;
  • it becomes very difficult to breathe, a person may begin to choke, a feeling appears as if something is pressing on the chest;
  • accelerated heartbeat, feeling of horror and panic;
  • the position of the body is felt to change, although in reality it does not move.

Those who have experienced this terrible condition explain in different ways what it is. Many people say that it is like a nightmare, during which a person is conscious, but cannot move his arms, legs or head, cannot speak or scream. If you make a huge effort, you can come out of sleep paralysis; some people are able to move their fingers or arms sharply, while others begin to move their limbs very slowly, gradually. And even after leaving this state, a feeling of disorientation and fear remains.

Dangerous or not

Those who have experienced this temporary immobilization often ask: is sleep paralysis dangerous, is it harmful to health, does it pose a threat to life? Researchers and experts claim that it does not pose a danger, but during paralysis you cannot forcibly get out of this state, you do not need to take practically any action to overcome this stupor. It is necessary not to panic and wait for the muscles to start working again, in which case no harm to health will be caused. It is best not to pay any attention to this syndrome, especially if it occurs very rarely.

Emotional, impressionable people often become very frightened and experience paralysis. Fear does not leave them, even when they can already move normally. Some are terrified by the thought that this will happen again; such fear contributes to the development of insomnia and a nervous state; the psyche may begin to disturb and suffer nervous system. Due to such disorders, they may develop dangerous diseases, and life will no longer be a joy.

If paralysis occurs quite often, then this may be associated with the development of some disease, in which case you need to sound the alarm. However, sometimes the symptoms of this syndrome appear due to external factors or severe stress.

Causes of paralysis

Modern specialists cannot install everything possible reasons occurrence of sleep paralysis. After analyzing statistical information, researchers name the following factors that increase the likelihood of temporary paralysis:

  • mental, neurological disorders;
  • taking drugs and overuse alcoholic drinks;
  • severe stressful situations that last for a long time;
  • constant lack of sleep, prolonged insomnia;
  • shocks, strong emotional outbursts, experiences;
  • moving to another country, climate zone, sudden change in time zone;
  • excessive emotionality, impressionability, overdeveloped imagination;
  • all kinds of pathologies, tumors and other brain lesions;
  • long-term use of psychotropic drugs and medications for the treatment of depression.

In addition to all of the above, there are other causes of sleep paralysis, for example, it can occur in those people who have narcolepsy (a pathology in which a person experiences increased drowsiness, and can fall asleep for a few minutes at any time and anywhere).

In addition, if you regularly enter into lucid dreams, this can cause paralysis. Although thanks lucid dreams You can experience new feelings, but they can be dangerous. They are especially dangerous for those people who are not mentally or emotionally prepared for such experiments, when the brain long time is in the transition phase between wakefulness and sleep. Lucid dreaming can give such vivid sensations that a person may develop mental disorders or remain in deep shock.

Treatment

Since sleep paralysis is not a medical condition, there is virtually no treatment for sleep paralysis. If this syndrome is observed quite rarely, then there is no need to panic and there is no need to take any action to treat this problem. However, if, in addition to temporary paralysis before or after sleep, there are other negative symptoms, then you need to go to the hospital. You need to visit a doctor if you have the following disorders:

  • severe hallucinations;
  • recurring nightmares;
  • long-term depression;
  • regular and unbearable headaches;
  • frequent heart palpitations;
  • regularly repeated attacks of causeless panic and intense fear.

If there are no symptoms listed above, then there is no point in going to the hospital. But how to get rid of sleep paralysis on your own? The main thing is not to panic, remain calm, and not try to quickly get out of the stupor. During paralysis, you should not, for example, try to suddenly raise your arm or wave it. It is necessary to control your breathing, try to take a deep breath, and while exhaling, say or shout something. You should not be afraid that your words or scream will not be heard by anyone; most likely, they will sound very quietly, because the brain cannot yet control the muscles and ligaments. However, thanks to this, consciousness will begin to work, and the stupor will begin to recede.

There are several more ways to get rid of it. Will help improve the situation significantly frequent blinking, thanks to which negative symptoms will quickly subside. It is necessary to open and close your eyes several times. In addition, it is important to switch consciousness from your own feelings to the world, objects around, or the situation outside the window. Counting numbers to oneself helps many people get back to normal. Those who believe in God can pray to him at this moment; thanks to help from above, they can drive away terrible dreams and overcome immobility.

In order not to wonder how to treat sleep paralysis, it is better to prevent it and do everything possible to prevent it from occurring. To do this you must avoid stressful situations and emotional stress after lunch and in the evening. It is also important to protect yourself from excessive mental stress which people often experience in front of those responsible is very important events in life, as well as schoolchildren or students on the eve of exams. It is also necessary to observe a work and rest schedule, not to overwork physically, not to sacrifice night rest in favor of work, and not to refuse annual leave.

But if sleep paralysis often appears due to any illness, it is accompanied by negative symptoms, then you need to undergo a thorough diagnosis, determine the disease and follow the doctor’s instructions to treat the pathology.