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Various sources say that from 5 to over 50 percent. the population occasionally experiences a feeling of total body inertia while compressing the chest. Although sleep paralysis in most cases is not harmful to the health and life of people who experience it, it is an unpleasant and fearful condition. Where does this phenomenon come from and how to prevent it?
Sleep paralysis – what is it?
The sleep phase with the most realistic dream visions is the REM phase. During its duration, there is a physiological paralysis of the muscles, i.e. paralysis of the muscles of the entire body (excluding the respiratory muscles and the eyeballs). This state is to protect the dreamer from uncontrolled movements that could hurt himself or someone.
About sleep paralysis, also known as sleep paralysis or paralysis, we say when whole body inertia occurs at the wrong time, ie when waking suddenly from sleep during REM sleep or when falling asleep without losing consciousness yet.
Sleep paralysis keeps the person experiencing it fully awake but unable to move or say anything. The phenomenon is almost always accompanied by a strong feeling of fear and an accelerated heart rate. It is not uncommon for the chest to feel tight. Sometimes there are visual, auditory and tactile hallucinations.
Sleep paralysis passes quite quickly on its own, lasts from a few seconds to several minutes and occurs only sporadically in healthy people.
Read also:
- Sleep phases – what should you know about them?
- Body on the night shift
Causes of sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is a state in which our brain has awakened and the body has not yet woken up. We regain full consciousness, but we have no control over our body. This is a “physiological error” of some kind, and in most cases it occurs automatically and once. Factors that increase the risk of developing sleep paralysis include:
- poor sleep hygiene: going to bed too late, sleep deprivation, irregular sleep times,
- severe stress or emotional tension,
- addiction to alcohol, drugs, psychoactive substances.
Occasionally, however, sleep paralysis can recur with alarming frequency. In such a situation, you should consult a specialist, because sleep paralysis is sometimes confused with seizures and with sleep apnea, which can be life or health-threatening. If you feel disturbing symptoms, make an online teleconsultation with a neurologist. The specialist will answer all your questions and, if necessary, will immediately indicate further treatment steps.
Also read: What is polyphasic sleep?
Treatment of sleep paralysis
Since sleep paralysis is not seen as a disease entity, it cannot be treated, but there are several ways to overcome the unpleasant experiences, if they have already occurred. Awakening can be facilitated by making quick and sharp inhalations and exhalations, or by concentrating all your strength and will on moving your finger or toe – the moment you are able to move just one muscle, sleep paralysis is gone.
In situation recurrent sleep paralysis you should visit a neurologist, preferably a sleep disorder treatment center. An EEG test will be necessary to exclude (or confirm) epilepsy. In very rare situations, doctors recommend pharmacological treatment of sleep disorders associated with the occurrence of sleep paralysis.
Sleep Paralysis – Can It Be Induced?
While sleep paralysis is primarily a negative emotion and most people try to do their best to avoid this unpleasant state, there is a group of people who even try to induce sleep paralysis. Why? Lucid dream practitioners believe that the ability to control the transition from wakefulness to dreaming is an excellent technique for creating dream visions.
Aby induce sleep paralysis, put yourself in any position, relax and lie still, waiting for pictures, shapes and stories to be hallucinated. Auditory sensations and whole-body vibrations should soon emerge. Maintain this condition without moving. Over time, depending on the level of fatigue and environmental conditions, the vibration should increase. It is the tactile hypnagogues that go into a state of sleep paralysis.
Throughout the process, it is extremely important that this lucid sleep technique is only used when you are feeling sleepy. Practitioners of lucid sleep techniques emphasize that this method makes sleep paralysis a phenomenon much more delicate and pleasant than when it occurs against our will.