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| When mind wakes up but body is still asleep can be a frightening experience for some - Image Credit
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/John_Henry_Fuseli_-_The_Nightmare.JPG (
Henry Fuseli's "The Nightmare" may have been inspired by the chest-crushing sensation and hallucinations of sleep paralysis.: Henry Fuseli (1781))
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Overview - Sleep Paralysis
A person is aware but unable to move or speak during waking up or falling asleep, then it may be regarded as Sleep Paralysis, During an occurrence, one may hallucinate like hear, see, feel unreal things. Generally it may last maximum for a couple of minute. It may occur as a single episode or be recurrent.
Annie Fung in 2013 at Mono No Aware Workshop presented a beautiful 2:53 minutes short film which describes Sleep Paralysis.
A Real Life Story
Zenab, 30, is a trainer and teacher, who experienced sleep paralysis. She faced temporary inability to move or speak that occurs when she was waking up and falling asleep. It had not harmed her much but some episodes were frightening. In her words
The elders in my family advised me to visit a spiritual healer and I did everything anyone endorsed. I wanted to cure myself of this phenomenon which was making me afraid, vulnerable and powerless.
Zenab went to her general physician who recommended consultation with a neurologist. Fortunately he finally dispelled all notions about djinn and supernatural elements at play.
According to the neurologist, I was suffering from sleep paralysis and I was instantly relieved to hear that. I wasn't going crazy. I wasn't possessed and it wasn't a breakdown
recalls Zenab sharing how the thoughts of what the problem might be had been tormenting her earlier.
This is an example of how a clear diagnosis can help relieve a patient and normalize a potentially frightening and puzzling experience.
Zenab says,
As a society we tend to hastily attribute undiagnosed or unexplained occurrences to the supernatural.
The doctor prescribed a relaxant and it helped me fall asleep. But even when I slept it wasn't deep, satisfying sleep. I would wake up feeling unrested. However with time, the sleep paralysis episode became fewer.
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Representative Image by Kunj
Parekh on Unsplash
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She shares how she had always relished her sleep. Being working woman and juggling her career with a joint family she would crave a soothing shut eye at bed time. but since her sleep disorder she had began to dread sleep.
It's harrowing when the body and mind stop coordinating. When the mind doesn't want to sleep yet the body is spent. That is when the mind plays a game with you. When the medicines did not help relax or feel rejuvenated. I began to research on the internet for remedies.
Out of the innumerable antidotes she experimented with, one seemed to work for her. She
found on YouTube.
I began to massage my feet with olive oil.
The logic behind this therapy is that the soles of the feet end up being the most exhausted part of the body and if you relax them, sleep paralysis can be avoided.
Then Zenab decided to alter her sleep schedule.
I used to be a night owl and would late into the night but I started going to bed early and tried to follow that schedule religiously.so that I got six to seven hours of proper sleep. I also started eating a light dinner two hours before going to bed or just a lukewarm glass of milk.
In hindsight, Zenab believes that the two years when she was plagued with episodes of sleep paralysis occurred in a phase of life when she had an exhaustive routine physically and was under great mental stress.
May be that is what triggered the attacks of sleep paralysis. My body was tired and yearned for sleep, yet, my mind was still agitated and refused to be silenced.
She confesses,
I could see the signs of an impending paralysis attack if I was very tired and my shoulders and neck started to ache.
She asserts,
One thing I have done personally is to stop worrying about tomorrow. I try to stay on top of my priority list rather than bend over backwards for others. I have started reading to relax myself and eating healthy
Take Away from Zenab's Story
The weird phenomenon is known as sleep paralysis and some studies finds that understanding why it happens helps people feel less distressed after an episode. Believing that sleep paralysis is brought on by the super natural, on the other hand, makes people more unnerved.
Sleep paralysis occurs when the mind and body aren't quite on the same platform when it comes to sleep.
Sleep Paralysis may be horrifying
Sleep Paralysis can be horrifying experience for the near half of the people who have had an episode. It's dark but the person feels for sure a presence in the room, hovering near her/his bed - or perhaps sitting on her/his chest, crushing the breath out of her/his.
The condition may occur in those who are otherwise healthy or those with narcolepsy or it may run in families as a result of specific genetic conditions. The condition may be triggered by sleep deprivation, psychological stress or erratic sleep cycles. Some other causes could be intoxication, low serum potassium levels or even abrupt withdrawal from certain prescribed medications.
The short film Shameless has touched sleep paralysis related to psychological stress. Watch here (duration 15:31 minutes)
Sleep specialists reveals that sleep paralysis happens when parts of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep occur while person is awake. The REM is a stage of sleep when the brain is very active and dreams often occur. Apart from the eyes and muscles in breathing, the body is unable to move, possibly to stop the person acting out her/his dreams and hurting herself/himself.
Two types of sleep paralysis are normally referred
Hypnagogic Sleep Paralysis -
When individual falls asleep, her/his body slowly relaxes. She/he usually becomes less aware and unable to notice any change. However she/he remains or becomes aware while falling asleep, she/he may notice that she/he cannot move or speak.
Hypnopompic Sleep Paralysis -
During sleep individuals body alternate between REM and NREM (non Rapid Eye movement ) sleep. One cycle of REM and NREM sleep lasts about 90 minutes. NREM sleep occurs first and it takes about 75% of overall sleep time. During NREM sleep individuals body relaxes and restores itself. At the end of NREM individuals sleep shifts to REM. Then her/his eyes move rapidly and dreams occur, but the rest of the body remains relaxed. Muscles are turned off during REM sleep. If she/he become aware before the REM cycle is finished, she/he may notice that she/he cannot move or speak.
Treatment options for sleep paralysis have not very developed so far. For most of the cases, it is often recommended that people be assured that the condition is generally common and generally not serious. Other methods are popular and that may be tried include sleep hygiene, cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants.
In their book Sleep Paralysis (co-authored by Brian A Sharpless PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of the Psychology Clinic at Washington State University and Karl Doghramji, MD is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University; a Medical Director at Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center; and Program Director at Fellowship in Sleep Medicine) talk about how good sleep is an indicator of good health.
Sharpless writes that approximately six to eight percent of total population of the world will experiences sleep paralysis during their lives. and the highest rate is found among students and young adults. However other studies show much higher rate between eight to fifty percent of people may experience sleep paralysis. Lack of empirical attention and limited data show that a minority of people experience repetitive episodes of sleep paralysis.
Sharpless explains that, in sleep paralysis, with the exception of the eyes, no other voluntary muscles can move. He records in detail how hallucinations are a part of a majority of sleep paralysis episodes in the form of an eerie presence or sensations.
Even though, parasomnia activities such as sleep walking, sleep terrors and nightmare disorders are recognized, sleep paralysis boxed under 'parasomnia not otherwise specified'.
Sharpless also records how attributing into spiritual or demonic occurrences is understandable as sleep paralysis occurs usually at night and is accompanied by the feeling of cold presence and a weight upon the chest.
Although the term sleep paralysis was only coined two centuries ago, evidence of its existence dates to ancient Greece in the second and fifth centuries. Historical research reveals that sleep paralysis has a reference not just in psychology but also n folklore and mythology
Factors that are responsible for developing Sleep Paralysis
The common conditions is often first noticed in the teen years. But sleep paralysis is equally experienced in both males and females and can be developed at any age. Other than previously discussed the following factors that may be linked to sleep paralysis :
- Insufficient of sleep
- Frequent changes in sleep schedules
- Mental Health conditions include stress, bipolar disorder, trauma etc.
- Sleeping on the back (supine position)
- Other sleep problems includes narcolepsy, leg cramps etc.
- Effect of certain medications such as ADHD etc
- Substance abuse
Diagnosis and Classification
Sleep paralysis mainly diagnosed via clinical interview and ruling out other potential sleep disorders that could account for the feelings of paralysis. The main disorder that is checked for narcolepsy due to the high prevalence of narcolepsy in conjunction with sleep paralysis The availability of a genetic test for narcolepsy makes this an easy disorder to rule out. Several measure are available to reliably diagnose or screen (Munich Parasomnia Screening) for recurrent isolated sleep paralysis.
A person need to consult doctor if she/he has any of these concerns :
- Anxious about the symptoms
- Symptoms make the person very tired during the day.
- Symptoms keep the person up during the night.
Before final diagnosis some additional measures are taken like
- To identify the pattern of the symptoms - a sleep diary may be maintained
- Health history, known sleep disorder, any family history of sleep disorder
- Further evaluation by the sleep specialists
- Conduct overnight sleep studies or daytime nap studies to make sure the person does not have other sleep disorder
Episodes of sleep paralysis can occur in the context of several medical conditions. When episodes occur independent of these conditions or substance use, it is termed isolated sleep paralysis (ISP). When ISP episodes are more frequent and cause clinically significant distress and interference, it is classified recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP) .
Episodes of sleep paralysis, regardless of classification are generally short but longer episodes (more than 6 minutes) have been documented. With RISP the individual can also suffer back to back episodes of sleep paralysis in the same night, which is unlikely in individuals who suffer from ISP.
Differential Diagnosis
Similar conditions of sleep paralysis includes :
- EHS - Exploding Head Syndrome
- ND - Nightmare Disorder
- STs - Sleep Terrors
- NPAs - Noctural Panic Attacks
- PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Prevention and Cure
Many circumstances have been identified that are associated with an increased risk of sleep paralysis. It is also believed that there may be genetic component in the development of RISP, because there is high concurrent incidence of sleep paralysis in monozygotic twins. Sleeping in the supine position has been found an especially prominent instigator of sleep paralysis.
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| Supine Position - Image from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Man_in_supine_position.jpg |
While many factors can increase the risk for ISP or RISP, they can be avoided with minor lifestyle changes. By mainlining a proper exercise schedule one can easily balance mind and body. which is the main trigger of sleep paralysis. By redevelop our childhood hobby and nuturing it sometime add significant mental relief and reduction of day-to-day workload stress associated with them.
However some cases of ISP and RISP involve a genetic factor - which means some people may find sleep paralysis unavoidable. Practicing meditation regularly might also be helpful in preventing fragmented sleep.
In addition to all the very important part is our Pineal Gland which is a part of our brain that controls sleep, aging and our state of mind. Modern lifestyle of 21st Century is a cause of intoxication and calcification of our Pineal Gland which is also popularly known as Third Eye. The Gland secretes Melatonin, a chemical that regulates our sleeping pattern. As well as helping to regulate sleep, melatonin is also a strong antioxidant and helps to slow down the aging process. Meditation helps Pineal Gland to function well which may in turn reduce sleep paralysis syndromes.
However there is need to detoxify the Gland. Some guided processes are axailable. You can learn here >
Pineal Gland: How To Detox The Part Of Your Brain That Controls Sleep, Aging And Your State Of Mind
Meditation- relaxation (MR)
This therapy is a published direct treatment for sleep paralysis. The therapy is based on four steps applied during sleep paralysis:
(1) reappraisal of the meaning of the attack (cognitive reappraisal); which entails closing one's eyes, avoid panicking and re-appraising the meaning of the attack as benign.
(2) psychological and emotional distancing (emotion regulation); the sleeper reminds him- or herself that catastrophizing the event (i.e., fear and worry) will worsen and possibly prolong it;
(3) inward focused-attention meditation; focusing attention inward on an emotionally salient positive object;
(4) muscle relaxation; relaxing one's muscles, avoid controlling breathing and avoid attempting to move. There are preliminary case reports supporting this treatment, although no randomized clinical trials yet to show its effectiveness
(source - Wikipedia)
The Nightmare is a documentary film that discusses the causes of sleep paralysis as seen through extensive interviews with participants and the experiences are re-enacted by professional actors. it proposes that such cultural memes as alien abduction, the near death experience and shadow people can, in many cases, be attributed to sleep paralysis.
The film is here (duration 45:06 minutes)
Perhaps the ancients considered sleep paralysis as a nightmare. But such as Zenab who have experienced sleep paralysis it can be much more frightening than nightmare.
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