What is sleep paralysis and how to deal with it

certified clinical geneticist, nutritionist, expert of the UniProf Academy of Physicians

What is sleep paralysis? Why does it occur? How to get rid of it?

Probably, each of us has at least once experienced this condition, when you seem to wake up, but your body seems to be still asleep, it is difficult or even almost impossible to turn over, move your arm or leg, sometimes it is even difficult to breathe. This condition in medical practice is conventionally called “sleep paralysis”.

What is sleep paralysis

This is a disorder in which a person experiences incomplete awakening. It manifests itself, as a rule, in the moments between the transition from sleep to wakefulness:

• when falling asleep;
• upon awakening.

In sleep paralysis, a person cannot make any movements after waking up. Simply put, the brain is awake and the body is still resting. Usually this state does not last more than 1-2 minutes.

It happens that this bodily immobility is accompanied by hallucinations or conditioned “dreams”. For example, the feeling that there is someone in the room, or other visual or auditory distortions.

So what happens at this point? Sleep consists of several stages.

Falling asleep

Preparing the body for rest. If you start yawning in the evening, it’s that perfect hour for bedtime. During falling asleep, biological processes slow down and reduce the sensitivity of the body. This phase should normally be no more than 10 minutes.

Slow phase

The longest phase of sleep (takes 75% of the total). Its main task is to restore the body.

This phase consists of:

• drowsiness (about 10 minutes);
• a light stage (about 20 minutes, when there is a blackout, but hearing activity remains);
• a deep stage (lasts about 90 minutes). By the way, dreams can also appear at the deep stage, but, as a rule, a person does not remember them.

Deep sleep

This is when we rest the most, and our breathing, heart rate and blood pressure decrease.

Rapid phase

This is a short phase (about 25% of the total). During this phase, we start having vivid dreams. Along with this, the information received during the day is processed and the body’s activity increases.

The REM sleep phase is characterized by rapid eye movement, breathing and heart rate accelerate, and blood pressure rises. But at the same time, all muscles are paralyzed.

This is the phase in which dreams occur and memory and recall are consolidated. In about 7.5 to 8 hours of healthy sleep, there are on average five cycles of sleep phase changes. And this is more than enough and necessary for a full quality rest – regeneration of the body.

Sleep paralysis occurs when awakening occurs in the middle of REM sleep, when the brain is awake but the muscles are not.

Why sleep paralysis occurs

The exact causes of sleep paralysis are not established. But most often this disorder occurs in the following cases.

Little or not enough sleep

For qualitative recovery of the body after the day’s activity, it is recommended to sleep at least six and a half hours, because below this figure comes negative consequences for health. For one day of bad sleep, you need three days of good sleep to compensate for the resources expended.

Failure to adhere to a set bedtime

Just as lack of sleep negatively affects the brain and can cause sleep paralysis, constantly changing sleep schedules can have a similar effect. Humans are creatures of routine, and our brains need a system to regulate biological rhythms.

Exposure to light, social relationships, or physical activity help the brain establish routines and distinguish between wakefulness and sleep. But if these are constantly lubricated, the body has a hard time determining when it’s time to rest.

Tension or stress

Constant exposure to stressful situations “releases” too much cortisol into the body, which blocks melatonin production and causes changes in circadian rhythms.

Sleeping on your back

As strange as it may sound, people who sleep on their backs often suffer from sleep paralysis. This posture can make breathing difficult (especially if a person is overweight). This, in turn, provokes a sudden awakening in the wrong phase of sleep, and the risk of sleep paralysis increases.

Other causes of sleep paralysis

This condition can be caused by:

• mental health problems such as bipolar, panic disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
• the use of psychotropic drugs or alcohol;
• certain chronic illnesses.

How to get rid of sleep paralysis

There is no universal “cure” for this problem. You can try to reduce the risk factors listed above, but if sleep paralysis occurs frequently, it is worth seeing a doctor. He will help to find out the specific cause and, if necessary, adjust your lifestyle.