chimdikeomejua

· 27 Dec 2021

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What is Sleep Paralysis

Have you found yourself in a room sleeping and suddenly as you try standing up after waking up, you feel like someone is pressing your chest or a kind of demon moving around your room; you cannot speak or move for seconds to minutes? Most individuals suffering from sleep paralysis don’t need to fear as it does not impose complication or secondary ailments. However, sleep paralysis is an indication that one isn’t having a smooth sail in his or her sleep stages.

What then is Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis is a sleeping disorder that takes place either within times of wakefulness and sleeping off time. During this period, the individual is conscious most times but finds it difficult to move or talk. There is a motionless transition of events that ticks in seconds to minutes. Sleep paralysis should not be mistaken for narcolepsy- which refers to a sleeping order whereby the brain loses its ability to regulate sleep and thereby subjecting the individual into sleeping at odd times and in absurd environments and conditions. Those who suffer from narcolepsy tend to sleep anytime and anywhere; just a little tone of muscle relaxation leads to sleep whereas sleep paralysis isn’t a syndrome or malfunction of the brain.

Sleep paralysis is either hypnogogic or hypnopompic. It is said to be hypnogogic or pre-dormital when you find yourself sleeping off and at same time being conscious, discovers you cannot move or speak but have a rapid eye movement together with a short dream. For hypnopompic or post-dormital sleep paralysis, the individual is about waking up and in that state experiences body relaxation with alternating rapid eyes movement as well. If one is conscious at that point, you will realize and experience inability to speak or move.
If you experience these underlisted items either during times of wakefulness or falling asleep, then know you are have sleep paralysis:

-The feeling or sensation that someone is choking you or pressing your chest
-The feeling that there is an evil being or kind of demon around your sleeping space
-The feeling that someone is watching you when literally nobody is there

Researchers are yet to undermine the reason behind such hallucination gimmicks- whether it is neurologic or not.

What Causes Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis can occur in any gender regardless of the age. Most times, it is believed to be hereditary- meaning that it may be evident in a family line or tree. However, the notably cause(s) of sleep paralysis include:
-Having deprivation of sleep i.e. lack of sleep
-Having intense stress
-Having a change in sleeping schedule time
-Sleeping on the back
-Use of certain medications such as drugs for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
-Having other sleep related disorders

Diagnosis and treatment of sleep paralysis

There is no laboratory testing for the detection of sleep paralysis. You will know that you’ve got sleep paralysis when you discover that during periods of wakefulness or sleeping off, in your conscious state, the inability to speak or move. Also, if you experience the aforementioned hallucination effects, then there is high probability of having sleep paralysis.

Sleep paralysis is treated by going after the underlying cause of it. Try to have enough rest or sleeping time, reduction in stress or strenuous activities, use of antidepressant and a halt in sleeping more with the back.

If you feel you’ve a sleep paralysis and is really disturbing, it is advisable to go see a doctor.






#sleep #paralysis #sleepparalysis #sleepdisorders #disorders #narcolepsy