What you need to know about the sleepy paralysis

Wake up and realize that you do not have the possibility to move even a finger, - deeply frightening experience for anyone. The point is not to atrophy, fatigue or the impact of newcomers: sleep paralysis - a common medical phenomenon. Around him is spinning a lot of myths, so that today Heroine decided to look into how to avoid sleep paralysis is not afraid of the demons in the corner, and what to do if you caught the attack.

What is sleep paralysis?

The doctors call it parasomnias - adverse events associated with sleep. He has a few common characteristics:

• man hears the door open in the room, someone walking or standing next to the bed
• there is pressure on the chest or even suffocation
• disruption of the vestibular system: a sense of the rotation, falling, flying or hovering in the air of the body

The experience of sleep paralysis has been documented for centuries in different cultures of our planet.

In 2018 Medical News Today sleep paralysis described as "normal, usually benign parasomnias, characterized by brief episodes of inability to move or speak, combined with the waking consciousness." If you ever experienced something like that, the word "usual" and "benign" can cause you disturbance.

By itself, sleep paralysis is fast enough, and he is absolutely not dangerous to life, but the memory of it might suggest you fear for a long time.

As it is related to the demons?

In view of the fact that diagnose and investigate this phenomenon too difficult, it has acquired a lot of myths. During the attack, some people feel as if became hero of horror in which they did not manage to escape from the monster, because it is impossible to move even a finger. The demon can be fake, but the fear is real. The most popular description of sleep paralysis include stories about how people see how their room is part demon. He can be heard, to feel that he is approaching - but it is impossible to escape. Similar stories were told people from all over the world, in any way with each other strangers. They also point out that the pressure on the chest and suffocation occur due to the fact that the monster is sitting on the chest of the victim, do not give a sigh.

Of course, no demon does not exist in reality. The fact that people have, - the residual image of normal sleep, which makes you think that a specific event occurs. When you fall asleep and wake up, you can hallucinate, and the perception of reality is blurred.

Most likely, the appearance of the image of a demon associated with embedded associations that the supernatural and paranormal happens at night, and our innate fear of the dark. The brain knows that we are afraid of the unknown, and that is hard to see - and forms a frightening image.

What other symptoms of sleep paralysis?

I can not move on waking

Sleep paralysis is characterized by an inability to move or speak. You can perform voluntary movements, such as breathing, sit or move the eyes, but can not control the limb.

It is hard to breathe

Sleep paralysis is often accompanied by a feeling of chest pressure, so many people come out of the attack, choking.

feels threatened

According to the Alaska Sleep Clinic, sleep paralysis is usually accompanied by a feeling of fear. People tend to wake up convinced that the "dark figure" lurking in the corner of the room.

Hallucinations

People with sleep disorders are often found visual and auditory hallucinations. However, they cause much less fear than blurred spots and shapes.

Who gets sleepy paralysis?

At least once in a lifetime experience sleep paralysis from 8% to 50% of the population. About 5% of people in the world, these episodes are regular and repeatable. Gender and age do not matter.

At the same time, there are certain factors that increase the risk of sleep paralysis. Most often it affects people with narcolepsy, sleep deprivation, mental illness, or simply those who prefer to sleep on their backs.

There are two types of sleep paralysis: hypnagogic, which occurs when you fall asleep, and gipnopomichesky - when you wake up.

Is it dangerous?

According Psycology Today, sleep paralysis is the result of inconsistencies between the brain and body during the transition from REM sleep. At this stage, the arbitrary movement of the body is temporarily paralyzed, so you can not hurt yourself, moving in the same way as in a dream. But if your brain wakes up before the body begins to move again - then there is paralysis.

If the attack has already happened, it is not correct. It is important to remember that the paralysis lasts only a few minutes, so if you're faced with something like this, just tell yourself that you are looking at personal psychological thriller, developed individually.

Do you ever sleep paralysis test?