What Does Sleep Paralysis Feel Like? The defining symptom of sleep paralysis is atonia, or the inability to move the body or speak. People also report difficulty breathing, chest pressure, and distressing emotions like panic or helplessness during sleep paralysis episodes.
During REM sleep, your body is relaxed and your muscles don't move. Sleep paralysis occurs when the sleep cycle is shifting between stages. When you wake up suddenly from REM, your brain is awake, but your body is still in REM mode and can't move, causing you to feel like you're paralyzed.
Sleep paralysis can occur in otherwise normal sleepers, and is surprisingly common in its occurrence and universality. It has also been linked to certain conditions such as increased stress, excessive alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, and narcolepsy.
If it occurs while you are falling asleep, it's called hypnagogic sleep paralysis. As you fall asleep, your body slowly relaxes. Usually you become less aware, so you do not notice the change. However, if you remain or become aware while falling asleep, you may notice that you cannot move or speak.
It's entirely safe to wake someone up from sleep paralysis. In fact, they will probably be hugely grateful. If you suspect your bed partner is experiencing sleep paralysis, you could try talking to them, tapping their shoulder, or gently shaking them.
What Causes a Sleep Paralysis Demon? Although the exact cause of sleep-related hallucinations remains unknown, many experts believe that hallucinations during sleep paralysis occur when people experience the vivid dreams of REM sleep while they are awake.
During an episode of sleep paralysis you may: find it difficult to take deep breaths, as if your chest is being crushed or restricted. be able to move your eyes – some people can also open their eyes but others find they can't.
Sleep paralysis can begin at any age, but initial symptoms usually show up in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood. After starting in the teenage years, episodes can occur more frequently in later decades.
Sleep paralysis may include hallucinations, such as an intruding presence or dark figure in the room, suffocating or the individual feeling a sense of terror, accompanied by a feeling of pressure on one's chest and difficulty breathing.
Sleep paralysis (SP) is a common condition that affects approximately 7.6% of the general population during their lifetime [1].
These instances – sleep paralysis and sleep hallucinations (also referred to as “sleep demons”) – can be incredibly scary things to experience. And, yet, aside from the fright, they're harmless. They're simply the results of disrupted sleep. Still, that doesn't help quell the fear when they happen.
An Episode of Sleep Paralysis
This inability to move typically lasts from a few seconds to one to two minutes. It is rare for another person to notice this and intervene. The episode may end when you are slowly able to move or when you start falling back asleep.
For most, it is just the inability to move during a dream. But some have reported having nightmares or feeling helpless. Whether you have experienced sleep paralysis or not, here are some facts that help explain this mysterious phenomenon: It only occurs at certain times of the night.
Sleep paralysis occurs when you temporarily cannot move or speak upon waking up or falling asleep. While sleep paralysis is fairly common and does not cause any physical harm, it can be scary.
- No matter how much you try, even if you consciously know that you're undergoing a sleep paralysis—you can't wake your body up. A very miniscule amount of people can slightly move their fingers, wiggle their toes or facial muscles, which eventually helps them wake up the rest of their body.
Opposite of sleep paralysis, atonia does not set in to keep the body from moving. This parasomnia is potentially dangerous for the sleeper and bed partner due to the active nature of it.
Key facts about sleep paralysis
It's a brief sensation and at most it will last for a few minutes. Despite the scary name, it's not harmful. While it might feel bizarre, it's completely normal. Lack of sleep can trigger an episode.
Sleep paralysis can happen just once and never again. But, for a few people, it may be a regular occurrence. Either way, it can be a big relief to know what's happening. That's why the best course of action is to see a doctor and get checked out.
This usually occurs in the lighter stages of Non-REM sleep (Stages 1 and 2) and usually sleepers have no memory of these vocalizations. The actual words or phrases have little to no truth, and usually occur when they are stressed, during times of fever, as a medication side effect or during disrupted sleep. '
During sleep paralysis you may feel: awake but cannot move, speak or open your eyes. like someone is in your room. like something is pushing you down.
A paralysis episode can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Usually, the episode will end on its own, but someone touching you or speaking to you can also bring it to a halt. Sometimes, you can pull yourself out of sleep paralysis by making a concentrated effort to move your body.