sleep paralysis

You’re sleeping peacefully, when a strange noise suddenly snaps you awake. You try desperately to move but find yourself paralyzed. The noises become more frequent, your heart is racing and all efforts to move are futile.

You’ve just experienced sleep paralysis, a temporary paralysis condition of the body, which occurs shortly after waking up that can last from several seconds to several minutes. When entering REM sleep, the stage of sleep where dreaming occurs, your brain paralyzes your muscles to prevent injury. When awakened suddenly, your brain may still believe that you are asleep and sustain the paralysis. It is common for sufferers to hallucinate that someone else is in the room, someone is sitting on their chest/back or that they are suffocating. In the African American community, the episode has long been referred to as “the devil riding your back.”

The painting by Henry Fuseli, “The Nightmare,” is considered a classic depiction of sleep paralysis.

There are a number of triggers for the episode, including family history, increased stress and sleeping in an upright position. The most common, however, is having an irregular sleeping schedule. Studies find that many individuals suffering from excessive sleep paralysis also have bouts with narcolepsy.

Despite feelings of panic and anxiety, sleep paralysis is not harmful. If the episodes occur at least once a week for six weeks, it may require medical treatment. Other methods to minimize sleep paralysis include getting adequate sleep, reducing stress and exercising regularly. –adam jones