Sleep paralysis is a temporary episode of paralysis where your entire body loses control over muscles for the time being. Though you remain awake during sleep paralysis attacks, you can’t move any part of your body because the brain stops sending signals to different parts of your body. Sleep paralysis symptoms may last for a few minutes or seconds, generally, without putting your health at any other risk. Sleep paralysis demon is not a critical health issue but is a distressing and scary moment for a affected person as well as their family members.
Although, the reasons for sleep paralysis are unknown, with the help of the right preventive measures, you can put the risk of sleep paralysis demon and its complications at bay.
This article provides you with a comprehensive guide about what is sleep paralysis, its types, causes, symptoms, treatment, and preventive measures to control the symptoms or to avoid the risk of sleep paralysis. Let’s begin!
What is Sleep Paralysis?
Let us first understand sleep paralysis meaning. During a sleep paralysis attack, your brain stops functioning to control your muscle's actions. It crops up when you are conscious of your surroundings during the rapid eye movement or REM phase of sleep. With sleep paralysis, the brain signals reach to zero, thus, you find it challenging to move any part of your body. This eventually leads to sleep paralysis hallucinations. These can be horrible nightmares or can lead to the problem of anxiety.
If you have been confronting the issue of sleep paralysis, it can be a threat to your cognitive health, immune system efficiency, and the metabolism of your body. Hence, it is vital to address the reasons for sleep paralysis on time. By knowing why does sleep paralysis happen, you can seek immediate sleep paralysis remedies or treatment to reverse the condition and restrict its recurrence.
Causes of Sleep Paralysis
No matter whether it is a child or an adult, one can be a victim of sleep paralysis attack if the sleep cycle is disturbed due to working shifts or any sleeping-related disorder. Let’s understand what causes sleep paralysis:
- Narcolepsy
- Insomnia
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Sleep deprivation
- Certain medications to cure ADHD
- Alcoholic beverages consumption
- Drugs abuse
Types of Sleep Paralysis
Go over the following description to understand two types of sleep paralysis:
Isolated Sleep Paralysis
Isolated sleep paralysis is not linked to narcolepsy or any other sleep-related disorders. It appears without any symptoms or signs of pre-existing narcolepsy disorder. It usually happens due to sleep deprivation on account of working shifts or study schedules.
Recurrent Sleep Paralysis
Recurrent sleep paralysis can occur multiple times. It is associated with pre-existing narcolepsy disorder. This is a kind of neurological disorder in which the patient falls into deep sleep episodes multiple times during the day.
Symptoms of Sleep Paralysis
Once you understand why sleep paralysis happens, it will be easier to watch out for its symptoms. By analysing sleep paralysis symptoms, you can detect if the sleep paralysis disease bothers you during your sleeping hours. Sleep paralysis symptoms include:
- Inability to move body muscles such as arms, legs, and head
- Inability to speak
- Suffocation
- Hallucination
- Loss of consciousness about what is happening
- Fear
- Panic
- Daytime drowsiness (red flag sign of narcolepsy disorder)
Treatment of Sleep Paralysis
There is no such isolated sleep paralysis treatment. It can happen to anyone at any age and at any time. Its episodes only last for a few minutes and do not leave the patient in trauma. But if you face repeated episodes of sleep paralysis, it can signal some other medical conditions. It is recommended that you consult your doctor to identify the real cause.
If sleep paralysis hallucinations are caused by narcolepsy disorder, you should consult your healthcare professional for disease reversal. The healthcare professional may prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to restrict your daytime drowsiness.
Diagnosis of Sleep Paralysis
Your healthcare professional may help you identify your sleeping patterns. For this, you have to stay in the hospital overnight. The sleep study treatment is called polysomnography. Under this treatment, varied electrodes are placed on the body to measure several kinds of health metrics at night.
These health metrics include blood oxygen level, heartbeat, pulse rate, breathing, muscle activity, and muscle movements. By analysing your health metrics chart, your doctor will prescribe the medications. Then, the efficiency of those medications on your sleeping pattern is identified through the testing.
Furthermore, you may have to undergo one more test known as the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). The objective of this testing is to measure how much time it takes you to fall asleep in a quiet room. This testing is repeated four to five times a day to determine the quality of your sleep. Furthermore, this figures out why sleep paralysis happens. If you enter the REP within 20-30 minutes two or three times, it may signal the sign of narcolepsy.
Can You Die from Sleep Paralysis?
If you want to know is sleep paralysis dangerous, its simple answer is ‘no’. It cannot be dangerous initially. But later on, it can impact the emotional and physical well-being negatively. Sleep paralysis hallucinations can lead to severe anxiety and distress. Therefore, it is essential to address the disturbed sleeping pattern and encourage de-stressing activities. In the absence of the right measures to prevent the further progression of sleep paralysis episodes, it can lead to other physical and mental complications.
Sleep Paralysis Remedies
You must know sleep paralysis remedies to avoid the risk of occasional episodes of sleep paralysis demon. You can follow the given preventive measures to improve the quality of your sleeping patterns:
- Get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep regularly without letting working shifts or study schedule disturb your sleeping hours.
- As much as possible, try to sleep comfortably. The pillow and mattress should be as per your comfort. Your sleep should make you feel comfortable.
- Exercise regularly to revitalise your body and enhance your metabolism rate.
- Avoid distractions, such as your mobile phones and TV, before bedtime. Keep the pop-up notifications on your devices in silent mode.
- Read good books and listen to melodious music to de-stress and soothe your mind.
- Avoid the excessive intake of caffeinated beverages.
- Avoid the consumption of alcoholic drinks.
- Rest your body even if you do not fall asleep.
Let’s De-stress!
Sleep paralysis can be scary and emotionally distressing for you and for your loved ones. Hence, it is vital to follow a constant and consistent sleeping cycle every day. Any lack of adequate sleep increases the risk of sleep paralysis and hallucinations.
Additionally, to maintain a healthy and financially sound life, investing in a health insurance plan early at your age is prudent. In a time when medical inflation is whooping, you can choose our comprehensive health insurance plans such as Care Supreme or Care Advantage to ease the way of getting good quality treatment in a hospital of your choice.
>> Also Read: What is Insomnia?
Disclaimers: The above information is for reference purposes only. Kindly consult your general physician for verified medical advice. The health insurance benefits are subject to policy terms and conditions. Refer to your policy documents for more information.
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