Sleep paralysis occurs when you start to become conscious but your body is still paralysed by sleep.
This happens when you are at the deepest stage of sleep where dreams occur and suddenly there’s a disconnect between the body and mind, so your mind is awake but your body hasn’t caught up and is paralyzed.
Sleep paralysis occurs when your conscious mind wakes up while your body is in a state of rest or atonia. You will be aware of being awake, yet be unable to move a muscle.
It can be an uncomfortable and upsetting experience that makes you feel as though you are trapped in your own body, unable to move or cry out for help. This means the voluntary muscles are paralyzed even when the person’s eyes are open. In addition to feeling sometimes it feels that something is sitting on their chest, to hearing voices or noises.
While in lockdown most people are struggling with many sleep disorders from insomnia, to sleep paralysis. NDMA also share some tips to sleep well and combat sleeping disorders.
Having trouble in sleeping during #lockdown?
Learn to combat #insomnia with these tips. #Insomnia is when you are dissatisfied with the quality or quantity of your sleep. #MentalHealthAwareness #Mentalhealth #MentalhealthduringCovid19 #StayPositive_StaySafe #StayAtHome pic.twitter.com/It9YnqaMzj— NDMA India | राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण 🇮🇳 (@ndmaindia) April 17, 2020
Many people experience sleep paralysis at some stage of life and sleep deprivation is one of the most common causes of sleep paralysis. It really is important that you get into a good sleep routine! This will train your body to know when it’s time to sleep, making sure that you get enough hours each night.
Potential causes of sleep paralysis
- The longer that you have gone without sleep, the higher the chances of you experiencing sleep paralysis.
- If you have an anxiety disorder, you are at a higher risk of experiencing episodes of sleep paralysis. The reason for this is simple. When you are worrying about things all the time and you cannot shut off your mind and quiet those worries in order to fall soundly asleep, your sleep cycle suffers.
- Depression is not the only mental disorder that can affect sleep, but depression can cause oversleeping, and too much sleep has the same effect on the body as not enough sleep, both of which can contribute to sleep paralysis.
Sleep paralysis can seem unavoidable – it has no officially recognised cause and it’s impossible to predict when it will occur.
However, there are still some steps you can take to minimalize your chances of experiencing the phenomenon-
- Experiencing an episode of sleep paralysis can be scary but it’s important to remain calm. As unnerving as being unable to move your muscle can be, it is a passing problem so the best thing you can do is to try and relax.
- According to the CDC, adults should get at least seven hours of sleep over the course of 24 hours. Be sure to avoid sleep deprivation and excess sleeping. Sleep paralysis can be a good indicator that you need to change your sleeping
- If you are experiencing more and more episodes of sleep paralysis, consider speaking to your doctor. They will be able to advise you about further treatment, while sleep paralysis isn’t considered to be a serious problem but doctor’s recommendations and advice will surely help you recover smoothly.
- You could even practice mindfulness techniques, yoga and daily exercise routine which encourage a sense of calm and objectiveness.
If you feel these tips don’t work, please consult with your physician for diagnosing and treatment.
