You wake up, you listen to the sounds of the night that later enter your room. You see clearly in the dark. You feel the wind, even though your window is closed. You wake up, but somehow you sense that your awakening is not exactly real. Then you feel that something is wrong because you can’t move, you can’t talk and you’re breathing hard. A weight rests on you and prevents you from moving. You wake up in a horror movie. You hear whispers, I murmur, you notice a shadow, you want to scream but you are unable to emit even a small moan. You wake up and you are sure that there is a body on you. But no, only «the dead got on you», a phenomenon formally known as sleep paralysis or nocturnal paralysis.
But What is really happening? When we sleep we go through two fundamental stages to achieve deep sleep. The first of these is known as the light phase, which is characterized by the slowing down of brain waves. Approximately 90 minutes later we entered deep sleep. Our body suffers a drop in body temperature and pulse; the ear is alerted, the eyes move under the lids from side to side in a similar way to when we watch a movie. This ocular phenomenon is called REM, rapid eye movement or REM, for its acronym in English. rapid eye movement. This is when dreams occur and the brain is as active as when we are awake.
Sleep paralysis occurs at the beginning of the first stage, when we are falling asleep or at the beginning of REM sleep, that is, in the first half of the night. The duration of the paralysis is around one minute, although cases have been reported that have lasted up to ten minutes. The phenomenon has caused such interest among scientists that sleep researchers have suggested that the problem may be because paralysis sufferers are often especially susceptible to electromagnetic phenomena experienced by Earth. Sleep paralysis falls within the field of sleep disorders, such as apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy. In fact, neurologists dare to affirm that sleep paralysis is a symptom of narcolepsy, which is characterized by excessive sleepiness during wakefulness.
Another of the neurological positions affirms that in reality the paralysis is due to stress and exhaustion, but what is certain is that different cultures have registered the phenomenon and have attributed it to magical and mystical causes. Perhaps the most concise description of the experience is that the paralyzed person is conscious but immobile and this can happen to anyone, so below we share a series of steps to follow in case you experience sleep paralysis or know someone who is going through this.
1. Recognize the symptoms
Nocturnal paralysis can affect people differently, so experiences vary, but symptoms generally include partial or total paralysis of muscles, especially arms, legs, and torso, a feeling of suffocation or a heavy weight on the body. chest, visual or auditory hallucinations such as a nightmare in which people often perceive an unpleasant presence or a shadow. Due to the unusual nature of this experience, you may experience confusion, helplessness, and fear.
2. Focus on the movement of the body.
Pay attention to trying to move your toes, your hands, or your tongue. Then focus on your eyes and on opening and moving them, this faculty should not be affected by sleep paralysis. Try to move them from one side to the other quickly to finish waking up.
3. Focus on your breathing.
Follow the sensations of your breath, don’t try to manipulate it, just watch it. This exercise is similar to the segment of breathing that is done to develop attention and concentration when beginning to meditate.
4. Imagine that you are moving.
Visualize how you move, imagine that you can do it without effort. This will also help with feelings of fear and helplessness.
One of the concerns that arises regarding sleep paralysis is whether Is there any treatment In general, what is recommended is sleeping regularly, since one of the theories is that this happens when rapid eye movement starts prematurely. Maintaining a regular sleep pattern and giving our body and mind the rest it needs can decrease the incidence of these experiences. Other recommendations to improve the quality of sleep and general well-being are to exercise, eliminate from the diet everything that is not conducive to a good night’s rest, such as sugary foods and alcoholic or caffeinated beverages. You can also try these teas to relax before bed or learn a relaxation technique, as stress affects normal sleep patterns and this can trigger paralysis.
With information from Medline and The Guardian
Cover photo by Glen Hodson on Unsplash