Sleep paralysis causes and symptoms

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

A description of such a phenomenon as sleep paralysis, as well as the causes of an unusual condition, are indicated in the literature and have been known for a long time. There are a lot of rumors and speculations around sleep paralysis. Previously, people attributed its emergence to the activities of sorcerers, today they are trying to blame aliens. This is not quite a disease, however, it has been studied and described by scientists, is characterized by clear symptoms and is quite treatable.

Description of the phenomenon and the reasons for its occurrence

What is sleep paralysis? What symptoms characterize this phenomenon of the nervous system? And for what reasons does it arise?

The manifestation of paralysis in several variants is described, when falling asleep or during the period of waking up of the body. At this time, the muscles are in a relaxed state, the entire body is "asleep", and consciousness is already or has not yet been turned off. This moment, as a rule, lasts no more than two minutes, although subjectively, it is perceived as a rather long time.

At this moment, there may be:

1. Conscious perception of what is happening around. At the same time, consciousness registers all sounds and movements, and the body does not respond to brain impulses, in fact, refusing to obey.
2. Often, this state is accompanied by panic horror. People cannot find an explanation for what is happening and build the most unexpected assumptions.
3. Almost always, sleep paralysis is accompanied by some kind of vision. The nature of these visions directly depends on the psychosomatic state of the person. They can be both calm and positive in nature, and represent terrible fantastic pictures.

Over the course of the study, scientists were able to find out that the symptoms of sleep paralysis occur due to the desynchronization of the processes that awaken consciousness and motor functions. The reasons for this can be different, from genetic predisposition to stressful prerequisites and sleep disturbances.

Such an imbalance can occur if the following factors are present:

• regular sleep disturbances: lack of sleep, insomnia, frequent changes in rest regime;
• stressful influences and depressive conditions;
• various kinds of addiction, including both nicotine and narcotic;
• long-term use of potent drugs;
• heredity;
• acclimatization and shift of human biorhythms;
• various disorders of the nervous system.

In most cases, sleep paralysis occurs after the age of ten and can bother a person up to 20-25 years old, and it can manifest itself throughout life. After 25 years, symptoms of the disorder first appear extremely rarely.

Artificial onset of sleep paralysis

People who are fond of occult practices try to induce such a state in themselves quite consciously, trying to plunge into a "trance". The conditions for immersion in this state are described:

1. The position of the body is "lying on the back", the head is slightly thrown back. A small roller is placed under the neck.
2. A sensation of complete relaxation of all organs is deliberately evoked. At this point, tinnitus, a sensation of non-existent sounds, may appear. In fact, this is the state of sleep paralysis.

Varieties of sleep paralysis

It is customary to subdivide the types of sleep paralysis by the time of its occurrence:

1. Paralysis that occurs at the stage of falling asleep is usually called semi-conscious or hypnagogic. The person has not yet completely fallen asleep, and the muscles have come to a state of rest. Consciousness clearly records everything that happens around, and the body does not react. It is hypnagogic paralysis that is characterized by panic attacks.
2. Hypnopompic paralysis occurs on awakening. It is known that in the phase of REM sleep, the muscle frame is maximally relaxed. If a sudden awakening occurs at this moment, the muscles simply do not dot the response.
3. Intentional paralysis occurs when artificially introduced into a trance state. This can be done on your own or with the help of another person. It is this property of sleep paralysis that hypnotists and magicians use.

Sleep paralysis symptoms

Despite such an unusual nature of such a phenomenon as sleep paralysis, the possible causes of its occurrence and methods of its treatment are quite well understood. Most people who have experienced this condition describe it in about the same way. The symptoms of sleep paralysis are described by doctors:

• complete muscle immobility;
• the appearance of panic;
• shortness of breath, feeling of pressure on the diaphragm;
• fast pulse, accelerated heartbeat;
• loss of orientation in space;
• the illusion of being in a different place and at a different time;
• auditory illusions, sometimes the feeling of talking or foreign breathing;
• fixing the movement of shadows, glare of light.

It has been noted that sleep paralysis most often occurs in people sleeping on their backs. The state of paralysis can be caught from the side by determining the heavy breathing and tension of the muscular frame of the face in a nearby person.

If such symptoms appear, treatment is not required, you can simply conduct an examination in order to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Finding out the reason

Since the phenomenon of sleep paralysis is well studied, and the causes of its occurrence are not pathological in nature, the diagnosis does not require any clinical studies.

In this case, it is important to understand the factors affecting the occurrence of paralysis. These factors can be both explicit and latent. The task of the neuropsychiatrist is to identify them. Often, one of the doctor's recommendations will be a proposal to keep a diary of events occurring with a person.

In cases where sleep paralysis is accompanied by various sleep disorders, it is possible to consult a somnologist. Reviews of the treatment of such paralysis indicate that it is possible to overcome the symptoms in the shortest possible time.

Sleep paralysis treatment

The vast majority of neurologists agree that the symptoms and causes that characterize the occurrence of sleep paralysis certainly do not elevate it to a number of diseases.

Experts believe that it is enough to eliminate the factors that provoke sleep paralysis, and the phenomenon will cease to bother.

To overcome the symptoms of sleep paralysis, the patient is advised to:

• establish a clear daily routine, observing the periods of sleep, rest and work, clearly defining the start and end times of the period;
• optimize the awakening process with an alarm clock, a sharp sound will prevent the patient from falling into a state of paralysis;
• eliminate the prerequisites and consequences of physical inactivity: active sports, outdoor walks, water procedures;
• to postpone mental work a few hours earlier, leaving a place for passive rest of the brain before going to bed;
• avoidance of stressful situations, mood swings;
• before going to bed, it is advisable to take a relaxing bath, drink herbal tea;
• ensure good ventilation of the bedroom, it is advisable to take a short walk in the fresh air.

In rare cases, when the occurrence of sleep paralysis is associated with a serious illness, and its causes are more likely a consequence of the pathology of the body than an independent phenomenon, the doctor may prescribe medication.

Alternative treatment for sleep paralysis

Alternative methods used when such a phenomenon as sleep paralysis occurs, perfectly determine the causes, and, accordingly, treatment at home.

Alternative medicine practitioners recommend soothing teas and tinctures:

• a variety of teas brewed on the basis of medicinal herbs: mint, lemon balm, collection of oregano and calendula;
• excellent results are obtained by using tinctures of St. John's wort or angelica.

The method of preparing the tincture is quite simple. To do this, it is enough to pour 50 g of grass with boiling water and insist for two hours. Take such a tincture several times a day for a quarter of a glass.

Summing up, we repeat, sleep paralysis is a rather unusual phenomenon, but the reasons for its occurrence do not allow it to be considered a disease. This is a special condition of the nervous system that can be easily overcome by following the recommendations of a specialist.