What is Sleep Paralysis?
Have you ever been asleep in your bed, yet it felt like you were also awake? Furthermore, did you feel like you couldn’t move? If so, you may have experienced what is known as sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is most often linked to narcolepsy, which is a neurological condition where a person suffers from a sudden need to sleep. However, there are many individuals who suffer sleep paralysis without having symptoms of narcolepsy or sleeping sickness.
Sometimes sleep paralysis can be shared by other members of a family. There is no reason that scientists can find to explain why some people experience sleep paralysis. Although not harmful, it can be a terrifying experience because the individuals do not know what is happening to them, and within several minutes they are able to move their bodies again.
In certain cases, hallucinations are present and people feel like someone is in the same room with them. Other people experience the feeling that a person is sitting on their chest and they like they can’t breathe and are going to die. That has been dubbed the “Old Hag Phenomenon” and it has been happening to individuals all over the world for centuries. These episodes of sleep paralysis cause people much anxiety and terror, but there is no actual physical harm that occurs.
Cures for sleep paralysis range from hypnosis to stretching and other forms of exercise. People who feel paralyzed while sleeping often say they wish they could get up and run away. That may be the reason for the desire to stretch and limber up the body. Like other types of sleep disorders, the root causes are often complicated and multi-faceted. It may be best to visit a sleep clinic where you can speak to a professional doctor who specializes in these types of ailments.
