My friend shared a strange experience with me “ Last night I suddenly woke up and felt that something pressed against my chest. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I was paralyzed. I tried to speak, but no sound escaped my mouth as if I was possessed by a demon ”
But actually, this can be explained as follows
Sleep paralysis is when you wake up frozen.
Most people describe it as being unable to move and to speak after they wake up, with difficulty breathing, and it’s usually accompanied by hallucinations, often visual, for instance, they see an “evil” creature or entity sitting on their chest, or trying to smother them, or just standing next to the bed and watching them. Auditory (hearing nonexistent sounds) or sensory (feeling their bodies vibrate) hallucinations are also described sometimes, but less often. People are usually utterly terrified when they experience it.
What exactly happens?
90-minutes into your sleep, you'll experience a stage called rapid-eye movement (REM). During this phase, your breathing pattern is rhythmically shallow, your brain is active and your dreams are intense.
A neurotransmitter called glycine works to put your body in temporary paralysis. This prevents the body from acting out dreams and stops you from hurting yourself in your sleep. Your body can move involuntary muscles like the diaphragm, which is responsible for breathing, but muscles such as the arms and legs remain still.
If you suddenly wake up from REM sleep, the glycine neurotransmitter may still be in use, except now you're conscious and aware of your surroundings. This is why you remain paralyzed.
You may feel something sitting on your chest. This happens because, during sleep, your body limits your breathing. In sleep paralysis, you're in a sleep-awake state, causing the diaphragm to struggle. You may also hallucinate and see a dark shadow at this point.
Why does it happen?
It can often be brought on by stress in your life, stimulants such as coffee and tobacco, bad sleep hygiene, but also by watching thrilling movies, like crime or horror stories, before going to bed.
What can we do?
To avoid it, try not to drink coffee or smoke too much before going to bed. Try to go to bed at the same time every night. Usually, many people experience it only once or twice in their lives, but some have them regularly, several times a week, even.
When it comes to that, talk to your doctor, he might prescribe you anti-anxiety medications (for instance diazepam). If it continues, you can spend the night in a sleep lab (many hospitals have them) where your brain activity, heart rate, and other things are monitored. The doctors there will then come up with a treatment plan.
Yours Truly,
Dr. Taranjeet Kaur M.D
Dr. Gursimran
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Dr. Gursimran
Dr. Gursimran has always been a passionate and ambitious student of medicine, a novelty seeker. He likes adrenaline rush events and always wanted to make difference in the lives of people. So, he chose healthcare as his profession