The distressing and harmless sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis is an experience that is usually accompanied by a more or less intense correlate of anxiety. It occurs mainly when we fall asleep or when we wake up and is characterized by the inability to move or speak despite being conscious of the environment. It is also usually accompanied by acoustic hallucinations, such as hearing footsteps approaching us and an intense feeling of presence.

Despite the unpleasant and threatening nature of the episode, it is totally harmless and can happen to any individual without being a sign of pathology or illness. It is associated with states of anxiety or stress. The hypothesis for the appearance of sleep paralysis is to remain in the REM state when we are returning to wakefulness, so that some of the characteristics of the two states are mixed.

It lasts between one and three minutes, although we cannot voluntarily move a muscle, the respiratory muscles continue to work automatically. Sleep paralysis is included in the group of parasomnias. , and is associated with narcolepsy. There are three types of sleep paralysis:

Isolated form. This can appear in healthy individuals who are suffering from high stress, who have jet lag, anxiety or sleep deprivation. The person who experiences it in isolation will likely never experience it again. This form does not require visiting a professional for help.family form. In some cases these episodes repeat over time, although they are not accompanied by any other symptoms and this also occurs in several family members. There are few family cases.Associated with another pathology. Diseases such as narcolepsy can be accompanied by episodes of sleep paralysis.

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Characteristics of REM sleep and sleep paralysis

During sleep there are different phases among which is the REM stage, for its acronym in English: Rapid Eye Movement. This phase of sleep begins approximately 70-100 minutes after being asleep and is characterized by being the phase in which dreams appear. It is repeated between 4 and 5 times throughout the night.

At the moment we dream, the body takes some measures so that it is not dangerous.

The muscles of our body become paralyzed so that we are not in danger. While we dream we may be running away from something or making movements that if we reproduce while asleep could put us or the person we are sleeping with in danger. In addition, great brain activity is recorded.

When we wake up paralyzed it means that our brain continues in the REM state and despite being able to open our eyes, we still cannot move. Besides, dreams mix with reality giving rise to hallucinations, which although at the moment seem totally real, are nothing more than dream material merging with reality.

Hypnagogogic and hypnagopompic hallucinations

As if the inability to move even an centimeter were not terrifying enough, the experience becomes more unpleasant when it is accompanied by hallucinations. Auditory and visual hallucinations are common. These usually have a threatening character. It is common hear approaching footsteps or see a silhouette in the room.

There is also a strong sense of presence, as if someone was nearby. Sometimes you also feel like someone is touching or pressing on your chest, making it difficult to breathe. There are two types of hallucinations that can be experienced during sleep paralysis, depending on whether they occur when falling asleep (hypnagogic) or when waking up (hypnopompic).

It is important to be clear that this type of hallucinations are not indicative of any type of disorder that should worry us, since it is nothing more than a prolongation of sleep during wakefulness and it can happen to anyone. Unless it is accompanied by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy or other types of symptoms, there is no reason to be alarmed.

Tips to avoid its appearance

It is not a dangerous episode nor is there a risk of anything bad happening to us, so The best thing is to try to relax, become aware that nothing is going to happen and that it will only last a few minutes since there is little that can be done to get out of this state. What you can do is take into account some tips that make its appearance more unlikely.

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Since one of the main causes is stress, one of the objectives is to reduce it before going to sleep. Perform exercise, relaxation exercises, try to sleep a sufficient number of hours, in short maintain good sleep hygiene.

Understanding the mechanisms of our brain can help us demystify episodes like these. If we do not understand the way our brain works, it can be attributed to mental illnesses or even “paranormal” experiences that have nothing to do with reality.