Imagine waking up to find you can’t move a muscle. It’s dark, but you’re sure you feel a presence in the room, hovering near your bed — or perhaps sitting on your chest, crushing the breath out of you. This weird phenomenon is known as sleep paralysis.
The American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology in Dubai, that recently hosted the fourth Neuroscience Congress, said this terrifying night terror is a common complaint among UAE residents.
Experts who attended the recently concluded symposium suggested that insomnia and narcolepsy are the most common disorders, but at the extreme end of the scale is sleep paralysis. Dr Khaldoun Mozahem, a consultant neurologist at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology, suggested that at least 75 per cent of people experience the phenomenon once or twice in a lifetime.
“If you are experiencing sleep paralysis on a regular basis, or are having hallucinations, then you need to seek treatment because it could be associated with narcolepsy,” Dr Mozahem said.
What Is Sleep Paralysis?
Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking. Sleep paralysis may accompany other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is an overpowering need to sleep caused by a problem with the brain’s ability to regulate sleep.
Who Develops Sleep Paralysis?
Up to as many as four out of every 10 people may have sleep paralysis. This common condition is often first noticed in the teen years. But men and women of any age can have it. Sleep paralysis may run in families. Other factors that may be linked to sleep paralysis include:
⦁ Lack of sleep
⦁ Sleep schedule that changes
⦁ Mental conditions such as stress or bipolar disorder
⦁ Other sleep problems such as narcolepsy or nighttime leg cramps
⦁ Use of certain medications, such as those for ADHD
⦁ Substance abuse
How Is Sleep Paralysis Treated?
Most people need no treatment for sleep paralysis. Treating any underlying conditions such as narcolepsy may help if you are anxious or unable to sleep well. These treatments may include the following:
⦁ Improving sleep habits — such as making sure you get six to eight hours of sleep each night
⦁ Using antidepressant medication if it is prescribed to help regulate sleep cycles
⦁ Treating any mental health problems that may contribute to sleep paralysis
⦁ Treating any other sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy or leg cramps
Source: Web MD
