If you are ever temporarily unable to speak or move right after falling asleep or waking up, it could be an episode of sleep paralysis.
Sleep paralysis results in an altered state of consciousness and the brief inability to control muscles, according to the Sleep Foundation. A sleep paralysis episode may cause you to feel like you’re suffocating or to experience hallucinations.
It is believed that sleep paralysis is a form of “REM parasomnia,” which combines the state of being awake with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. If you ever experience sleep paralysis, you will remember the vivid images or hallucinations you may experience, along with the inability to control muscle movements, even when you’re fully awake.
It is unknown why sleep paralysis occurs. However, sleep paralysis is closely linked to some mental health conditions and sleep disorders, including:
- Sleep apnea, a disorder that causes breathing to frequently stop while sleeping
- Narcolepsy, a neurological disorder preventing the brain from controlling wakefulness, causing sleep to occur without warning, even during the day
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health condition that can develop from a traumatic or stressful experience
- Anxiety disorders, mental health conditions causing fear, worry and unease that can impact everyday life
- Sleep deprivation caused by restricted sleep time
Sleep paralysis can be:
- Isolated: You may only have one episode or have episodes every so often.
- Recurrent: You may have multiple episodes over time. Recurrent sleep paralysis is linked to narcolepsy.
- Recurrent and isolated: This refers to having multiple episodes of sleep paralysis over time and not having narcolepsy.
Researchers estimate that around 20% of people have at least one sleep paralysis episode in their lives. Anyone at any age can suffer from sleep paralysis, but it is most likely to occur in childhood, adolescence or young adulthood.
Most sleep paralysis episodes last about six minutes, and episodes can typically range from just a few seconds to 20 minutes. Many episodes end spontaneously, but sometimes someone may have to awaken the person experiencing the episode by touching them or speaking to them.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of sleep paralysis can include:
- Being unable to speak or move
- Feeling helpless or panicked
- Chest pressure or pain that could feel like an external force is pressing down on your chest, preventing you from sitting up
- Difficulty breathing
- Fatigue the next day
Hallucinations occur in 75% of episodes. They can be:
- Chest pressure hallucinations, which can make you feel like you are suffocating
- Vestibular-motor hallucinations, which can make you feel like you’re moving or experiencing an out-of-body sensation
- Intruder hallucinations, which can make you feel like someone or something is near you and could harm you
For some, sleep paralysis may be scary and cause a fear of going to bed. This can lead to fatigue and feeling sleepy during your day.
I May Have Sleep Paralysis. What Do I Do?
If you have sleep paralysis or any other sleep disorder, the best thing to do is to have proper “sleep hygiene” by taking steps to help improve the quality of sleep you get:
- Establish and maintain a consistent sleep routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, including on the weekends.
- Don’t go to bed unless you’re actually sleepy.
- Get enough sleep (seven to eight hours for adults and nine hours for teenagers). If you don’t get enough sleep, increasing the amount of sleep you get each night can help reduce or eliminate the issue of sleep paralysis.
- Avoid electronics and any non-sleep-related activities in bed.
- Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark and cool place.
- Avoid coffee, tea, soda and any other caffeinated substances four to six hours before bedtime. Avoid alcohol four hours before bedtime.
Therapy can also help you reframe your emotions and negative thoughts that you may associate with sleep. Cognitive behavioral therapy can especially help.
UofL Health – Sleep Medicine and UofL Physicians – Sleep Medicine Associates use a multidisciplinary approach to diagnose and treat sleep disorders. Our physicians are board-certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Click here to see all locations where we offer sleep medicine services.
UofL Health – Peace Hospital offers cognitive behavioral therapy. Peace Hospital can be reached at 502-451-3333 for a no-cost level-of-care assessment and assistance with treatment options.
