There are There are many types of sleep disordersThere are many types of sleep disorders, but one of the most unpleasant that someone can experience is sleep paralysis.
This sleep disorder does not allow the person to move even if they want to and can be accompanied by hallucinations. We tell you what the symptoms are and why sleep paralysis can occur. why sleep paralysis can occur.
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What is sleep paralysis?
Sleep paralysis is a type of sleep disorder that falls into the group of parasomnias, a category that includes abnormal behaviors that occur in a person between sleep and wakefulness. the person between sleep and wakefulness..
In this case, people who experience it feel that they cannot perform any type of movement or have control over their body, as if they were suffering from paralysis. For a short period of time, usually lasting a few minutes, the person is between sleep and wakefulness, being aware of everything but unable to move or speak.
Those who experience sleep paralysis usually experience it as soon as they wake up or in moments prior to sleep, and sometimes it is accompanied by hallucinations or sensations of unnatural presences lurking. In general it is an unpleasant unpleasant sensation that can generate fear and anxiety It is a very common disorder, which many people have experienced at some time or another.
It is a very common disorder, which many people have experienced at some point. But even in those who have experienced it more than once or on a recurrent basis, it usually appears in the form of isolated episodes, it usually appears in the form of isolated episodes throughout their lives.
Most common symptoms
The main and characteristic symptom of sleep paralysis is the inability of the person to perform any type of movement, no matter how hard he or she tries and no matter how hard he or she tries.The main and characteristic symptom of sleep paralysis is the inability of the person to perform any kind of movement, no matter how hard he or she tries, even when awake and conscious.
Another typical symptom is difficulty in breathing. During this type of experiences, it is common to feel a sensation of suffocation or pressure in the chest, as a result of the anxiety caused by being in a state of consciousness.The person who experiences it may even feel a feeling of suffocation or pressure in the chest as a result of the anxiety produced by being in this situation. The person who experiences it may even feel fear of suffocating to death.
One of the most frightening symptoms of sleep paralysis is that of feeling a presence in the room. feeling a presence in the room, which isaccompanied by fear and the feeling of being watched. This presence can be sensed in the room or even felt to be approaching the bed, and is always perceived as intrusive and threatening. Hallucinations may also occur, whereby the person may come to see this presence, either indefinitely or detailed as a dark or ghostly figure.
Another of the sensations experienced in this situation are auditory hallucinations, whereby the person may see this presence, either indefinitely or in detail as a dark or ghostly figure. auditory hallucinations, by which the person hears sounds such as buzzing such as buzzing, vibrations or whistling, or radio sounds, telephone rings or knocks on doors. It is also very recurrent to hear human voices, in the form of whispering, shouting or whining.
Another type of hallucinations experienced are tactile hallucinations, by means of which the person feels that the intrusive presence has sat on the bed, grabbed the person by some limb or pulled the sheets.The person feels that the intrusive presence has sat on the bed, grabbed him/her by some of the extremities or pulls the sheets. In some cases, sensations have even been described in which the person rose, was dragged out of bed, flew or felt that he/she was falling.
This disorder is usually accompanied by a lot of anguish and fear.
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Causes of this sleep disorder
Sleep paralysis is caused by an incoordination of the nervous system, whereby the body remains paralyzed as if it were in the sleep phase even though the person has woken up.. This paralysis of the body during sleep is a basic function of our body that occurs during the REM phase, to prevent movement while we sleep and dream. In cases of sleepwalking, precisely the opposite would occur.
When you experience sleep paralysis, you are out of REM sleep and have regained consciousness, but your brain detects that you are still dreaming. the brain detects that we are still dreamingand therefore does not de-paralyze the body. That is why the person who experiences it is unable to move at will.
In the cases in which it appears in an isolated form, its appearance is associated with moments of great stress and anxiety.. It can also occur when irregular sleep schedules are maintained, when there is lack of sleep or when there are many interruptions during sleep. In other less frequent cases it is associated with narcolepsy and other sleep pathologies.
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How to get out of paralysis
Although it can be a distressing experience for those who do not know it, it is possible to go out very easily of a paralysis of the dreamwhich also has a very short duration.
To do this it is enough to relax and calm downWe should be aware that we are breathing normally and that we are only experiencing an episode of this disorder. We can try to relax the muscles or try to move them little by little. In any case we should not try to get up in a hurry or run away because that could produce more anxiety.
Once the paralysis has ended and mobility is restored, it is advisable to get up and remain standing, it is advisable to get up and remain in a state of wakefulness for a few minutes before going back to bed, otherwise we may run the risk of experiencing it again.
To avoid sleep paralysis it is recommended to to maintain regular sleep schedules and avoid stress.. It is recommended to maintain a state of relaxation before going to bed, so that the sleep is deep and without interruptions.
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Sleep paralysis in mythology and the paranormal
What is known as sleep paralysis has been widely described in literature and art, since the lack of knowledge about this disorder made it a paranormal experience.The lack of knowledge about this disorder made it a paranormal experience, especially if it was accompanied by hallucinations.
These experiences of paralysis are related to existing myths about related to the existing myths about incubi and succubi, who are demonic figureswhich are demonic figures that appear at night and possess the person without the latter being able to do anything, due to the immobility they suffer at that moment.
Other people who experience the terrifying hallucinations of these presences relate them to apparitions of ghosts or spirits, or even to extraterrestrial beings that pretend to abduct them or experiment with them. In other cases, sleep paralysis is also related to the experience of travel. the experience that is lived in the astral trips.The person becomes conscious while the body remains asleep.
The nightmare, or The Incubus, is a painting by Johann Heinrich Füssli that allegorizes this disorder.
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