Meaning of Sleep Paralysis [updated March 2023]

The sleep paralysis it's a horrible feeling where you wake up, but you're still stuck in a state where you can't even move a muscle or speak. You almost feel frozen and all you think you do is think. Having to be or experience this state is extremely frightening for the dreamer, and some people report hearing and seeing things that are not actually there. Some lucky people would experience this terrible feeling once or twice in their lives, but others are not so easily released. A small percentage of people get trapped in this state several times a week. Sleep paralysis can scare you and make you feel like you are hallucinating. Studies have found that it is normal and does not cause harm to the human body. Sleep paralysis can occur before going to sleep or waking up from REM sleep. The equipment that describes sleep paralysis before going to sleep is called "Hypnagogic", and when you wake up from REM it is called "Hinopompico." Sleep paralysis has other names that can be referred to, such as predormital, hypnotic, familial, and hypnopo, but they all relate to the same topic.

Sleep paralysis is when the brain wakes up from rapid eye movement (REM), but the whole body is paralyzed. Your mind becomes fully conscious in bed but you are not able to move your body. This is an unusual neurological phenomenon that happens to more children than adults. Some people suffer their whole lives dealing with it.

Is Sleep Paralysis Dangerous?

Anyone experiencing "Sleep Paralysis" for the first time usually wants immediate answers. They feel that they are actually experiencing a nightmare awake. You wake up feeling like you are living a nightmare for a couple of seconds or even a couple of minutes. As scary as it may sound, the good news is that no one has died of sleep paralysis or had psychological problems. This is just a feeling of fear and discomfort that we never want to experience again. The worst part of sleep paralysis is that you feel stuck and have no idea why you are frozen in this state. Some people with sleep paralysis have trouble getting a good night's sleep in fear that it will happen again. The more you learn and become aware of sleep paralysis, the easier it becomes when you're stuck in that moment of hell. When you are trapped in sleep paralysis and you know you are and it would be over in seconds, it helps calm your mind. Most of the time the sleeper is awakened by a sound, a touch or a click that comes out of the state.

What Happens During Sleep Paralysis?

Throughout the night our body goes back and forth between NREM (not fast eye) and REM sleep. Most of our sleep consists of NREM, the state in which we are most relaxed and without much brain activity. When the NREM is finished, we switch to REM sleep, where our eyes move rapidly. More vivid dreams occur during this time and our body is completely relaxed. The body is in a comatose state in which a muscle can move. Once you become aware of it before the REM sleep cycle is completely over, your will will experience a sensation that you cannot speak or move.

Types of sleep paralysis dreams:

In many studies, researchers have found that "hypnagogic hallucinations" can occur during the state of sleep paralysis. Hypnagogic hallucinations can occur in both hypnopic paralysis and hypnagogic paralysis of sleep paralysis. Whenever this happens, the dreamer has vivid and unforgettable images that feel almost like life. Depending on the dreamer, some experience the sensation that someone is in their room, suffocating, falling or hearing voices that speak to them before sleeping. A term to describe that feeling is called the "Agony Phenomenon" and it has been happening to people for thousands of years. Below you can see some of the witch phenomena that people experience when they are sleeping.

Symptoms of sleep paralysis:

Vivid Images - Feels like the dream of all dreams
Hallucinations - people experience a large bug or bug trying to eat them.
A devil, a demon or a scary ghost is in your room.
Inability to breathe - Someone sitting on their chest or choking on the sheets.
Fall to the ground
Sensations of Life - Impending Doom
Smells
Intruder in the room

Causes of sleep paralysis:

There is no exact cause why some people have this horrible feeling called sleep paralysis. It doesn't matter if your male or female it all depends on the factors below that we have listed. Sleep paralysis is very common and happens to 40% in the general population. You will find that younger children experience this sensation than most adults.

The most common causes include:

Not getting enough sleep
Access to drink alcohol
Medical conditions ex narcolepsy
Leg cramps
Change in your sleeping pattern
Family past
Low levels of melatonin
Change in your lifestyle, former eating habits, etc ...
If you sleep on your back

How can I stop sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis does not harm or affect your body in any way, but getting it can be very traumatic and I wish you never had it again. Stress plays a big role when you are dealing with sleep paralysis, so be sure to take the time to reflect on the things you need to change in your life. Take a look at the ways you can prevent sleep paralysis from happening again:

Change your sleeping patterns. Get your 7-8 hours of sleep at night
Your anxiety levels could be very high. Find out how you can stop anxiety from taking over your body
Change your environment around you. Did you make a sudden change in your life that is not working?
You are more likely to experience when you sleep on your back
Could you be depressed? Find ways to get out of your depression
People with Narcolepsy are more prone to sleep paralysis.
Review your family history. Most of the time your parents may have the same problem
Exercising in the gym or meditating

Tips for sleep paralysis:

The good news about sleep paralysis is that it does not cause any harm or effect to the human body. Unfortunately, having to deal with it is another matter. The best cure to stop sleep paralysis is to meditate before bed and educate yourself about sleep paralysis. Once you read up on the subject, being stuck in the state makes it that much easier. If you are concerned about this issue, there are ways to combat it so it doesn't happen again. Here is a list of ways you can combat this problem and tackle it head-on:

Once in the state of sleep paralysis, don't fight it. Let it go and tell yourself it will happen.
Reduce your stress or anxiety levels
Go to bed early and get a good night's sleep.
Remember it doesn't kill you
Make it a good experience. Some people report having a mystical experience during it.
Concentrate. Do your best to get out of this. If you try hard enough, you will wake up.
It is a medical phenomenon! Do not think that you are going crazy, and try not to associate it with bad thoughts.
Just relax. Don't work on an issue that you're going to get out of in seconds.
Meditate before going to bed.