Have you ever been experienced “difficulty breathing, suffocation, hallucinations, hearing voices as well as inability to move or say anything”, especially between the waking and sleeping phases? If you’re nodding at that, find out What is it, and what are its causes and symptoms. Such an episode can last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, said Dr. Kedar Tilve, psychiatrist, Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, Fortis Mumbai.
commonly known as sleep paralysis, It is a condition when a person cannot move their body and feels temporarily paralyzed during the period between sleep and wakefulness. According to WebMD, “During these transitions, you may be unable to walk or speak for a few seconds to a few minutes.,
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explaining, Sumitra Sridhar, a Consultant The psychologist said: “Although sleep paralysis has no deleterious effects, it causes a great deal of anxiety and fear, which can lead to emotional exhaustion and cause people to avoid sleep altogether.” He added that people generally feel like “they’re about to die and can’t ask anyone for help at that point — making the whole experience extremely scary.”
cause
According to WebMD, sleep paralysis can occur either while you are asleep (hypnagogic), or as you are awake (hypnopompic). During hypnagogic sleep paralysis, the body relaxes and the person becomes less aware. But, if someone is awake when this happens, they may notice a temporary inability to move or speak.
“During hypnopompic paralysis, the body alternates between rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) while we sleep. The body is most relaxed during NREM. At the end of the cycle “The body goes into REM (the stage where we are likely to dream). If you suddenly become aware before REM ends, you find yourself paralyzed,” it added.
Sleep paralysis can be emotionally challenging (source: Unsplash)
“As such, catching up in that transition can be uncomfortable for the person. Although it is a one-time thing, in most cases, if someone experiences recurrent episodes it can be problematic and may even lead to sleeplessness.” Apnea can also be an indicator of a major underlying condition, such as stress and anxiety. PTSDlack of proper sleep schedule, narcolepsy, alcohol abuse,” Dr Tilway said.
right time to see doctor
Experts said that although “two or three recurring episodes are enough to indicate some underlying issue and highlight the need to see a specialist”, one can still visit a specialist after the first occurrence.
Dr. Sridhar shares some key points that should be kept in mind in case of an episode of sleep paralysis
,Sleep Hygiene: One should try to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, keep your room comfortable, keep the light low, avoid looking at the phone before sleeping and eat about 2-3 hours before sleeping so that the food is properly digested. Can you
An episode can be ’30 seconds to 4 minutes’ long (Source: Unsplash)
*Try to practice some kind of meditation.
* Visit an expert to identify and work on the factors causing stress and anxiety.
*do activities that make you feel relaxed and at ease; Like painting, walking, painting etc.
*Try to take a nap, and then don’t take a nap, just to see what works best for your body.
*medicine and antidepressant Depending on the intensity may help.
* Keep a sleep diary to keep a record of how many hours you sleep, as well as what helps you sleep and what doesn’t.
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