Sleep paralysis, or as it is also called, sleep stupor, is a common sleep disorder that occurs between sleep and wakefulness, either just before bedtime or right during awakening. In this state, a person suddenly wakes up, fully aware of himself and what is happening around him, but at the same time remains physically paralyzed, cannot move any of the limbs. According to research by scientists, approximately 7% of the world's population at least once in their life experienced an episode of muscle paralysis upon awakening.
What causes sleep paralysis?
The main causes of sleep stupor are called stress, insomnia, violation of the daily regimen, intake of psychotropic substances, hereditary factors, psychiatric disorders, as well as disorders at the hormonal level. According to the President of the Russian Society of Somnologists, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Medicine, Professor Roman Buzunov, there are two etiologies of sleep paralysis. “Firstly, even in healthy people, periodically, when they are severely sleep deprived or when there is a failure of circadian rhythms, for example, in the case of long flights or a change in work schedule, the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle is disrupted. At this moment, a person develops a neurochemical block between an actively working brain and a paralyzed body. This is necessary so that commands like “go” and “fight” are not transmitted to muscle groups. In children and animals, this function suffers a little, and we sometimes see how children grimace, how dogs “scratch” with their paws, etc. , says Buzunov.
During the sleep stage, people have strong brain cell activity and lack of muscle tone. All motor neurons in the spinal cord are disabled, thus preventing movement. And if a person wakes up at this moment, he cannot move or perform any actions. “The person realizes that he is in bed, but his muscle block has not gone away. It turns out that the brain is active, and the body is still paralyzed. By the way, this is where stories come from about all sorts of goblin and brownies, "immobilizing" the awakened. A person supposedly feels that someone is sitting in the corner, but he cannot look there, because he still cannot move. Many people experience visual and auditory hallucinations at this point,”says the somnologist.
In what other cases can sleep paralysis occur?
Sleep paralysis can also occur with narcolepsy, a disorder in which there is excessive sleepiness during the day or repeated uncontrolled sleep episodes during normal waking hours plus sudden episodes of muscle weakness (cataplexy).
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“There are situations when a person, after some emotions, experiences, positive or negative, can laugh, and then literally fall and fall asleep. That is, the opposite process is observed here, when sleep instantly occurs. It usually takes 90 minutes for a person to fall asleep, in which case they are able to fall asleep instantly and may develop sleep paralysis. Another example: a person can drive, suddenly something frightened him - and he took it and fell asleep. By the way, narcolepsy is the basis for refusal to issue a driver's license,”says Buzunov.
Therefore, in each case, the causes of sleep paralysis should be distinguished, the expert notes. If we are not talking about pathology, such a condition is not considered a disease and does not require treatment. If it occurs relatively often, you need to consult a doctor, who first of all will recommend to establish a sleep and wakefulness regimen, perform relaxing exercises, exclude the use of alcoholic beverages and not physically overwork.
How quickly does sleep paralysis go away?
Sleep paralysis goes away within minutes. According to Buzunov, at the time of sleepy stupor, the oculomotor function is preserved. “A person can move his eyes. After some time, the mimic muscles are restored, a person can make various grimaces, wink at someone, and after that the work of other muscles is restored faster,”explains the somnologist.
For those who are faced with a similar condition, Buzunov recommends not to be nervous. After waking up, the expert advises first to "move your eyes back and forth," then you can grimace, wink - and then this state of paralysis will pass.
Elena Slobodyan