Sleep Paralysis, A Terrifying Experience

Before delving into sleep paralysis, if you were asked what sleep is, how would you define it? It is not easy to give an answer to this question, at least from a non-academic point of view. Even so, we can say that sleep is a fundamental physiological function.

Likewise, it can be defined as “a functional, reversible and cyclical state, with some characteristic manifestations, such as relative immobility and / or an increase in the response threshold to external stimuli. At an organic level there are variations in biological parameters, accompanied by a modification of the mental activity that characterizes dreaming ”(Buela-Casal, 1990a).

During sleep, great modifications take place in the functioning of the organism that include changes in blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate, body temperature and hormonal secretion, among others. In addition, it has also been observed that there are a large number of variables, both physical and behavioral, that are largely responsible for many of the sleep disorders.

Sleep disorders

The international classification of sleep disorders includes four categories (Buela-Casal and Sierra, 1996a):

• Dysomnias : sleep initiation and maintenance disorders, excessive sleepiness, and sleep disorders related to the circadian rhythm.
• Parasomnias : disorders of awakening, sleep-wake association and those associated with rapid eye movement sleep (REM or REM).
• The disorders associated with medical or psychiatric disorders.
• Other possible disorders about which not enough information is available to be considered sleep specific.

In this article we are going to focus on one type of parasomnia: sleep paralysis.

What is sleep paralysis?

The paranormal events that some people claim to have suffered (diabolical attacks, spirit visits and abductions by aliens, among others) probably cover up episodes of the so-called sleep paralysis.

Sleep paralysis could explain the tales of ghosts and aliens ; During the attack, the victims strongly perceive this presence, which is usually harmful. They also report unusual kinesthetic sensations: being dragged out of bed, vibrating, flying or falling.

Such episodes can lead to out-of-body experiences to their full extent. Sleep paralysis may be terrifying, but it will never be dangerous. Fortunately his episodes only last a few seconds.

However, there is nothing paranormal about these events. Sleep paralysis is a transient inability to perform any type of voluntary movement that takes place during the transition period between sleep and wakefulness.

It can occur when you start to sleep or wake up and is usually accompanied by a feeling of great anguish. It usually lasts between one and three minutes, after which the paralysis subsides spontaneously. The paralysis usually goes away automatically if the person is touched or shaken. Although the affected person cannot move, he is able to see and hear normally. In some cases it can even make sounds.

As we can see, an episode of sleep paralysis is terrifying for the sufferer and is usually remembered with large doses of anxiety.

Symptoms of sleep paralysis

There are several symptoms that occur during these episodes, most of them terrifying for those who suffer them:

• Visual hallucinations : there are people who say they have seen someone inside the room where they sleep, although they are not able to recognize it. This presence is usually perceived on the periphery of the field of vision or camouflaged in the shadows of the room.
• Auditory hallucinations : elementary, mechanical and intense sounds are usually perceived, such as buzzing, buzzing, hissing, running, roaring, chimes, banging, vibrations, hissing, screaming or whimpering. In other cases they are identifiable sounds, such as telephone bells, sirens, tools, electric motor, door knocks, dragging of furniture, glass or crockery breaking, strange music, etc.
• Breathing difficulties: People with sleep paralysis may feel chest pressure, shortness of breath, or suffocation. These symptoms cause great anguish and panic already: there is the fear of dying asphyxiated.

• Sense of presence : the person may experience the sensation that there are strange “presences” in the house where they live. You can even perceive how the presence moves, enters the room and approaches the bed. Some people report that they feel as if they are being watched, but do not know from where.

Why is it produced?

Sleep paralysis is sometimes associated with other disorders such as sleep apnea and, mainly, with narcolepsy. However, it usually occurs in isolation, when the person is under a moment of strong stress or pressure.

What happens is that at the time of going to sleep there are some neural circuits that are still overexcited due to that stress. Then nightmares occur and the person wakes up abruptly. However, the body does not react as quickly because it is in the REM phase, and therefore the muscles are out of tone. That is the reason why the person cannot move, even if they are aware of what is happening around them.

If you have ever suffered an episode of this type, do not worry, nothing strange is happening to you. It is important that you do not panic, although it is not easy. When you remember the episode, repeat to yourself that it was just a bad dream, something like a nightmare but in which your eyes were open. This will put you at ease.

Prevalence and cultural influence

The team Carrillo-Mora (2017) states that sleep paralysis can occur from once in life to several episodes per month or year. They stipulate that 7.6% of the general population has suffered it. At the same time, it is also observed in 28.3% of students and in 39.1% of patients with psychiatric pathologies.

An interesting fact that the authors point out is that auditory, visual or tactile hallucinations can be influenced by the culture and times in which we live. They point out that “it is interesting how these elucidations are strongly influenced by the time, traditions and culture of each population, so that in each country or region they are given a different supernatural explanation . “

Bibliography:

• Chóliz, M. (1994). How to beat insomnia. Madrid: Pyramid.
• Buela-Casal, G. (2002). Sleep disorders. Madrid: Synthesis.