Sleep paralysis: what is it and how to avoid this sleep disorder? - Health

Sleep paralysis: what is it and how to avoid this sleep disorder? – Health

Posted On: November 6, 2022

It may have happened to you or you know someone who has experienced the dreaded and stigmatized effects of sleep paralysis, a condition which, apart from being the product of paranormal phenomena or life after death, has a scientific explanation and it can happen to anyone at certain times of rest or rest.

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Sleep paralysis is then a condition that causes skeletal muscle immobility that occurs at the beginning of sleep or just before waking up.. While immobile temporarily, individuals are very aware of their surroundings.

People experiencing this phenomenon often report fear of dangerous intruders in the room, often seek supernatural explanations such as ghosts, demons, and even alien abductions. After all, it is usually a frightening experience for those who are experiencing it for the first time.

“Parasomnia is any abnormal behavior, behavior, or sensation that occurs in the transition from wake to sleep or from sleep to wake.or in a different stage of sleep”, commented Miguel Dávila, neurologist and sleep doctor, to EL TIEMPO in 2018.

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Stress can cause this type of pretense to sleep.

For this expert, suffering from sleep paralysis does not affect the health of the person experiencing it, but if it could be a warning sign for another big annoyance, such as stress, unhealthy habits, poor rest routines or depression.

In turn, the director of the Mexican Institute of Comprehensive Sleep Medicine (Immis), Reyes Haro Valencia, told the Efe news agency that This parasomnia can be exacerbated in people with trauma, anxiety disorders or who have experienced sexual harassment, as well as those who consume stimulants.

Can it be treated?

While some sleep scientists say the condition can be managed with healthy eating habits and relatively stable mental health. There are no proven empirical treatments that focus on sleep paralysis.

Poor sleep habits can also lead to an increase in paralysis episodes.

However, in mid-2021, a study published by the scientific journal ‘Frontiers in Neurology’ decided that in a pilot investigation It was determined that this disorder could be controlled through relaxation therapy and meditation.

This therapy was originally developed and directed by Dr. Balland Jalal, The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, in the UK, and carried out in collaboration with a working group of doctors Giuseppe Plazzi, from the Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences at the University of Bologna/ IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, in Italy.

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Investigations involved 10 patients with narcolepsy, all experienced sleep paralysis, in an activity consisting of four action steps.

First, reevaluate the meaning of attack or remind themselves that the experience is mundane, benign and transient, and that hallucinations are a typical byproduct of dreams.

Second, it creates psychological and emotional distance. That is, reminding the patient that there is no reason to be afraid or worried and that fear and suffering will only make things worse.

Third, focus your attention inward on positive objects that involve emotions, or in other words, bring up pleasant memories of loved ones, spouses or moments which made him feel a very pleasant moment of happiness.

And finally, muscle relaxation. In other words, don’t try to rise from the paralysis box, avoid straining your muscles and not controlling your breathing.

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What results were obtained from the experiment?

Participants were instructed to keep a diary for four weeks to assess the onset, duration, and emotion of sleep paralysis. Before undergoing treatment, respondents reported feeling and experiencing hallucinations (66%), awakened from sleep (51%) and showed disturbance when trying to fall asleep (14%).

At four weeks, the study generated some optimism among analysts: “Although our study involved only a small number of patients, we can be cautiously optimistic about its efficacy (…) Meditation and relaxation therapy led to a drastic reduction in the number of patients experiencing sleep paralysis, and when they do, they tend to find the notoriously frightening hallucinations less disturbing, says Dr. Jalal in the text.

“Experiencing less of something as disturbing as sleep paralysis is a step in the right direction (…) for some people, the fear that can be instilled in them can be very unpleasant, and going to bed, which should be a relaxing experience, can be a full of terror. This is what motivated me to do this intervention.”