Sleep Paralysis

No More Harmful than a Bad Dream

Feb 4, 2009 Christine Rowlands

Waking in the middle of the night, you feel terror, and worse, you can't move. Take heart: sleep paralysis is actually a normal and natural phenomenon.

Common characteristics of sleep paralysis include feelings of:

• being awake and in your actual environment
• paralysis or being "crushed"
• fear and terror

Sleep paralysis is often accompanied by sound and visual hallucinations, including voices, footsteps, and mysterious lights or figures. Sleepers may even feel that they're floating or spinning against their will. These are called hypnopompic and hypnogogic experiences.

The Nightmare Connection

Sleep paralysis can be an intense experience, as vivid as any nightmare. The word “nightmare” originally referred to sleep paralysis – “mare” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word mara, which means “crusher.” Over time, “nightmare” became synonymous with bad dream.

In the Terror that Comes in the Night, anthropologist David J. Hufford collected hundreds of accounts of sleep paralysis, both historical and contemporary, from across cultures. In Newfoundland, sleep paralysis is known as the “Old Hag.” To say you’ve been “hagged" is acceptable shorthand for sleep paralysis. In Japan, sleep paralysis is known as kanashibara, ("tied with an iron rope"), which aptly describes the feelings of pressure and helplessness.

Sleep paralysis is also connected to other sleep phenomena such as dreams, nightmares, and night terrors, in that it occurs during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Studies demonstrate that sleep paralysis often occurs when sleepers are either entering or waking from REM sleep, the period of our most vivid dreams. The body may awaken while the mind is still producing images, but freezes to prevent us from acting out our dreams.

A Common Experience

Dr. J. Allan Cheyne, a psychology professor at the University of Waterloo, used a sleep experiences survey to study the phenomenon. His data shows 25 to 30 percent of people have had at least one sleep paralysis episode. Exact numbers are hard to calculate - people may be embarrassed about it, think they're mentally ill, or believe it's a supernatural encounter.

Many people have more than one episode. About half of Dr. Cheyne’s respondents reported episodes several times in a lifetime or several times a year. Another large group reports monthly attacks. Weekly or nightly attacks are rare.

Age may be a factor. Sleep paralysis episodes often occur in the late teens and early twenties. Attacks after age 30 are rarer, but possible. Episodes generally occur less frequently as you get older.

Sleep position may also play a role. Dr. Cheyne’s survey revealed that 60% of reported episodes occurred while the sleeper was lying on their back, or in the supine position.

Tips for Dealing with Sleep Paralysis

• Reduce stress: Stress prevents you from getting a good night’s sleep, and sleep paralysis is a sleep disturbance. Anxiety could be a trigger.
• Avoid sleep debt: Not being able to maintain sleep, especially REM sleep, for sufficient periods can also contribute to sleep paralysis. Good habits, such as avoiding heavy food or alcohol before bed and going to sleep at a regular time, help prevent sleep debt that takes a toll on restful REM sleep, and thus sleep paralysis.
• Remain calm:Sleep paralysis episodes often end within minutes, if not seconds. You are not really being attacked.
• Make small movements: To break the paralysis, concentrate on moving your fingers or toes. Even wiggling a little finger is often enough to bring you out of it. If you can’t move even a small muscle, try moving your eyes back and forth.
• Breathe: During an episode, you may feel intense pressure on your chest and shortness of breath. Maintaining your breath will help bring you out of the paralysis.

The copyright of the article Sleep Paralysis in General Medicine is owned by Christine Rowlands. Permission to republish Sleep Paralysis in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Sleeping.

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Feb 6, 2009 2:08 PM

Guest :

SLEEP APNEA
If you have problems falling asleep or staying asleep try this:
Turn off all the circuit breakers (CB) in your house or apartment except the one going to your refrigerator and freezer. If you do not know which CB, open the door to the refrigerator and turn off CB’s until the light goes out in the refrigerator. Now, turn it back on and turn the rest off. If you need heat or air, you should leave this one on too. This circuit breaker will be a double, about 20amperes. But if you want to sleep you will turn this off too just for this experiment. You will need a flashlight and a battery powered an alarm clock if you need one to wake up by if this experiment works for you?
The ideal is to get as far away from an electrical outlet or wiring as possible. In order to do this you should sleep as greater distant from the Refrigerator and CB box as possible. Sleeping on the other side of the wall from the refrigerator do not count as distant. If you live in an apartment it will be hard to get away from outlets and wiring due to the person living next door. You can get them in on this experiment. You must consider those living below, behind, on top, and on each side. In a big house it should be good to go. Also, sleep as far as possible from power lines outside.

Feb 11, 2009 3:05 PM

Guest :

I had an episode of sleep paralysis once. It was one of the most frightening things I ever encountered. Years later I read an article about what I experienced to be sleep paralysis and was so excited to tell my family I wasn't crazy (I never told them about it because I was afraid they'd think there was something wrong with me). The only problem I still have with it is that just about everyone going through it reports the "Old Hag" pressing on their chest and this breathing noise to go with it. If everyone is dreaming, why are we all having the same dream? I know, we all watch the same scary movies you'll say. An old hag breathing movie? Anyway, it's a scary experience.

Feb 11, 2009 3:24 PM

Christine Rowlands :

I wanted to write this article because I've had sleep paralysis several times over the years - and I've never actually had the trad. "Old Hag" i.e., scary lady sitting on my chest. But, I've had another variation several times where I feel the scary thing is just out of my vision (but I can't turn my head). I had one where I could feel an arm wrapped around me, and something whispering quickly in my ear, and another where I was pulled and spun around the bed. They all seem to have one thing in common: you just can't move!

I'm laughing about the idea that we're "hagged" the same way because of too many scary movies... maybe mine are different because I try not to watch those!

Feb 27, 2009 9:30 AM

Guest :

Christine, you laugh at a possible explanation such as a scary movie (or scary story) for experiencing something like an evil presence during sleep paralysis but not the post about getting away from power lines?

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