Hellooo 😀, I trust you’re having a swell day because you deserve to. Today I am sharing on ‘sleep paralysis’, just so you know, I only got to know about it recently even though I’ve experienced it occasionally. It’s somewhere in between sleep and waking up, consciousness and unconsciousness, a surreal place. I would describe it with my own experience because that’s the only way I think I can explain it to you.
I slept off one morning while reading in my aunt’s house in Abeokuta, and then I woke up but I couldn’t wake up. I was awake but my body wasn’t, I was conscious, I knew that I was awake but my body was numb, I couldn’t open my eyes, couldn’t open my mouth, couldn’t move any part of my body. I felt trapped in my body, I tried to shout but I couldn’t, my mind was working but my body remained still. Then I became afraid and I panicked, hallucination set in, I imagined snakes and spiders joining me there in my immovable state, even though there was no way a snake could have gotten into my room, there are no bushes or enticing habitation for snakes in my aunt’s house 😨. All this happened in a flash, and then my eyes opened, my body awoke. I took a deep breath and mouthed “thank God”, then I sat up and remembered that I had a similar experience as a child, it had been more intense because I panicked more and felt strangled because I struggled, I had reported to my aunt who lived with us at the time and she said it a demonic attack and we prayed about it, what did I know then?🤷.
Have you ever had this experience?
What sleep paralysis is:
Sleep paralysis is a temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or upon waking. Although you’re awake, your body is briefly paralyzed, after which you can move or speak as normal.
Your mind regains consciousness before the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycle is finished. During REM sleep, your body is relaxed and your muscles are ‘turned off’ so that you don’t physically act out your vivid dreams. Waking up before the last stage of REM sleep is complete can cause you to hyperventilate and hallucinate, as well as make it seem as though you are unable to move your body.
The paralysis can last from a few seconds to several minutes. Some people may feel pressured or a sense of choking. Sleep paralysis does not cause you any harm, but being unable to move can be very frightening. Some people have sleep paralysis once or twice in their life, while others experience it a few times a month or more regularly. Sleep paralysis can affect people of all ages, but it’s more common in teenagers and young adults.
What causes sleep paralysis?
- Sleep deprivation.
- Irregular sleeping patterns.
- Age- it is more common in teenagers and young adults.
Can sleep paralysis be prevented?
There is no formal treatment for sleep paralysis, but there are preventive measures for sure.
- Get enough sleep each night.
- Stick to a consistent sleep routine. (I seriously need to do this, lol)
- Avoid sleeping on your back.
There is a whole lot of information on sleep paralysis but I hope I have successfully shared the basic info as I am just a layman in this field. If you wish to know more on this topic, get on Google or check out;
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/295039.php
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
You know you’re always welcome to share your thoughts in the comment section. Thanks for stopping by.
