Health
What is Sleep Paralysis – Causes of sleep paralysis
What happens during sleep paralysis
During sleep – paralysis, you may feel:
- awake but cannot move, speak or open your eyes
- like someone is in your room
- like something is pushing you down
- frightened
These feelings can last up to several minutes.
Causes of sleep – paralysis
The condition known as sleep paralysis occurs when a person cannot move their muscles as they are waking up or falling asleep. This is because your brain functions normally even while your body is in a sleep state.
There is a lack of understanding of the causes of sleep – paralysis; however, it has been linked to the following:
- insomnia
- disrupted sleeping patterns – for example, because of shift work or jet lag
- narcolepsy – a long-term condition that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- general anxiety disorder
- panic disorder
- a family history of sleep – paralysis
What you can do to prevent sleep paralysis
Do
- try to regularly get 6 to 8 hours of sleep a day
- go to bed at roughly the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning
- get regular exercise, but not in the 4 hours before going to bed
Don’t
- do not eat a big meal, smoke, or drink alcohol or caffeine shortly before going to bed
- do not sleep on your back – this can make sleep paralysis more likely to happen
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
You often have sleep paralysis, and you feel:
- very anxious or scared to go to sleep
- tired all the time due to lack of sleep
Sleep paralysis treatment
Insomnia or post-traumatic stress disorder are two conditions that a general practitioner might be able to treat that could be the underlying cause of sleep paralysis.
If this does not alleviate your symptoms, they may suggest you see a sleep disorder specialist.
Treatment from a specialist
You may be prescribed medication that is typically used to treat depression. This category of medication, when taken in a lower dose, may also help treat sleep paralysis.
There is also the possibility that you will be referred to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
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