Sleep Paralysis

Student: Döne Dulda

Class: 5VB
 Inhoudsopgave

Inhoudsopgave 2

Introduction 2

Bronnen 3
Sleep paralysis 3
Causes of sleep paralysis 3
Sleep Paralysis 4
What is sleep paralysis? 4
Who gets sleep paralysis? 4
Why does sleep paralysis happen? 4
Are there specific causes? 4
What are the symptoms of sleep paralysis? 5
9 Ways to Wake Up From Sleep Paralysis 6
1. Don’t Fight 6
2. Surrender and Go with the Flow 7
3. Wiggle your Toe 7
4. Clench your Fist 7
5. Focus on your Breath 7
Sleep Paralysis REM SLEEP 7
What are risk factors for sleep paralysis? 8
What Does Sleep Paralysis Feel Like? 8

Questions 9

Bronnenlijst 9

Introduction
My Ted talk will be about sleep paralysis. I myself suffer from it quite often, but every time I
talk about it with new friends they never really know what it is, although it is a super
interesting subject. So today, I will be broadly explaining about sleep paralysis
 Bronnen

Sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is when you cannot move or speak as you are waking up or falling asleep. It
can be scary but it's harmless and most people will only get it once or twice in their life.
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

Sleep paralysis happens when you cannot move your muscles as you are waking up or
falling asleep. This is because you are in sleep mode but your brain is active.
It's not clear why sleep paralysis can happen but it has been linked with:
● 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

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-paralysis/#:~:text=Sleep%20paralysis%20happens%20
when%20you,insomnia
Sleep Paralysis
While falling asleep or waking up, your brain helps the muscles in your arms and legs relax.
With sleep paralysis, you regain awareness but can’t move. Paralysis is temporary and isn't
a sign of a major medical issue. Pinpointing the source of your symptoms and addressing
them can help you avoid future episodes.

What is sleep paralysis?

While falling asleep or waking up, your brain sends signals that relax muscles in your arms
and legs. The result — muscle atonia — helps you remain still during rapid eye movement
(REM) sleep. With sleep paralysis, you regain awareness but can’t move.
What does sleep paralysis feel like?
During a sleep paralysis episode, you're aware of your surroundings but cannot move or
speak. But you can still move your eyes and breathe. Many people hear or see things that
aren’t there (hallucinations), making episodes even more frightening.
How long do sleep paralysis episodes last?
They last anywhere between a few seconds and a few minutes.

Who gets sleep paralysis?

Rare or isolated sleep paralysis can occur in people of all ages. And it’s more common in the
setting of sleep deprivation in association with a changing sleep schedule, which may
happen if you are a college student or do shift work. Recurrent sleep paralysis is a symptom
of narcolepsy, a disorder of unstable sleep-wake boundaries.

Why does sleep paralysis happen?

During the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage, you’re likely to have dreams. The brain
prevents muscles in your limbs from moving to protect yourself from acting dreams out and
hurting yourself. Sleep paralysis happens when you regain awareness going into or coming
out of REM. Because narcolepsy is characterized by unstable wakefulness and unstable
sleep, people with narcolepsy have frequent night awakenings that can be associated with
sleep paralysis.

Are there specific causes?

The condition has many causes, including:
● Narcolepsy.
● Shift work.
 ● Sleep deprivation.
● Obstructive sleep apnea.

What are the symptoms of sleep paralysis?

The symptoms include:
● Paralysis in your limbs.
● Inability to speak.
● Sense of suffocation
● Hallucinations.
● Fear.
● Panic.
● Helplessness.
● Tightening around your throat.
● Daytime sleepiness, which may be a sign of narcolepsy.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

Even one sleep paralysis episode can leave you feeling anxious about going to sleep. If it
bothers you, discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider. You should also consider
seeking care if you feel excessively sleepy during the day.

How is sleep paralysis diagnosed?

Healthcare providers confirm or rule out sleep paralysis after an evaluation. They may ask
you about:
● Symptoms, such as how often you experience sleep paralysis, what it feels like and
when it started.
● Sleep, such as how many hours you sleep at night and whether you feel tired during
the day.
● Medical history, including medications you are taking and whether you smoke, use
alcohol or illegal drugs.
● Mental health disorders, which may include anxiety, post-traumatic stress or
depression.
● Family history of sleep paralysis.
Will I need tests to confirm my diagnosis?
Your healthcare provider may recommend testing if they suspect a sleep disorder. You may
need:
● Overnight sleep study (polysomnogram): The test monitors your breathing, heartbeat
and brain activity while sleeping. It may enable healthcare providers to observe an
episode of sleep paralysis or detect issues like sleep apnea.
● Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT): This test measures how quickly you fall asleep
and what kind of sleep you experience during a nap. The test helps uncover issues
such as narcolepsy (unusual daytime sleepiness), which is the most common cause
of sleep paralysis.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21974-sleep-paralysis

9 Ways to Wake Up From Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is the terrifying feeling of being held down after just waking up or going to
sleep. You can’t move or scream, and sometimes this paralysis is accompanied with the
certainty that someone –or something — is in the room.

Quite simply, sleep paralysis is one of the most horrifying experiences in life, because we
feel awake but can’t believe what is happening to us.

The truth is, sleep paralysis is a biological event and there is nothing to be worried about.
You’re not dying. It’s a hiccup in the brain’s chemical soup as we transition from sleep to
wakefulness.

Recurrent sleep paralysis can often be prevented by attending to lifestyle choices, but
making new habits can take time.

So how do you wake up from sleep paralysis tonight?

1. Don’t Fight
If you feel like you are being held down and you can’t move, do not fight back. This actually
will intensify the experience. Not only is fighting back likely to increase the feelings of being
held down (so much that it may seem like you are being crushed), but fighting back will also
increase the fear, thus triggering the emotional centers of the brain and strengthening this
lucid nightmare. Controlling fear is the most important skill during these moments.
2. Surrender and Go with the Flow
Instead, try to relax when you notice SP starting to happen. Prepare an affirmation like “This
is SP and I am okay.” If you feel pressure on your chest, see if you can “go with” the
pressure rather than against it. It’s like winning a fight by having no resistance. For example,
for me, I often feel like I’m being pushed into the mattress when I have SP. I let myself go,
and mentally “pull” in the direction I am being pushed. What happens is I then “pop” into a
full-on dream, or I can wake up directly.

3. Wiggle your Toe

Another excellent tactic that works for many people is to try to move an extremity, such as a
finger or a toe. Most of the feelings of paralysis are in the belly, chest, and throat. So focus
all you attention on the toe and try to move it back and forth. In many cases, this will break
the paralysis.

4. Clench your Fist

This is a variation of the toe wiggle method. Clench and unclench your fist.

5. Focus on your Breath

An easy way to stop these nightmares is to do some controlled breathing. Controlled
breathing does several things at once. For starters, it lessens the feelings of chest pain that
sometimes accompany SP. Breathing is autonomic like the heart’s beating or digestion, so
it’s not paralyzed like the big muscles in our arms, chest and legs. But breath can be
controlled with attention or be affected by severe fear, which may be why SP sufferers
“forget” to breathe when under attack. If you can control your breath, you can control your
fear. Simply draw your breath in at a normal rate, and exhale fully, using all of your lung
capacity. Notice that you can breathe fully without obstruction. This technique will keep you
calm as the SP runs its course and then you will wake up without any trouble. A few
moments of focused breathing with a strong intention to wake up is effective.

https://dreamstudies.org/9-ways-to-wake-up-from-sleep-paralysis/

Sleep Paralysis REM SLEEP

Sleep paralysis is a normal part of the REM sleep. However, it is considered to be a disorder
when it occurs outside of REM sleep. It can occur in otherwise healthy people, as well as in
those presenting symptoms of narcolepsy, cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations. When it
occurs without narcolepsy, it is classified at Isolated Sleep Paralysis (ISP).
As discussed in the REM behavior disorder section, muscle atonia, or sleep paralysis most
commonly occurs when a person is either falling asleep awakening. If an individual has
awareness as the body enters or exits REM sleep, they may experience sleep paralysis.
Sleep paralysis can last from several seconds to several minutes; episodes of longer
duration are typically disconcerting and may even provoke a panic response. The paralysis
may be accompanied by rather vivid hallucinations, which most people will attribute to being
parts of dreams.

Sleep paralysis can occur in otherwise normal sleepers, and is surprisingly common in its
occurrence and universality. It has also been linked to certain conditions such as increased
stress, excessive alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, and narcolepsy.
Treatment of Sleep Paralysis is often limited to education about sleep phases and atonia that
normally occurs as people sleep. If episodes persist, the sleep specialist may evaluate for
narcolepsy, which is commonly present in those suffering from sleep paralysis.

https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/sleep/nighttime-sleep-behaviors/sleep-para
lysis.html

What are risk factors for sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis can affect men and women of any age group. The average age when it first
occurs is 14 to 17 years. It is a fairly common sleep problem. Estimates of how many people
have it vary widely from 5% to 40%. You may be more likely to have it if a relative also has it.
A lack of sleep can make you more likely to have sleep paralysis. It is also more likely if you
have a sleep schedule that often changes. Mental stress may also be a factor. It seems to
occur more often when you sleep on your back. It may also be related to any of the following
factors:
● Bipolar disorder
● The use of certain medications
● Sleep-related leg cramps

https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/sleep-paralysis/

What Does Sleep Paralysis Feel Like?

The fundamental symptom of sleep paralysis is atonia or the inability to move the body. It
occurs shortly after falling asleep or waking up, and during an episode, a person feels awake
and is aware of this loss of muscle control.
An estimated 75% of sleep paralysis episodes involve hallucinations that are distinct from
typical dreams. As with atonia, these can occur when falling asleep (hypnagogic
hallucinations) or waking up (hypnopompic hallucinations).
Hallucinations during sleep paralysis fall into three categories:
● Intruder hallucinations, which involve the perception of a dangerous person or
presence in the room.
● Chest pressure hallucinations, also called incubus hallucinations, that can incite a
feeling of suffocation. These frequently occur along with intruder hallucinations.
● Vestibular-motor (V-M) hallucinations, which can include feelings of movement (such
as flying) or out-of-body sensations.

Atonia is often distressing, and troubling hallucinations can make sleep paralysis episodes
even more bothersome. For this reason, around 90% of episodes are associated with fear
while only the minority have more pleasant or even blissful hallucinations. The perception of
these episodes has been found to vary significantly based on a person’s cultural context

.
Episodes can last from a few seconds to around 20 minutes, and the average length
is between six and seven minutes. In most cases, episodes end on their own but
occasionally are interrupted by another person’s touch or voice or by an intense effort to
move that overcomes atonia.

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/sleep-paralysis

Questions
These are the key questions that will be covered in the presentation:
- What is sleep paralysis ?
- What are the causes of sleep paralysis ?
- What can we do to prevent sleep paralysis ?
- What happens in the body during sleep paralysis ?
- How do you get out of a sleep paralysis attack ?

Bronnenlijst
1. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-paralysis/#:~:text=Sleep%20paralysis%20happe
ns%20when%20you,insomnia
2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21974-sleep-paralysis
3. https://dreamstudies.org/9-ways-to-wake-up-from-sleep-paralysis/
4. https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/sleep/nighttime-sleep-behaviors/sle
ep-paralysis.html
5. https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/sleep-paralysis/
6. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/sleep-paralysis