Sleep Paralysis

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Ever been in a state of wakefulness and sleep? or let me rephrase, ever felt awake but paralyzed and couldn't move any part of your body and can't talk? If yes, you experienced a phenomenon what they call Sleep paralysis.

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is when, during awakening or falling asleep, a person is aware but unable to move or speak.

Episodes of sleep paralysis is usually accompanied with terror, anxiety and some see things they believe are there all as a result of fear.

Sleep paralysis is phenomenon likely to happen to every human at a point in their life. Teenagers and young adults are more likely to experience it compared to adults. Many people experience it once or twice in their lives while some experience it more frequently and regularly than others

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When i was quite younger i used to have this old hag superstitious belief, that an old witch try to suffocate someone at night till i found out there's a medical/scientific explanation to it. Many people still believe the superstitious belief though, however we'll focusing on the medical symptoms, causes and treatment/prevention.

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Symptoms

Smptoms include : paralysis (unable to move), ** anxiety**, or hallucination

Causes

Sleep Paralysis occurs when person wakes up before REM is finished. REM is phase when the muscles are turned off preventing the body from sleep walking or acting out dreams. It is characterized by Rapid Eye movement.

Here are some common causes

• Lack of Sleep
• Alcohol / Substance abuse
• Wrong sleep position like sleeping on the back
• Stress, Mental condition such as bipolar

Treatment/Prevention

Most people don't need treatment for sleep paralysis because it's occurs usually to many due to some common causes. Prevention is what is most needed and it include:

1. Having a Good sleep routine/hygiene : following a good sleep schedule and not depriving yourself from sleep by having enough of it will greatly reduce it's occurrence

2. Having a Good sleep position: it's advised to always sleep sideways to reduce having such frightening episode

3. Avoid alcohol /stimulant before bed

If after this trying out this prevention tips and you still frequently experience sleep paralysis, it's likely you have a medical disorder and it's advised to see a specialist. Anti depressants might be recommended.

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Conclusion

Sleep paralysis is harmless and not life threatening. It could be a scary and frightening phase but It usual happens for few seconds or minutes and passes. During an episode it's important to always stay calm and realize it's only temporary. And always make sure to sleep sideways to prevent it

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References

• https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-paralysis

• https://amp.livescience.com/50876-sleep-paralysis.html

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Thanks for Reading