Sleep Paralysis: Causes and Prevention

Updated on March 13, 2018

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Sleep paralysis is a common phenomenon that has been experienced by most people; it is a feeling of inability to move the body either at the onset of sleep or upon awakening.

During this experience, the individuals are conscious but they may feel as if they are being pressed or choked; it is often accompanied by intense fear and hallucinations.

It is not a serious medical condition; it starts during adolescence and can become frequent during ones 20s and 30s and it does not pose any serious health risk. Episodes last from a few seconds to a few minutes.

For centuries, humans have experienced this condition for centuries; the experiences differ among individuals but they can fall into one of the three categories below.

Intruder: Some people hear sounds of doorknobs opening, footsteps, or a shadow being or sensing a threatening presence in the room.
Vestibular-motor: In this category, people have a sense of spinning, falling, floating, flying or hovering over them or sometimes they feel it themselves. Some experience a type of out-of-body experience.

Incubus: People in this category experience pressure on the chest, feelings of being pressed and choked, difficulty breathing with sense of being smothered, strangled or sexually assaulted by a malevolent beings. During the experience, the individuals believe that they are about to die.

Causes of Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis occurs when parts of the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurs while awake; REM is the stage of sleep when the body is very active and dreams often occur; it is not clear why REM sleep occurs while awake but it has been associated with some risk factors. Factors linked to sleep paralysis are:

A family history of sleep paralysis

Narcolepsy and other sleep disorders
Sleeping on the back
Irregular sleep patterns and insufficient sleep

Depression
Anxiety disorders
Obstructive sleep apnea

Hypertension

Signs and symptoms of sleep paralysis

Headaches, muscle spasms and paranoia
Feeling as if death is approaching

Inability to move the body when falling asleep or when waking (this can last for seconds to several minutes)
Being consciously awake
Inability to speak during the episode

Sweating
Feeling pressured on the chest
Hallucinations and fearful sensations

When to seek medical help

This condition does not pose any serious health risk but it is advisable to see the doctor or sleep specialist when:

It happens regularly
There is fear or anxiety about going to sleep

Difficulty falling asleep
The individual falls asleep suddenly
The individual feels unusually sleepy during the day

The doctor can help to diagnose and address any medical condition that is behind this, like depression, anxiety, sleep disorders or stress; suddenly falling asleep during the day can be a sign of narcolepsy, a rare brain disorder that is characterized by inability to stay awake or lose control of the muscle at unexpected or inappropriate times.

Things to do for better sleep

There are no treatments for this condition but there are things that can be done to reduce the risk factors that cause it, reduce the frequency or even prevent it from happening and they include:

Have consistent bedtime and wake-up time.

Have at least 8 hours of night sleep as an adult daily
Ensure a comfortable sleep environment; sleep in a dark and well-ventilated, cool bedroom.
Get good amount of sunlight during the day

Don’t work or study in the bedroom
Avoid napping after 3pm and it should not be too long; less than 90 minutes is OK.
Avoid eating heavy foods close to your bedtime; do not take anything two hours to bedtime.