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You’re frozen in bed, unable to move any part of your body or speak. What the heck is happening?
You try to shout or sit up but you can’t. A shadowy figure appears in your doorway while you watch on in horror.
It’s time to meet your sleep paralysis demon.
WHAT IS SLEEP PARALYSIS?
Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon defined as a temporary sense of paralysis that occurs in the transition between wakefulness and sleep.
Some people who experience sleep paralysis have reported seeing a fictional figure known as the Benadryl hat man. (We highly recommend not abusing cough syrup or any other substances.)
During an episode of sleep paralysis, you are conscious but unable to move or speak. You may also hallucinate.
WHAT CAUSES SLEEP PARALYSIS?
The cause of sleep paralysis remains a bit of a mystery. (So technically, ghosts and spirits could be haunting you – just saying.)
There are theories though. The main one surrounds rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
(Totally unrelated to this song.)
As the name suggests, your eyes move rapidly during this stage of sleep, and your brain activity resembles when you’re awake. Your body becomes deeply relaxed.
It’s where most of your dreams happen. So if you’re dreaming of winning an Olympic gold medal, this is the time you step onto the podium with your arms raised.
Your body becomes deeply relaxed. Your muscles become limp.
To keep yourself from acting out your dreams and flailing off your bed, your brainstem sends signals to temporarily immobilise your muscles.
The theory goes that, when you partially wake up, your body remains in this paralysed REM state, and that’s when sleep paralysis occurs.
WHO EXPERIENCES SLEEP PARALYSIS?
It is surprisingly common. Estimates suggest that around 20% of the general population experiences sleep paralysis at some point.
It’s even more common among people with certain sleep disorders such as narcolepsy or those who suffer from anxiety or sleep deprivation.
While it can happen to anyone, certain factors like irregular sleep schedules, some medications and high stress levels can increase the likelihood of experiencing an episode.
Great news, right? If you’re stressed out, you might experience an unholy apparition tonight – that will certainly calm you down.
CAN YOU PREVENT SLEEP PARALYSIS?
While there’s no guaranteed way to prevent sleep paralysis, maintaining healthy sleep habits can help reduce your likelihood of experiencing an episode.
Healthy sleep habits include a regular sleep schedule, ensuring you get enough sleep, and creating a relaxing bedtime routine before you turn your lights out.
The next time you find yourself waking in the night, unable to move and convinced there is something sinister lurking in the darkness, just remember this.
It’s almost definitely, and extremely unlikely, not an actual demon. And maybe reconsider Benadryl as a late-night snack or doomscrolling before bedtime.
