What is sleep paralysis? Causes of sleep paralysis syndrome, its symptoms and treatment

Sleep paralysis, sleepy or nocturnal, sleepy stupor is a rather rare condition, or rather, a syndrome inverse to somnambulism.

Somnambulism or sleepwalking is a sleepwalking syndrome when a person’s consciousness is asleep, but his body is not.

With sleep paralysis, a reverse reaction occurs when in the evening, when going to bed, the body falls asleep before consciousness, and paralysis of all muscles occurs, as during the REM sleep phase, the person is conscious, but cannot move.

The same picture is observed upon awakening, when consciousness turns on earlier than the muscles.

Such a syndrome may well frighten its carrier, especially at the first manifestation. Since ancient times and in all nations, all sorts of beliefs and legends have been associated with it, ranging from the tricks of a brownie or sucking vitality witches, to the influence of aliens for the purpose of conducting experiments, which was sometimes confirmed by some associated symptoms of this disease, which will be discussed later.

Sleep paralysis is classified into two types: hypnagogic - during falling asleep and hypnopomic - during awakening.

A hypnopomic attack is possible only upon awakening on your own. If someone is present to a person, his body will wake up along with his brain.

This disease is poorly understood and therefore is not included in international classification diseases, however, it is often found in both domestic and foreign scientific literature.

The symptoms of the disease are very frightening and peculiar. It is difficult to endure it not so much physiologically as psychologically:

The main symptom is that a person’s entire body suddenly becomes paralyzed before going to bed, and the brain turns off a little later. At the same time, if complete paralysis suddenly occurs, purely psychologically, it is quite difficult to fall asleep, which prolongs the uncomfortable state.
It happens that there are no problems with falling asleep, but a person wakes up and feels that he cannot move anything, and is forced to wait until his body wakes up.
Sometimes both manifestations of the disease occur in one person.
The frequency of attacks of sleep paralysis, as well as somnambulism, varies from person to person.

With this disease, the patient experiences some specific sensations, which were the reason for the formation of so many fantastic stories against its background:

A strong feeling of extraneous pressure on the chest, as if something had been placed or sat there. The tactile sensations are very strong and realistic.
Hallucinations may be present, for example, the patient can clearly see that ghosts are walking around his bedroom, and now he needs to imagine that he is also physically unable to move and is forced to quietly suffer from horror. So close to a heart attack.
The mixture of sleep and wakefulness can also give rise to sound sensations, when the patient hears something that is not there and at the same time clearly feels that he is not sleeping.
Sometimes there are sensations of a foreign presence or movement of one’s own body in space.

Attacks of night paralysis are accompanied by physiological manifestations: increased heart rate, which is very understandable in such a situation, difficulty breathing, disorientation in space and severe fear.

The positive thing about the symptoms of sleep paralysis is that it lasts quite a short time and attacks can last only from a few seconds to two minutes.

People prone to sleep stupor

Night paralysis often develops in certain group people whose lifestyle or character traits may be affected by such disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system:

First of all, people with mental or severe psychological illnesses are affected by the syndrome.

In second place are people dependent on any bad habits, especially related to the use of psychotropic substances and alcohol.

Taking antidepressants or, conversely, neurametabolic stimulants can provoke separate falling asleep of the body and mind.

An equally rare cause of the syndrome, like all neurological disorders, is stress, both very strong and weak, but long-lasting.

Can provoke an attack frequent change distant cities and time zones, as well as extremely disrupted sleep and wakefulness.

At risk are easily suggestible people, introverts, people who try to do everything, think a lot and intensely before going to bed, thereby preventing their brain from falling asleep, while the body, unable to withstand the stress, simply shuts down.

How dangerous is it and does it need to be treated?

Modern medicine considers sleepy stupor a safe condition, but strange and incomprehensible, because it is normal human body and consciousness must sleep and wake simultaneously.

However, given the symptoms described above, there is nothing good about it. A patient who is unprepared, uneducated, or who believes in supernatural phenomena may experience such fear that can lead to dire consequences, such as heart attack, stroke, miscarriage during pregnancy, and other results of severe stress.

Considering that some of the causes of the syndrome are stress and a weak psyche, it can lead to a deterioration in a person’s condition and self-aggravate.

Considering the discomfort that causes this disease, it’s still worth getting rid of it.

How to distinguish from sleep disorder

Sleep paralysis morning type (hypnopomic) is similar in its manifestation to dangerous disease- sleep disturbance.

With sleep destruction, the patient's eyes move extremely quickly, and it is also accompanied by feeding of consciousness, nightmares, sleepwalking and fears.

Causes of the disease

Official medicine on this moment explains night paralysis by shallow restless sleep.

The state of paralysis that occurs during seizures is normal reaction the body, which thus protects itself during sleep from accidental actions that are observed during sleepwalking and is especially characteristic of the REM sleep phase, when a person is visited by dreams and prepares to awaken. It has been observed that hypnopomic paralysis occurs more often when a person is directly awakened during REM sleep.

More precise causes of this syndrome have not yet been identified.

Fighting methods

Considering that the causes and pathogenesis of sleep paralysis have not been studied, and the disease itself is not considered dangerous, it is quite logical that there are no specialized treatment methods.

Seeing a doctor makes sense only if attacks occur frequently or with extremely vivid symptoms in the form of hallucinations and sensations or for a long time.

The doctor examines for concomitant diseases that may cause this phenomenon, for example, narcolepsy or hidden psychiatric diseases. In this case, it will not be sleep paralysis that will be treated, but these diseases.

With absence visible reasons The disease can only be helped by examination in special sleep institutes, which are not available in every city.

Typically, attacks occur rarely and only after any shock to the body or nervous system and go away on their own after the situation normalizes and stress is relieved.

How to get out of a pathological state

Everyone has their own methods of overcoming sleep paralysis, selected empirically and based on the individual characteristics of the nervous system. However, there are certain general rules of behavior during attacks:

There is no need to try to resist numbness or sensations of foreign influences, as this provokes increased fear.
It is necessary to involve family members living together in the problem, who will get out of sleep paralysis simply by waking up the body with physical force. It is quite simple to determine sleep paralysis in another person by emotionally intense facial expressions and body twitches, indicating attempts to move.
During attacks, you need to relax and, instead of resisting the sensations of someone else’s influence, on the contrary, succumb, follow the directions of the supposedly applied force, which will provoke instant falling asleep or, conversely, coming to one’s senses.
You can focus on your breathing, which a person controls in any case, no matter what sensations seem to him. This will calm you down, add confidence and relax you, helping you fall asleep.
Also, instead of ethereal attempts to regain control over your body, you can try to move those parts of it that are less susceptible to the influence of the syndrome: fingers, hands and feet. The areas most affected during attacks are the neck, chest and abdomen.

How to provoke an attack

Some people wonder whether it is possible to deliberately provoke an attack. Yes, this is indeed possible with some techniques:

You can take the position most prone to the formation of a pathological condition on your back with your head preferably thrown back.
Scare yourself by remembering or imagining something terrible just before you fall asleep.
Imagine falling upside down, the main requirements are maximum realism and a tendency to self-hypnosis.
Very stormy physical activity Just before bed, you can try push-ups or pull-ups on the bar until exhaustion.
Excess sleep, when a person has had enough sleep and forcibly forces himself to sleep again. In this case, the body will still fall asleep, but the rested consciousness will not.
On the contrary, insufficient sleep if you wake up to an alarm clock in the middle of the night and wash your face cold water or get stressed in some way and go back to sleep. In this case, a tired body will fall asleep, but an excited nervous system will not.

Sleep is an important component of the daily routine of any living creature, during which all organs and the brain rest. Any violation of it is negative, therefore, if problems arise, it is necessary to eliminate their source or cause before non-serious deviations develop into serious problems with the nervous system, which can affect physical health the whole body or on the psyche.

According to statistics, Almost 8% of the world's population have at least once experienced a strange sensation associated with sleep. Consciousness seems to blur, the mind is seized with panic, and the body is paralyzed.

What is this condition and is it dangerous? How to get rid of unpleasant problem? The answers should be sought in specialized literature.

This syndrome is a sleep disorder, a borderline state between reality and a dream. It should not be confused with illness or night terrors. It occurs at moments when the brain and muscles do not have time to synchronize, so a person feels conscious, but cannot control the body.

This state is observed before the mind “turns off” to sleep or during awakening, before the body has time to fully wake up.

It is accompanied by the following symptoms:

panic attack;
horror, animal fear;
cardiopalmus;
pressure on the chest;
disorientation or a feeling of “floating” in space;
dizziness;
realistic visual, olfactory and tactile hallucinations.

Scientists believe that sleep paralysis is dangerous only for people with weak and cardiovascular diseases. There is a risk of severe fright which could provoke heart attack or respiratory spasm. People who do not suffer from serious illnesses have nothing to worry about. The main thing is to stock up on reliable information and not worry about the next incident.

Causes of sleep paralysis

The syndrome occurs only when awakened by at will. That is, loud sounds, patting and other methods of awakening will not lead to such a state, since the body will wake up instantly, turning on the “stress mode”.

The reasons why sleep paralysis occurs are not yet fully understood. After conducting a series of experiments, scientists concluded that sleep disorders are provoked by:

jet lag;
insomnia;
chronic, depression;
various types of addictions;
sleeping on your back;
mental disorders;
taking medications, including neurometabolic stimulants and antidepressants.

At risk are teenagers, overly imposing and nervous people, introverts who do not like to share their experiences, as well as people who experience stress every day or are in protracted depression.

Neurologist Kevin Nelson says that some patients have a genetic predisposition. Therefore, when looking for the cause, you should first ask older relatives if this has ever happened to them. borderline state.

How to induce sleep paralysis and enter a lucid dream?

Despite the fact that scientists do not advise doing this, some individuals deliberately strive to enter lucid dream. For example, shamans of African tribes induced sleep paralysis in order to appear in the astral plane in order to communicate with spirits from another world. IN modern society such a pastime is of interest to those who engage in mysticism and meditation.

The easiest way

Lie on your back without a pillow, imagining your body as if swinging on a swing or floating in zero gravity. It is important to listen to your feelings and not miss the borderline state. It is felt at a moment when the body is paralyzed and sounds become unnatural.

In addition to the meditation described above, there is a “coffee option”. We need to bring the body to severe fatigue, and before going to bed, drink a cup of strong coffee. If you pick right time, caffeine will take effect the moment the mind begins to drift into dreams, creating the necessary reaction.

Life stories

Some describe fear and panic, thoughts about death and otherworldly forces. Some talk about bliss and a strange feeling of serenity, “as if the whole world suddenly became unimportant.” However, everyone talks about pressure in the chest and heavy breathing.

Among the stories, there are those in which an important role is assigned to creatures that were allegedly seen during sleep paralysis. Moreover, everyone claims that he saw his own - from to death or the ruler of hell himself. There is a feeling of this presence, and in some cases even tactile sensations appear that induce panic. But it is important to understand that everything that happens is not reality.

How to treat and get rid of it quickly? Consequences

There is no cure for sleep paralysis, since the condition itself sometimes occurs only once or twice in a lifetime.

If it begins to appear frequently, it is better to introduce preventive measures:

rational;
maintain a sleep-wake schedule;
eliminate stressful situations;
breathe fresh air every day;
exercise;
completely relax before bed;
do not sleep on your back;
wake up to an alarm clock;
do not abuse medicines, drugs, tobacco and alcohol.

Sometimes a great “cure” is going to a psychologist. It is worth considering that standard drug treatment is ineffective and even worsens the situation.

If you urgently need to get rid of the old witch syndrome, it is enough to remind yourself that what is happening is unreal, to prove that these are illusions.

Wikipedia about sleep paralysis - “there is an answer”

Wikipedia calls sleep paralysis a condition in which muscle paralysis occurs before falling asleep or after waking up. The antonym of the phenomenon is somnambulism or sleepwalking.

Stupor occurs in people from 12 to 30 years of age and is rarely found outside this region. age category. Provoking factors include narcolepsy, stress, poor lifestyle, uncomfortable sleeping position, and emotional shock.

It is almost impossible to block the old witch syndrome. To do this, you need to realize what is happening, pull yourself together and not allow yourself to panic. Such self-government is only possible for morally strong people or people with a high threshold of sensitivity.

Sleep paralysis (sleepy stupor) is a condition characterized by complete muscle atony with preserved consciousness. During paralysis, a person cannot move while in clear consciousness, and various complex multisensory hallucinations occur in parallel. The combination of atony and “waking” hallucinations makes sleep stupor quite unpleasant for most patients. At the same time, a person does not always understand the essence of the process and may try to find a supernatural explanation for this condition.

This is a fairly common pathology. According to current data, 7.6% of the population have had at least one episode of sleep paralysis during their lifetime. The highest prevalence rates are observed in students (28.3%) and in patients with mental disorders (31.9%), with the condition being 1.3 times more common in women than in men.

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Description and causes of the disease

Sleep paralysis belongs to the group of parasomnias - diseases that are characterized by qualitative pathological change sleep. By clinical features and the mechanisms of development of SP is the opposite of somnambulism (sleepwalking), which also belongs to the group of parasomnias.

There are many theories about the risk factors and causes of sleep paralysis, some of which are still being researched. There are several diseases that are associated with secondary sleep paralysis, and risk factors that provoke primary (isolated) paralysis.

Sleep factors

The main factor in the occurrence of isolated sleep paralysis is quantitative violation sleep.

It has been proven that sleep restriction in a healthy person leads to a certain imbalance between inhibitory and activating neurotransmitters. This imbalance causes hyperactivation of certain brain structures. Sleep restriction can be permanent (insomnia) or temporary (sleep deprivation due to any activity). The position in which a person falls asleep is also important.

The role of sleep position in the mechanism of sleep paralysis is not fully understood. Most often, sleep apnea occurs when falling asleep on your back, but it is also possible for paralysis to occur when falling asleep on your side. This condition practically does not occur when falling asleep on the stomach.

Based on this, we can identify groups of people who are at risk of developing SP:

persons working at night (in shifts or permanently);
long-term sufferers of insomnia;
falling asleep mainly in a supine position.

Narcolepsy

A classic example of a disease in which SP occurs is narcolepsy. This is a pathological condition that is characterized by attacks of irresistible daytime sleepiness, sometimes leading to sudden falling asleep.

This disease is also associated with an imbalance of neurotransmitters, hypothalamic peptides and a special protein orexin. The essence of the processes occurring in narcolepsy and SP is similar, therefore, within the framework of this disease, sleep paralysis is one of the symptoms that does not develop independently.

The causes of sleep disorders from the group of sleep disorders include the following: pathological conditions, How:

idiopathic hypersomnia;
obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (periods of lack of breathing for quite a long time) and others.

Taking alcohol and other psychoactive substances

Influence psychoactive substances the occurrence of sleep paralysis has not been proven. But there is data that suggests that there is still some correlation.

The table below shows the prevalence rates of SP in individuals taking certain psychoactive substances.

Psychotrauma, stress

There is a clear connection between the development of sleep paralysis and existing psychotraumas and stressful situations in people’s lives. SP occurs especially often in people who experience chronic stress due to certain life problems. Such sleep paralysis is symptomatic and disappears on its own when the stress factor is eliminated.

Below are the relationships between SP and stress factors. The situation associated with violence in childhood stands out separately, since in this case the risk of developing sleep paralysis is especially high.

Accompanying illnesses

There is some connection between certain somatic pathologies and the development of joint ventures. It is known that sleep paralysis occurs more often in patients with arterial hypertension(in later stages of the disease). There is evidence that SP can be observed in various organic brain lesions (tumors, strokes, chronic ischemia brain).

SPs are especially common when mental illness(schizophrenia, depression, hypomania and manic states within bipolar affective disorder, tendency to panic attacks and etc.). In some cases it is extremely important to differential diagnosis with other conditions characterized by mental changes.

Clinical picture and pathogenesis

There are two types of sleep paralysis: paralysis when falling asleep and paralysis when waking up. It has been established that SP most often occurs upon awakening. Both options clinically occur stereotypically.

Mechanism of occurrence

Normally, sleep occurs when the cortical functions of the brain are turned off. But this happens in conjunction with the shutdown of the limbic-reticular tract, which is responsible for the level of consciousness. Before falling asleep, a few seconds before turning off consciousness, the higher cortical innervation is sharply inhibited (turning off the vigilance function of the brain). When the cortex is inhibited, an atonic (and initially spastic) reaction occurs on the part of the motor system. After a few seconds, an alarm from reticular formation the brain stem also stops, and this happens so quickly that the person never remembers how he fell asleep. Muscle spasm and atony are necessary to prevent the body from moving in space under the influence of dreams.

However, if the system of switching off certain brain structures is disrupted or the phases of this system are inconsistent, the following picture is observed: inhibition of cortical functions has occurred, and the limbic-reticular tract continues to conduct afferent impulses to other areas of the brain. It turns out that, on the one hand, the brain enters the REM sleep phase, and on the other, it is still in a state of clear consciousness. This is how sleep paralysis occurs when falling asleep. Reverse mechanism development causes the appearance of somnambulism.

SP upon awakening is much more common. The mechanism of its occurrence is similar to the previous one. When awakening in the REM sleep phase, the cortical functions are not sufficiently disinhibited, and consciousness is activated with complete muscle atony.

Symptoms

Sleep paralysis is characterized by various symptoms that cause discomfort in humans. These can be various bodily experiences, hallucinations, a feeling of danger, panic, which on average last several minutes.

Despite the stereotypical nature of attacks, variability in their manifestations is possible. In one case, this is a feeling of fear due to the inability to move, in the other - auditory and visual hallucinations. A combination of symptoms is less common, but the classic version of sleep paralysis is characterized by a combination of various manifestations.

Experiences associated with immobility

As already mentioned, SP is characterized by complete or partial immobility. Against the backdrop of the fact that it becomes impossible to move certain parts of the body, a sharp attack of fear and panic occurs. The release of stress hormones (catecholamines) into the blood causes general reactions- increased heart rate, increased breathing, increased blood pressure, increased sweating.

A slightly different option is possible. Body movements can be maintained, but it takes a lot of effort to make these movements. At the same time, the thought that it is necessary to move an arm or leg, or roll over, exists in the mind for quite a long period of time before the intended action is completed.

Despite the inability to move, a person is aware of the layout of his body, although in most cases his ideas do not correspond to reality. He may feel like he is lying on his back or on his left side, when in reality he is lying on his right side. The person may feel as if they are turning over from one side to the other, although in reality they remain motionless. During SP, people try to wake up, make a strong jerk in their movements, which causes activation of impulses from the reticular formation to the cortex, and after some time, motor ability is completely restored.

Bodily experiences

They are also associated with immobility. IN medical practice a lot has been described various symptoms from this group:

a feeling of increased heartbeat, unpleasant for a person;
feeling of breathing block, inability to breathe independently and fear of suffocation;
feeling of constriction chest, arising from the outside;
the feeling of floating in the air, flying, moving in space, spinning, being caught in a whirlwind.

Hallucinatory experiences

Hallucinations are the most common symptom sleep paralysis. Based on the time of occurrence, they are divided into hypnagogic (before falling asleep) and hypnopompic (after waking up).

Hallucinatory experiences are associated with the fact that, despite the general inhibition of cortical impulses, individual zones of the cortex continue to function. They are explained by the work of the auditory and visual cortex, so hallucinations are divided into the following types:

1. Auditory. Associated with activation of the auditory cortex. Characterized by the appearance of various sounds, gradually increasing to the so-called white noise, which a person normally hears in absolute silence.
2. Visual. Associated with activation of the visual cortex. Expressed in the feeling of someone outsider, someone else, certain entities, most often black or white, which can sit on a person or be located somewhere in the room. Visual hallucinations occur even when it is impossible to open the eyes due to atony of the levator muscle. upper eyelid. But if eyelid movements are still possible, hallucinatory images become more real and distinct.

The emergence of fear

Awareness of the inability to move, the occurrence of various bodily and hallucinatory experiences cause a sharp development of the body’s stress reaction. There is a powerful release of catecholamines into the peripheral circulation, and various autonomic reactions occur.

But fear itself is an inducer for getting out of a sleepy stupor. Under its influence, strong urges to move begin, intense attempts to move occur, which ultimately triggers the passage of impulses from the limbic-reticular complex to the cortex and causes its activation.

Supernatural interpretations

The very occurrence of sleep paralysis and associated hallucinations is often explained by supernatural guesses. Some people, under the influence of bodily experiences, such as a feeling of floating in the air, spinning in a vortex, believe that they have been abducted by aliens or some other entity.

In the mythology of different countries, a supernatural interpretation of the appearance of the joint venture was given. Some cultures even have beliefs associated with the activities of certain demonic figures. For example, in Chuvash mythology - Vubar, in Basque mythology - Inguma, in Japanese culture - the demon Kanashibari, who puts his foot on a person’s chest during sleep.

Methods of treatment and prevention

The ability of clinicians to make informed treatment decisions is hampered by the fact that no randomized controlled trials have yet been conducted for isolated or recurrent sleep paralysis. Thus, all recommendations given are based on research on narcolepsy and logical conclusions from the main results of research on sleep paralysis. But there are several promising psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches to treatment.

Psychopharmacotherapy

A number of different drugs are used to treat SP associated with narcolepsy. The most commonly used drugs are tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Their hypothetical mechanism of action is related to the suppression of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. They are commonly used to treat symptoms of narcolepsy. Regarding tricyclic compounds, Clomipramine (25-50 mg), Imipramine (25-150 mg), Protriptyline (10-40 mg) and Desmethylimipramine (25-150 mg) are known to reduce the symptoms of SP.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Fluoxetine (40-80 mg) and Femoxetine (600 mg) have been used effectively. One of the most well studied pharmacological drugs in the treatment of sleep paralysis is sodium oxybate (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid). Melatonin preparations (Melaxen) are also effective, which restore the physiological course of sleep phases.

Psychotherapeutic methods

Sleep hygiene

Considering that the most common reason paralysis - fragmented and/or disrupted sleep, simple sleep behavior changes may be effective. Instructions for various methods sleep hygiene can also serve preventive measures. You need to go to bed at the same time and be as relaxed as possible. It is advisable to ventilate the room half an hour before bedtime.

It is also recommended to follow special instructions (avoiding sleeping in a supine or side lying position). If people with SP have underlying problems such as insomnia, special treatment may be helpful sleeping pills. Maintenance recommended healthy image life.

Behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of isolated paralysis includes specific sleep hygiene, training in relaxation techniques during episodes of sleep disorder, ways to deal with frightening hallucinations, and getting rid of unpleasant thoughts. It is possible to use methods of imaginary rehearsal of episodes of paralysis in combination with previous methods.

Treatment for sleep paralysis is nonspecific. Along with psychopharmacotherapy, sleep hygiene and behavioral therapy, it is important to get rid of possible risk factors, such as stressful situations and substance use. Treatment is equally important concomitant diseases, which can also act as risk factors for the development of sleep stupor.

Conclusion

Sleep paralysis is one of the most common types of parasomnias. When symptoms of SP appear, it is important to exclude diseases such as narcolepsy, schizophrenia, organic lesion brain

Despite the appearance of very unpleasant symptoms, sleep paralysis itself is not a life-threatening condition. There are methods for its pharmacocorrection, but in most cases, maintaining sleep hygiene is sufficient.

The helpless state, fear and mysterious hallucinations that a person experiences during sleep paralysis have found mainly mystical explanations since ancient times. But this phenomenon is based purely on physiological reasons, understanding of which will help to correctly relate to the state of paralytic attack and facilitate fastest way out out of him.

Old Witch Syndrome

You suddenly, as if from a jolt, open your eyes and realize that you are no longer sleeping. But then you realize with horror that your body seems to be paralyzed, and the room is filled with creepy and evil creatures. There is something to be afraid of, isn’t there? But you shouldn’t be scared, even if this is the first time this happens to you. This is a fairly common and, oddly enough, harmless sleep disorder - sleep paralysis.

During a paralytic attack, only the eyes can move

This striking phenomenon has many names: paralytic attack, sleepy stupor; but the most colorful of them is the old witch syndrome.

It comes at night, when a person is about to fall into a peaceful sleep, or in the early morning, immediately after waking up. They fear her, she is invisible, but clearly felt, she is silent, but objects and furniture react to her movements by creaking and ringing, almost half of the inhabitants of the Earth are familiar with her. This - old witch, more precisely, the old witch syndrome or, in medical parlance, sleep paralysis.

Samuel Dunkell "Night Body Language"

Has the old witch come to you yet?

Sleep paralysis first received a detailed medical description back in the tenth century, and the author of the study was an unnamed Persian doctor. Three centuries later, the study of Qaboos attacks ( evil spirit, demon) the famous Arab scientist Ibn al Manzur studied a sleeping person. Since then, in Muslim countries this phenomenon has its own name - the visit of al-jasum.

What it is

This condition is not considered independent disease, and it occurs both in absolutely healthy people and in those who suffer from any psycho-emotional disorders and organic diseases of the brain. Its frequency also varies: a person can fall into a sleepy stupor once in his entire life, or he can plunge into it regularly, almost every night.

Statistics in different countries cannot yet come to a consensus on the prevalence of the phenomenon. Some psychologists claim that half of the world's population has experienced sleep stupor at least once. According to other studies, only eight out of a hundred people experience this condition.

Sleep paralysis syndrome is a fairly common phenomenon.

Paralytic attack immobilizes a short time almost all muscles - except the eye, heart and respiratory muscles. At such moments between sleep and reality, the senses are activated, which gives rise to not only visual, but also olfactory, tactile, and auditory hallucinations. The vestibular apparatus also experiences increased load - hence the often arising feeling of weightlessness and even the sensation of floating above the bed.

The antipode of somnambulism

At its core, sleep paralysis is an incomplete, asynchronous awakening of the body. But if during somnambulism the consciousness still continues to sleep, and the body wakes up: it begins to move, walk, perform some automated actions, then in a sleepy stupor everything happens exactly the opposite. First, consciousness awakens - that is, the person is already aware of himself, but motor functions are activated late.

Somnambulism is a sleep disorder, the opposite of sleep paralysis.

Such incomplete awakening can last from a few seconds to two minutes - it cannot be longer. Then consciousness and motor skills are synchronized and everything passes, seemingly without consequences. Indeed, sleep paralysis does not pose any harm or danger to the body. But short time, while a person falls into a stupor, he manages to experience too many and too different sensations, which in most cases are quite similar.

Symptoms

Don't panic - absolutely nothing bad is happening. It’s just that the body requested a short time-out, but after a few seconds everything will return to normal. To shorten this unpleasant pause as much as possible, try practicing a basic exercise. Concentrate on the big toe of either foot and try to move it. This will not happen right away, but very soon, and immediately after that all the other muscles will wake up.

This condition cannot be called absolutely safe. After all, a person, especially if he is experiencing this for the first time, can experience severe fright or even stress. As a result, breathing may become spasmed or a heart attack may develop.

Sleep paralysis: the main thing is not to be scared!

Sleep paralysis has the following symptoms:

inability to move or scream with complete clarity of consciousness;
panic attack;
heaviness in the chest area;
increased heart rate;
dizziness;
increased sweating;
feeling of being “suspended” or disoriented in space;
very realistic hallucinations.

Flying in your sleep - it may be sleep paralysis

It's interesting that in different centuries people during cardiac stupor have observed various hallucinations - each time has its own nightmare images, into which latent fears materialize at that moment. Ancient paintings convey very similar stories about this. If two hundred years ago the main characters in visions were witches, devils, demons and brownies, now such visual hallucinations are most reminiscent of “horror movie heroes”; the same can be said about auditory and tactile hallucinations.

Visions during sleep stupor - gallery

A demon on the chest of a sleeping woman is a common subject among artists of the 18th century. A black man or an obscure dark figure is the most frequent guest during a sleepy stupor Vampire in the form of a young nurse - this vision often visits men Flying monsters, one more terrible than the other - they come from computer games Most “contacts” with aliens happen during sleep paralysis. Black hands reach out to the sleeping person - this is already from the category of old children's horror stories. Strange shadows fill the room - many survivors of sleep paralysis talk about this. The Witch - in her honor, in fact, the old witch syndrome is named. The head of a horse and the devil - the fantasies and visions of our ancestors were clearly more modest

No need to be afraid - video

Without mysticism

Another of the many names for sleep stupor is astral paralysis; quite often it is compared with access to the astral plane and is associated with a variety of mystical phenomena. And how else can a person gripped by horror explain his condition: he lies alone in the dark, unable to scream or move. At the same time, something (or someone?!) presses on the chest, pulls on the legs; eerie creatures appear everywhere in the darkness... In fact, all this terry mysticism has simple physiological reasons.

Understanding the nature of the phenomenon, you will be able not only to treat it philosophically, but even to a certain extent to control it: enter this state at your own request and exit it without the slightest loss. There will be no more fears, because you will begin to understand what is happening to you and how to deal with it.

Sleep paralysis - costs of the protective activity of the brain

How does it arise

Our wise brain considers protecting the body a priority - at every specific moment of its life. Is there a period of greater defenselessness for a person than his sleep? In order to minimize risks, the brain hedges its bets by blocking excessive motor activity of the muscles - otherwise a person could injure himself with uncontrolled movements or, for example, fall out of bed. It happens that the lock does not turn off immediately after waking up - even if this is scary, it is definitely not dangerous.

“Old witch syndrome” is by no means a symptom of a mental disorder. It can be called functional feature the brain, which tends to wake up not entirely, but as if in parts. This is a purely individual phenomenon, but a predisposition to it can be transmitted genetically.

A regular alarm clock can help you get rid of sleep paralysis

The condition occurs either at the moment of falling asleep or at the moment of awakening - this happens much more often. But awakening should only be natural - if your sleep is interrupted by an alarm clock, telephone or someone at home, stupor will not occur. Therefore, try to wake up to an alarm clock, or even better, ask someone close to you to wake you up at such moments.

At-risk groups

According to medical observations, sleep paralysis is typical for the young age group - from twelve to thirty years. For other ages, this phenomenon is only an exception to the rule. general rule. The girls are worried similar condition somewhat less frequently than young men.

The state of sleepy stupor is associated with various factors that provoke it:

disorders of the body's biorhythms;
chronic stress, depression and insomnia;
dependencies of various kinds;
use of psychoactive substances;
stress and unhealthy lifestyle;
electromagnetic storms;
uncomfortable position during sleep - it is preferable to sleep on the stomach or right side than on the left and back.

Try not to fall asleep lying on your back

Most often, teenagers, introverts, and people with an unbalanced or overly excitable nervous system are at risk.

If sleep is not in short supply

Sleep paralysis does not occur at all in those who are forced to sleep little. If you work a lot, especially physically, and simply fall asleep for some five or six hours, and this happens regularly, you will almost certainly not face any stupor at night. If sleep is not in short supply and there is even enough time to take a nap for an hour or two during the day, then the likelihood of sleep paralysis increases.

Stupor quite often occurs precisely during nap, against the background of a not too tired consciousness. In this case, a simple method helps to get out of the stupor - you need to start actively breathing, often, often and deeply, if possible. The condition quickly normalizes.

Breathe more often - it's just a sleepy stupor

How to get rid

Although, as we have already decided, sleep paralysis is not a disease, it can and should be treated - of course, in the case when this condition bothers you. First, the patient is checked for the presence neurological pathologies- It definitely wouldn’t hurt to get an MRI of the brain, as well as consult a neurologist. It is also necessary to evaluate in detail the psycho-emotional state - it directly affects the quality of sleep.

If neither neurological nor psychoemotional disorders have been established, then treatment is carried out according to the same scheme as, for example, for insomnia. In this case, it will also be necessary to normalize the sleep/wake rhythm;

go to bed and get up at the same time;
sleep at least seven to eight hours;

Bring your sleep and lifestyle back to normal - and the old witch won’t come to you

There is a version according to which sleep stupor may be somehow related to sleep apnea - stopping breathing during sleep. While this connection has not been unequivocally proven, it is advisable for a neurologist to consider the likelihood of the presence of such a pathology. In any specific case, only a doctor has the right to prescribe drug treatment. Self-medication can only make the situation worse.

In the first stage of falling asleep or immediately after waking up, many people experienced fear that they could not move, so-called sleep paralysis occurs, the causes of this phenomenon have not been fully identified. But scientists believe that at such moments in the brain the connection between the centers responsible for motor and sensory functions is disrupted.

Under normal conditions, there is a gradual transition from deep phase to superficial. But sometimes disturbances occur in the brain, and a person suddenly wakes up from deep sleep. At this moment, all the muscles of the body are completely relaxed, the person cannot move or call for help. Everything returns to normal in one or two minutes, but this time is enough for the awakened person to feel the horror of what happened.

Symptoms:

inability to move;
feeling of fear and horror;
a feeling of heaviness on the body (usually on the chest and throat, less often on the legs);
extraneous sounds (voices, whispers, creaking floors).

Sleep paralysis: causes

The inability to control the body manifests itself in people who fall asleep on their back, less often on their right side. Sleep paralysis occurs when someone wakes up on their own; it does not occur in people who are prevented from continuing their sleep.

People who believe in mysticism, they believe that the inability to own the body is the machinations of otherworldly forces (brownie, ghosts). However, the reasons for the “mystical” phenomenon are most often the following:

With frequent flights from one city to another, the shift in time zones causes a disruption in human biorhythms.
Sleep disorders.
Dependence on bad habits (drugs, alcohol, gambling addiction).
Abuse of antidepressants.
Mental disorders.

Doctors believe that sleep paralysis occurs as a result of genetic predisposition and the reasons for its occurrence depend on the hereditary factor.

How to get into sleep paralysis

Most often, stupor occurs upon awakening, and it is easiest to artificially fall into sleep paralysis when falling asleep. Many people are interested in how to get into sleep paralysis on purpose and try to understand the mechanism of its action. To do this, you can use the following methods:

Irregular sleep cycle. Sleepy stupor occurs in people who sleep little and do not get enough sleep.
Maximum relaxation before bed. To do this, you can imagine yourself falling upside down. This method works for people with a good imagination.
A cup of strong coffee before falling asleep. The drink will begin to act at the border of the transition from one phase of sleep to another.
You can also wait until you fall asleep and remember something exciting or scary.

Scientists warn that it is impossible to frequently practice techniques to induce sleep paralysis. Experiments carried out more than three times a month are harmful nervous system and deplete the body.

Sleep paralysis: how to get rid of it

In almost 90% of cases this pathology does not require drug treatment, with the exception of mental disorders. In these cases, the doctor prescribes a course of sedatives and antidepressants. Healthy man who has discovered morning stupor can get rid of it on his own:

take deep breaths;
try to scream (the brain will react to the person’s desire and turn on the motor functions of the body);
After an attack, wash your face with cold water (this will help avoid repeated episodes).

But deeply sensitive people can be greatly frightened by even short-term sleep paralysis; a neurologist will advise how to get rid of frequent stupors and help draw up a treatment regimen. To do this, the patient will need to keep a diary in which he will note the frequency of attacks, the time of their occurrence, and mental states.

In addition, factors that provoke the disease should be excluded:

normalize night sleep (at least 8 hours);
eliminate stress;
get rid of harmful addictions;
try to cure restless leg syndrome, if any;
do not abuse physical activity.

Sleepy stupor is diagnosed based on the patient's complaints.

Sleep paralysis, the causes of which are still being studied by world scientists, is not included in the list of medical diseases, since this phenomenon does not represent.