During sleep paralysis, you may feel:
- Awake but unable to move, speak or open your eyes.
- As if someone is in your room
- As if something is pushing you down
- Feelings of fear last for several minutes.
Causes of this condition
Sleep paralysis occurs when you are unable to move your muscles when you wake up or fall asleep. This is because you are asleep but your brain is active. (You are in sleep mode but your brain is active.)
It is not clear why sleep paralysis can occur, but the following symptoms have been associated with it:
- Insomnia
- General anxiety disorder
- Mental breakdowns
- Due to sleep disturbances (for example, changing sleeping positions).
- Narcolepsy – a long-term condition in which a person suddenly falls asleep)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Panic disorder
- There is a family history of sleep paralysis
Things you can do to prevent sleep paralysis
- Try to get 6 to 8 hours of sleep a day
- Go to bed at roughly the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning
- Exercise regularly, but not within 4 hours of going to bed
- Keep your mental health stable
Don’t do this
- Do not have a large meal, smoke or drink alcohol or caffeine shortly before bedtime.
- Don’t sleep with your hands in front of you – this makes sleep paralysis more likely
- Don’t go to bed with problems
- Don’t keep your brain busy while getting sleep
Treatment
- You should get treatment from a specialist for this. If you have symptoms of depression, you can usually be given medication to treat it.
- The psychiatrist may also refer you for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).