What is sleep paralysis?
If you find yourself unable to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up, chances are, you’ve experienced sleep paralysis. When falling asleep or waking up, the brain sends signals to help relax our arms and legs so we remain still during rapid eye movement (REM) or the time during sleep when dreams most often occur. Those that experience sleep paralysis regain awareness of their surroundings but can’t move or speak, making these episodes extremely frightening.
If you’ve been diagnosed with narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea, recurrent episodes of sleep paralysis can occur. Those who are sleep deprived or work varying shifts may also experience sleep paralysis.
What are symptoms of sleep paralysis?
Along with paralysis of the arms and legs, sleep paralysis can symptoms can also include:
- Hallucinations
- Panic
- Sense of suffocating
- Fear
- Throat tightening
- Daytime sleepiness
While these symptoms can be extremely scary, they typically only last up to a few minutes.
How is sleep paralysis diagnosed and treated?
It’s important you talk with your healthcare provider about your symptoms of sleep paralysis. Based on your symptoms and health history, your healthcare provider can help evaluate sleep paralysis. Additional testing for sleep paralysis may also include a nighttime sleep study (polysomnogram) or a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT).
While no treatment is available to stop sleep paralysis, avoiding sleep deprivation and establishing a healthy sleep schedule can help lessen the episodes.