Sleep paralysis
disorder can frighten a person terribly the first time that this
occurs, and the person afflicted should seek medical assistance
immediately. Sleep paralysis disorder is a strange affliction that
affects a person usually without warning. The person affected
suddenly wakes up mentally, but this person cannot move their body.
They feel that they are completely and suddenly paralyzed. The
underlying problem occurs when the mind wakes from sleep, but the
body does not follow so the body cannot move. This disorder is also
known as “Hag Phenomena”. The person experiencing this problem
often panics if they do not understand the problem.
People
have experienced two different types of this disorder. The first type
of sleep paralysis disorder occurs during REM sleep. This is the
sleep stage that lasts about two hours for a normal person, and this
is the period when a person dreams. During this sleep phase a person
experiences rapid eye movement, loss of reflexes and increased brain
activity. During this time the muscles are relaxed, and there is
rapid eye movement. In normal sleep patterns the person is paralyzed
while dreaming, but the paralysis stops before the person wakes up.
With sleep paralysis disorder, hormones are released that paralyze
the body so the person does not move during a disturbing
dream.
Sleep Paralysis Disorder Is a Temporary Phenomenon
In
most cases, the paralysis only lasts a very brief time. In another
form of sleep paralysis disorder, the person awakes and feels that
there is some kind of presence in the room. They often feel that this
is some kind of an evil spirit, and they are frightened by this
presence. Other people who have suffered from this disorder felt that
this presence was actually suffocating them, and they felt unable to
respond to this threat because of the temporary paralysis. Many
people who experience this condition feel that they are in danger of
dying at that time. The sleep paralysis disorder rarely lasts more
than about eight minutes.
Although this is not a dangerous
condition, it is frightening to the person. There are some simple
actions that each person can do to avoid a subsequent episode of this
sleep paralysis disorder. People should try to get an adequate amount
of sleep. Sometimes people push themselves and deprive themselves of
the sleep they require. People should also sleep on their back to
avoid this disorder. They should also try to have a regular schedule
for their sleep. People should also try to eat a healthy diet,
exercise and avoid stress.
