Julianne's Health Corner: Sleep Paralysis

Many, many years ago, I suffered my first episode of sleep paralysis. Back then, I didn't know what sleep paralysis was as I thought they were just bad dreams that had followed me into my waking state.

I think these events initially started when I was in college, possibly brought on by the stress of pulling study-all nighters and depriving myself of much needed sleep. In later years, I worked night shifts which of course put me on an altered sleep schedule.

I can still recall one of my earlier, most intense episodes which took place while I was away on a trip with fellow resident assistants from my residence hall in college. I woke up with the distinct feeling that someone was standing over me. My eyes were open and I could see everything around me, however I could not move a single muscle in my body. I couldn't open my mouth to say anything. I couldn't move my arms, hands, fingers, legs or feet. I couldn't even turn my head to get a good look at what was standing over me. Needless to say, when the ability to move did return, I was spooked by the whole event. Since that time, I have suffered from a many of these sleep paralysis events.

Sleep Paralysis is defined as a condition characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up (known as hypnopompic paralysis) or, less often, shortly before falling asleep (known as hypnagogic paralysis), sleep paralysis affects approximately 20% to 40% of the general population. It is sometimes associated with narcolepsy. The mind is a magnificent organ that normally paralyzes the body during sleep to prevent us from acting out in response to our dreams.

Unfortunately, there are those of us who have the misfortune of awakening in the midst of this paralysis. As a result, we cannot move a single muscle in our body. We cannot even scream out. The only thing our body continues to do for us is to breathe. In addition, we often encounter the most frightening moments that can follow sleep. Hallucinations of demons or evil presences in our bedroom sitting on our chests, robbing us of air are not uncommon during this period. While we may be slightly aware of all that is happening around us, an uncanny sense of doom can overshadow any reality that we are awake and unharmed. These hallucinations may be auditory, sensory or tactile. Sometimes, I have heard my name called, other times I experience the oddest vibrations in my ears or head. These events are said to generally last no more than two minutes, however when you're trapped in the moment, it feels like its happening far longer than that. I generally sense a presence however, as soon as I realize what is happening, the creepy sense of panic leaves me and I am able to come out of this eerie state.

Sometimes referred to as "Old Hag Syndrome", sleep paralysis may be caused by any of the following:

• Stress
• Poor Sleeping Habits
• Sleeping on your back
• Environmental changes
• Lucid Dreaming

So how do we prevent such episodes from occuring? Well, while I have not completely ridded myself of these rude awakenings, as I think I average at least 2-3 per year, I have learned how to recognize them and tend to cope with each experience in a different manner.

First, I make every effort to calm myself the moment I realize what is happening. While I am not fortunate to always rid my wake-up call of 'the demon', I have learned how to slowly wake my body. I begin with the wiggle of a toe for several seconds, followed by the movement of my fingers. I may blink several times in a row while wiggling my toes and fingers at the same time. After doing much research on this topic, I learned that this is really the best approach to take rather than trying to move every muscle all at once.Trying to move an entire leg or arm can be like trying to push a car with it's parking brake in position.

Next, I may try to speak one or two words at a time. The words are often in a whisper and many times may translate into prayer or a psalm from the bible. This is what works for me, however others have indicated they simply try to say their spouse's name. When all else fails due to plain, old physical exhaustion, I am known to confront the being in an effort end the encounter. The important thing that I have come to recognize is that any time I have a paralysis event, I need to improve my sleep habits. It's a sign that I am not getting enough sleep.

Finally, I recently read that one should try to get up from bed following a sleep paralysis event. I wish I had known this a few years ago. Let me be the first to warn you, the failure to leave your bed and walk around following this event may lead to one falling back into another sleep paralysis event. I once had four in a single night back to back. So, as much as you may not want to give up the sweet warmth of your bed, do not assume that if you just change positions, you won't have another episode.

Now, some people might link these experiences to a paranormal event. In my humble opinion, I consider it to be a sleep disorder intermingled with a dream or nightmare that has made its way into the waking state. Despite the supposed "demon" or "spirit" that one might hallucinate about from time to time, I don't know that there is any real connection.

There are those people who have had positive experiences with sleep paralysis. I must say that I am in this group as well. Once I learned what was happening, I did learn to distinguish the good from the bad and have had some really cool, lucid dreams as well. However, that's not to say that I don't still experience the nightmares that lock me in place with real fear.

If you have ever experienced sleep paralysis, the good news is you are not alone. There are enough people out there who suffer such intense episodes of sleep paralysis that they actually seek out and attend support groups composed of individuals just like them. Thankfully, mine have not been so bad since I am better at recognizing these events. However, if you suspect you are experiencing one too many events in a week, month or year, you should seek the advice of a physician well-versed in sleep disorders.