A little more information on SP

What is sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis (or muscular atonia) is paralysis of the body except for those muscles related to our eyes and diaphragm. During this normal part of the REM sleep phase our brains send out hormones to induce muscular atonia so we do not act out dreams and cause injury to ourselves while sleeping.

In a nutshell, since muscular atonia is a normal part of our sleep cycle, but waking during it is not, waking up during this process is commonly considered an REM (Rapid Eye Movement) malfunction.

Although, we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that we’re completely normal, unfortunately we are still faced with our brains inability to understand we are paralyzed when this happens and therefore the symptoms associated with sleep paralysis occur.

 

How many people are affected by sleep paralysis?

Unfortunately, due to the lack of knowledge on the subject of sleep paralysis, research on the number of people affected by it can range from as low as 5% to as high as 40% worldwide. Obviously, with this broad a variation, an accurate count is virtually impossible.

Adding to the difficulty in obtaining an accurate percentage is the stigma behind discussing sleep paralysis.

Most of the general population is not willing to discuss their sleep paralysis because they fear they will be considered “crazy” or psychotic. Often times, patients will present the subject of sleep paralysis to the attention of their doctor and one of two things will happen:

1. Their doctor is unfamiliar with the subject matter and attributes it to stress.

2. The patient may be prescribed an anti-depressant or similar medication.

As a result, this may actually have the reverse affect and increase the patient’s instances of sleep paralysis. Additionally it may create a block in communication with friends and family for fear of what others might think of the patient’s mental state.

More research on the subject of sleep paralysis is needed.

Unfortunately, because there is not sufficient research available regarding sleep paralysis many people don’t realize what is happening to them when it occurs. More research on the cause of sleep paralysis is needed so that awareness on the subject is more extensive and sufferers can find relief without the worries of the stigma associated with it.

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