What is sleep paralysis, where does it come from and how to deal with it. Sleep Paralysis: What to Expect

It's really very scary, we know. For those lucky women who have never experienced something similar, we’ll tell you. You wake up (or fall asleep), and suddenly a feeling of inexplicable horror comes over you. This could be the feeling of someone's presence in the room, a rustling sound outside the door, or even a voice. At the same time, you cannot move. You are fully awake, awake, but unable to move, as if your body were your coffin. After a few seconds or minutes it goes away, you jump up, turn on the light and try to catch your breath.

The mechanisms of paralysis are known

When the REM sleep phase begins, our brain, in order to protect ourselves, turns off some regions that are responsible for movement. Not for any movement, of course, but for active ones. That is, if a saber-toothed tiger is chasing us in a dream, we do not jump out of bed and rush at full speed, wherever our eyes look. When we wake up, these departments, accordingly, turn back on. But sometimes things go wrong, and motor functions When a person wakes up, they do not turn on immediately. We woke up, but the brain did not have time to “turn on” all the necessary functions; it did not figure out whether we were sleeping or already awake.

Ideally, a person should awaken during the stage of slow-wave sleep; during this period, the body rested and prepared for exploits.

There can be many causes of sleep paralysis

And they all relate to certain sleep disturbances:

• disruption of biorhythms (for example, due to a flight to a different time zone);
• lack of sleep due to stress and anxiety;
• depression;
• sleeping in an uncomfortable position (on your back or with a limb lying down);
• bad habits;
• taking certain medications - neurometabolic stimulants, antidepressants;
• mental disorders and diseases;
• genetic predisposition.

But, to be honest, no one will tell you the exact reason.

It occurs when falling asleep or waking up

Sleep paralysis It can be hypnagogic (occurring during the period of falling asleep) and hypnopompic, which manifests itself, in fact, in the moments of awakening. The first type is less common; it usually occurs when the body is already “asleep”, but the brain remains awake.

Hallucinations can sometimes occur during sleep paralysis.

Unlike the nightmares we see with eyes closed During REM sleep, sleep paralysis hallucinations can occur even when your eyes are open. As such, pictures are quite rare, but the feeling of someone's presence in the room is a fairly common occurrence. Often this is triggered by panic, which grips a person who realizes that he is unable to move.

It doesn't last long

From a few seconds to - maximum! - a couple of minutes. This time may seem like an eternity to you, but in reality everything happens very quickly. To calm down, try counting to yourself.

Sleep paralysis is not dangerous. Almost

There is no evidence that sleep paralysis can cause any health problems. But. It can be quite frightening, and if a person suffers from cardiovascular disease, paralysis can have a negative impact on their heart. Another danger is lack of awareness (it is from this danger that we are now saving you), when a person, experiencing sleep paralysis, is convinced that not everything is fine with his psyche.

If this happens, what should I do?

First, calm down (yeah, easy to say!) and start, for example, counting out loud. Realize that this is a temporary and harmless condition. The main thing is not to resist the paralysis, otherwise there may be a feeling of suffocation, and we don’t want that. Even out your breathing, try to count your inhalations and exhalations. As an option, try moving your tongue, for example. Perhaps your body will wake up faster this way.

To avoid sleep paralysis - sleep!

Most the right way make sure this doesn’t happen to you - optimize your work and rest modes. Lack of sleep and stress can easily cause sleep paralysis. So go to bed on time, turn off gadgets a few hours before bed, take a relaxing bath and don’t overeat before going to bed.

For centuries, people have been convinced that sleep paralysis is caused by demons, evil spirits and other forces hostile to humans. Now we know that there is a reason for everything scientific explanation. Almost.

Good night and good dreams!

Have you ever woken up and realized that you can't move? If your answer is yes, then you have had sleep paralysis or sleep paralysis. old witch. Fortunately, this condition is temporary and has very specific explanations. Moreover, sleep paralysis is not uncommon, and there is no need to be afraid of it.

From a physiological point of view, sleep paralysis syndrome, when you cannot move in your sleep, resembles real paralysis or a stroke. Therefore, the awakened person is frightened, his consciousness shows him hallucinations - things that actually do not exist.

WITH medical point vision, sleep paralysis is nothing more than immobilization of the skeletal muscles, which occurs in initial stage sleep or immediately upon awakening. And although this is not 100% proven, it is assumed that the condition when you cannot move after sleep is a manifestation of a disruption in the relationship between the sensory and motor centers of the brain.

The international classification of diseases does not yet contain information about what sleep paralysis syndrome is and what its causes are. It is often contrasted and compared with somnambulism (a person performs some actions while in a state of sleep).

Causes

Having learned about what sleep paralysis is, it is worth thinking about the reasons that caused it. It is worth saying here that scientists have not paid due attention to the study of this condition for many years. Why? Because it was taken for nocturnal delirium or fiction. The condition never persists forever: after some time, the paralyzed person can move again.

The first to study the causes of the problem were somnologists, that is, scientists who specialize in the study of sleep phenomena. They found that sleep paralysis is an imbalance in the interaction of the brain and tone muscle tissue. After a person is immersed in, his skeletal muscles come to a relaxed state. This means that shallow sleep is characterized by maximum “tension” of the muscles. This principle is inherent in us by nature. After we decide that it is time to wake up, we jump up or calmly get out of bed and make the necessary movement (for example, we take a glass of water from the bedside table).

At normal course no sleep provided abrupt transition into REM sleep from deep phase. If the functioning of the “calm” mediators of the brain is disrupted, a person is able to abruptly awaken after a deep phase. But since the muscles are still in a relaxed state, it is physically impossible to move them.

Why can sleep paralysis and a state after which a person says: “I can’t move” be accompanied by “mystical phenomena”? This is also explained by an imbalance of mediators. Distorted visions and sensations disappear quickly. But one way or another, even a couple of minutes is enough for a person to experience real panic. The ongoing process can be compared to a horror film: due to relaxed facial muscles, asking for help or simply speaking is impossible.

Sleep paralysis should not be confused with a mental disorder. Manifestations of the first can be considered normal:

• Difficulty breathing due to the feeling that someone is sitting on top of the chest;
• Auditory and/or visual hallucinations (hearing a voice in an empty room, feeling the presence or touch of another being);
• Awakening from sleep and complete stupor during which it is impossible to move;
• The ability to move the eyes and think remains.

If you are plagued by frequent sleep paralysis and often say the phrase “I can’t move” after waking up, it means that you are already well acquainted with the specific signs of the pathology.

Agree that sleep paralysis, the causes of which can be eliminated, has symptoms typical of mental disorders. However, instead of going to psychologists and getting rid of diseases that you don’t have, you should deal with sleep pathology.

Most often, the words that “I wake up and can’t move” can be heard from people aged 10 to 25 years. Of course, worried parents, teenagers and children immediately want to know how dangerous sleep paralysis is and why it could happen in the first place?

Provoking factors

There are several main reasons why this pathology occurs:

• Taking narcotic and/or biologically active drugs;
• Fighting sleep when you need to do work or read a book;
• Hormonal disorders.

Note that real paralysis or stroke will occur for other provoking reasons.

If you are afraid that sleep paralysis, the symptoms of which we have just described, will happen to you, when falling asleep, pay attention to the warning signs - the appearance of a feeling of vibration or falling. Did you notice them? Then try to calm down and not sleep on your back, choosing any other comfortable position.

Features of treatment

How to get rid of sleep paralysis? No need to panic. The state of stupor can be eliminated by breathing strongly and deeply, moving the throat muscles. Learn proper breathing, this technique can help you in other situations.

Taking a deep breath, try shouting. Don't worry, the muscles will remain motionless and there will be no sound. But the signal about your attempt to scream will be transmitted to the brain, which will “turn on” skeletal muscles. After the danger has passed, take a cool shower. For what? In order to prevent relapse.

Many people want to know how to treat sleep paralysis. You can only give general recommendations and tips thanks to which pathological conditions will occur less often or disappear altogether:

• Never take drugs or use toxic substances;
• Relieve tired leg syndrome;
• Get rid of neurosis and eliminate stressful situations if possible;
• Provide yourself good sleep(at least 8 hours a day).

So simple and affordable treatment paralysis will give excellent results. None special drugs and there is no need to accept or use the funds. If the pathology occurs frequently and you are under constant stress, consult about the possibility of taking antidepressants. Only a doctor should tell you how to treat sleep paralysis with medication. You can only remember how to avoid it.

If you are often bothered by sleep paralysis, treatment can begin as follows:

• Explore your mental condition and learn about hereditary predisposition to pathology;
• Keep a special diary, write down the symptoms and time of the problem.

Take care that the pathology does not recur. To do this, it is necessary to normalize your rest and sleep patterns. Train yourself to fall asleep and get up at the same time. If you wake up when your alarm goes off, your awakening will not be natural. And night paralysis is possible only with it. At accompanying symptoms If you suffer from somnambulism and narcolepsy, you should definitely visit a somnologist.

Dangers and Consequences

Is sleep paralysis dangerous? According to doctors, it does not pose a danger to human health only conditionally. But in reality, it can cause considerable harm. After all, waking up and not being able to move the muscles of the body, a person experiences horror. Even a momentary state of fear and panic has a detrimental effect on nervous system.

List of used literature:

• Dursunova A.I. Sleep paralysis or the “Old Witch” syndrome // International Journal of Experimental Education. - 2014
• Levin Ya. I. Parasomnias: current state problems //Epilepsy and paroxysmal conditions. - 2010
• Revonsuo A. Psychology of consciousness. - Publishing house "Peter", 2012.

Loff's Dream Book

Why does a woman dream of paralysis:

One of the most alarming phenomena, as well as a surprising side effect of REM, is paralysis. During sleep large groups muscles are often in a paralyzed state, most likely in order to prevent physical injury to the sleeper in the event that his reflexes cause physical reaction to the images that he sees in his dreams. This state can cause anxiety if the sleeper feels that the body is in a paralyzed state, without realizing that his mind is still asleep. Deprived of any opportunity to provide physical resistance, the sleeper may feel helpless in a dream and succumb to panic.
The scenario could be a worrying option CONSCIOUS sleep. Instead of awareness of the mind about what is happening and control over the body, the sleeper has only the sensation of the body and no control of the mind.
This phenomenon, observed for hundreds of years, is called the "witch on the back." The idea is that a hostile spirit from your dream has chained you to your bed. In fact, if paralysis occurs in dreams, in reality, as a rule, this corresponds to a feeling of spiritual depression.
See also "OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE"

Wanderer's Dream Book

Seeing paralysis in a dream means:

Paralysis - stagnation in business, psychological discomfort; very slow progress of affairs or development of relationships.

Dream Interpretation Tarot

A dream with paralysis in the dream book is interpreted as:

Paralysis - cruel treatment, slavery.

Miller's Dream Book

Dreaming of paralysis means:

A dream about paralysis is a bad sign, foreshadowing financial failures and disappointment in literary pursuits. For lovers, it foretells the end of love.
Seeing yourself suffering from paralysis in a dream means that you will enter into unreliable contracts.
Seeing a friend paralyzed is a sign that fatal uncertainty will develop in your relationship and will fall like a shadow on your home.
If lovers see their lovers suffering from paralysis in a dream, it means that dissatisfaction in the relationship can destroy their happiness.

Miller's Dream Book

Paralysis dream meaning:

A bad sign, foreshadowing financial failures and disappointments in literary pursuits.
For lovers - the end of love;
suffer from paralysis - you will enter into unreliable contracts;
to see a friend paralyzed - fatal uncertainty will develop in your relationship and a shadow will fall on your home;
for lovers - seeing your lover suffering from paralysis - dissatisfaction in the relationship can destroy your happiness.
Also see Suffering.

Slavic dream book

What does it mean if a woman dreams of paralysis:

To have is a misfortune.

Small dream book

What can paralysis mean in a dream:

Dreaming of paralysis is an unfavorable dream. It portends financial losses and disappointment. For lovers, such a dream predicts mutual cooling of feelings.

Newest dream book

Paralysis in a dream means:

Seeing yourself paralyzed means that you will be unable to fulfill the request of someone dear to you.

Family dream book

If a girl dreams of paralysis, it means:

A dream about paralysis predicts financial failure for business people, and the end of love for lovers.
If you saw yourself paralyzed in a dream, beware of unreliable contracts.
A dream in which your friend is paralyzed means uncertainty in your relationship.
If you see a loved one paralyzed, your happiness may be in jeopardy.

Modern dream book

Why does a woman dream of paralysis:

A dream about paralysis is an unfavorable dream, foreshadowing financial losses and disappointment in literary activity. For lovers, such a dream predicts mutual cooling of feelings.

Dream Interpretation modern woman

Paralysis in sleep from Dream Interpretation of a Modern Woman

A dream about paralysis is a bad sign, predicting financial failure and disappointment in your work. For lovers, it foretells the end of love.
Seeing yourself paralyzed in a dream means concluding dubious deals.
Seeing a friend paralyzed is a sign that uncertainty will appear in your relationship, which will cast a shadow on your home.
Seeing your lover suffering from paralysis in a dream signifies dissatisfaction with the relationship, which can destroy your happiness.

Dream Interpretation of Fedorovskaya

Paralysis in sleep from Dream Interpretation of Fedorovskaya

In a dream you were paralyzed - to financial losses.
If you dreamed that paralysis destroyed one of your relatives or friends - know that this person will be to blame for what you lose a large sum money.
Meeting a paralytic means an obstacle in business.

New dream book 1918

Paralysis in sleep from New dream book 1918

Having paralysis is a misfortune.

Dream Interpretation of Denise Lynn

Paralysis in sleep from Dream Interpretation Denise Lynn

Paralysis - do you feel completely immobilized in one area of ​​life: Dance, move, run. By going through the motions, you create matrices for all aspects of your life.
Paralysis - Are you experiencing any conflicting feelings or impulses? For example, you want to say goodbye to your job and go on a trip, but you are afraid of losing your sense of confidence and stability. Or you are torn between the desire to succeed and the fear of success. This means that you lack the confidence to take a step in any direction, and do not have the strength to admit it to yourself. Reassure yourself: “I have determination. I make any decisions in my life easily and quickly.”

Dream book alphabetically

Paralysis in sleep from Dream Interpretation Alphabetically

Seeing yourself in a dream as weak and paralyzed in old age is an unkind sign, heralding a health disorder in the future. nervous soil. A dream where you were paralyzed as a result of a serious injury due to an accident foreshadows a decline in business and failure in love.

If paralysis has befallen your husband or lover, know that they are in danger from insidious and evil ill-wishers. Seeing paralyzed animals means in reality you will receive an invitation to the banquet table. To be paralyzed by the fear of facing mortal danger means that in reality you will show determination and unexpected courage.
Stiff legs: Are you experiencing any conflicting feelings or impulses? For example, you want a sign that you do not feel confident in your position or have insufficient financial resources to advance your business.

If your hands do not obey you: are you experiencing any conflicting feelings or impulses? For example, you want to say goodbye, this may mean that you lack the skill or experience to do something.

A special case if your fingers don’t obey you.

Immobility of a large or index finger: a sign of loss of will.

Rommel's Dream Book

Paralysis in sleep from Rommel's Dream Book

If in a dream you are paralyzed, this dream predicts troubles in financial matters, difficulties in love relationships or disappointment in literary pursuits, the conclusion of unreliable contracts.

If paralyzed close person, your relationships will become very complicated and will be full of uncertainty and conflicts.

Dream book for girls

Paralysis in sleep from Dream Interpretation for Girls

To dream that you are paralyzed is an unpleasant chore.

Do you even know what paralysis is? Maybe you, like Tom Sawyer, have “gangrene on your finger” so you don’t have to go to school?

The phenomenon in which a person suddenly wakes up at night and cannot move is called sleep paralysis. This happens in different people age groups and becomes the cause. A somnologist will help cure the disease after diagnosing and establishing the cause of the disease. If the problem is ignored, there is a high probability that cases of sleep paralysis will become more frequent, interfering with healthy sleep and normal life activities during the daytime.

What it is

Old witch syndrome or sleep paralysis is a condition in which there is sudden dysfunction of muscle tissue during sleep. As a result, the person completely loses mobility.

On early stages As the disease progresses, sleep paralysis occurs no more than once or twice a night. If treatment is neglected, loss of mobility is observed up to 5 times during one rest. Each exacerbation is accompanied by a strong nervous shock - the person wakes up, along with which strong fear and even panic appears. In difficult cases, patients note the occurrence of hallucinations.

A bunch of mystical stories, associated with the appearance of ghosts and brownies in the middle of the night, are told by people who have no idea about the existence of the problem, suggesting that they are paralyzed by some higher or otherworldly forces. Meanwhile, sleep paralysis is a disease that requires treatment. Proper therapy can restore healthy sleep to the patient.

Symptoms

Night paralysis is a condition in which a person comes out of sleep, but has not yet entered the period of wakefulness. The phenomenon combines physiological problems And psychological disorder accompanied by a number of symptoms:

• Complete immobility of the body, with the exception of the eyes;
• Syndrome of suffocation or heaviness on the chest;
• The apparent presence of third parties, accompanied by an auditory or visual hallucination;
• Fear turning into panic.

All these symptoms are combined in the false stages of the disease. Because of strong pressure on the patient’s chest it seems as if someone is sitting on him and trying to strangle him, which causes even greater fear and aggravates the situation.

Causes

The causes of sleep paralysis are sleep disorders. Normally, the fast-wave rest phase is accompanied by dreams. If due to some factors there is a desynchronization of consciousness and the musculoskeletal system, a person wakes up, but his body does not yet. As a result, the patient cannot move. That is, in fact, what is observed is not the development of paralysis, but maximum muscle relaxation, which is normal for a sleeper.

Sleep doctors tend to believe that the causes of sleep paralysis in most cases are the result of genetic predisposition and disorders of the central nervous system. Together, these factors lead to an imbalance between physiological and psychological state person. However, there are other reasons for the development of the disease:

• Long-term stress, depression;
• Reception medicines causing sleep disorders;
• Drug or alcohol addiction;
• Psychiatric disorders;
• Frequent changes in time zones, leading to a shift in the body’s normal biorhythm;
• Sleeping on your back throughout the night;
• Lack of a stable daily routine;
• Overwork.

Treatment of sleep paralysis is possible only after determining the cause of the disease. If it lies in external factors, then therapy and prevention methods will help completely get rid of the problem. In cases where the sleep disorder is based on a genetic predisposition, complex treatment will reduce the number of exacerbations to a minimum.

Kinds

• Hypnopompic paralysis

This natural phenomenon, which occurs during the transition from REM sleep to awakening. If during the process of rest the part of the brain that “turns on” consciousness is activated, the person begins to perceive the world as during the waking period. At the same time, the part of the brain responsible for muscle activity continues to rest, which leads to temporary paralysis. The duration of this phenomenon ranges from several seconds to several minutes. The hypnopompic type of numbness occurs when waking up naturally, or, for example, when an alarm clock goes off.

• Hypnagogic paralysis

Otherwise, he is called semi-conscious. It occurs during the process of falling asleep in cases where the muscles relax faster than the area of ​​the brain responsible for consciousness can switch off. If a person does not fall asleep short term, then he becomes aware of this state, which will lead to the emergence of strong fear, activating the full awakening of consciousness while maintaining muscle immobility.

The type of night stupor affects the choice of therapy for treating the disease, so doctors often conduct studies of the patient in the laboratory to recognize all the nuances of the occurrence of sleep paralysis.

Danger of disease

Night paralysis itself is not dangerous to human life and health, since it is not pathological or destructive process. However, the fear and panic that accompany a sleep disorder can cause heart attack, nervous shock or even breakdown, and in in rare cases And fatal outcome. For this reason, treatment of the disease should not be neglected.

The effect of sleep paralysis on a person’s mental state has not yet been fully studied, so somnologists cannot guarantee the absence of danger from this side.

Possible complications

U healthy person Natural fear during sleep paralysis is accompanied by such manifestations as:

• Increased heart rate;
• Shortness of breath;
• Rapid or intermittent pulse;
• A sharp increase in muscle activity immediately after returning to normal.

When the condition stabilizes, all symptoms accompanying fear and panic quickly subside. The only correct solution in this case is to breathe deeply at a steady pace, try to calm down and move your fingers and toes.

Sleep disturbance causes complications in people with diseases of the cardiovascular system and in hypertensive patients. Intense fear complicates the condition, which may cause fatal outcome. If there are such problems, you should contact a somnologist immediately after the first case of sleep paralysis.

Complications arise in people who tend to attribute the manifestations of the disease to otherworldly forces. They explain their condition by the arrival of a brownie, deceased relatives, or the phenomenon of imminent death. This fixation leads to fear of sleep, disorders of the Central nervous system and even more problems with sleep. Against the background of the above problems, after the attack is over, the accompanying symptoms remain:

• Breathing problems;
• Tachycardia;
• Hallucinations of various types.

In the case of physically healthy patients who do not see a mystical basis in what is happening, curative therapy aimed at stabilization physiological state. When an illness is accompanied by strong feelings, it is necessary to work with a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Ways to induce sleep paralysis

While people with sleep disorders try to get rid of the condition, others are learning how to induce sleep paralysis. This phenomenon is of interest because it allows you to feel an out-of-body state, so people who are passionate about esotericism try to induce numbness.

• Try to fall asleep on your back without a pillow, relaxing your muscles as much as possible, but controlling your consciousness and your own feelings. The transition to the required state is indicated by a change in sounds and perception of the surrounding world.
• If you drink a drink before bed that has a tonic effect on the mind, the body will relax and the mind will remain in an active state. To achieve the desired effect, preliminary overwork is necessary so that the muscles “switch off” much faster than consciousness.
• For people with a well-developed imagination, there is another way - lie in bed and try to reproduce the feeling of flying. In this case, you should relax your muscles as much as possible.

Any of the methods does not guarantee a transition to a state of night paralysis, but with some effort and adjustment of the experiments according to your body, you will be able to achieve your goal.

How to relieve the condition

The panic and horror that a person feels during sleep paralysis are emotions experienced at the animal level. It is very difficult to cope with them, since they defy rational explanation. But man, as a rational being, is capable of this. If a symptom recurs, you must adhere to several rules:

• There is no need to immediately try to get up - the brain is not able to react so quickly to the awakening of consciousness and, as a defensive reaction, will further weaken muscle tone.
• After stabilizing your breathing, you should try to realize what is happening. Fear comes when a person is in the gap between sleep and reality. If you force your consciousness to work in full force, the realization will come that hallucinations are nothing more than remnants of dreams.
• After the panic subsides, you can try to move your eyes, fingers, or at least your tongue a little. As a rule, partial mobility is preserved, which will help you get rid of the state of helplessness.
• Before you go back to sleep, you need to calm down. You can wash your face, take a shower, or drink warm, soothing tea.

When a disease occurs in one of the spouses, you need to warn your partner about this and ask to wake him up or calm him down if he notices an attack. Observation of patients has shown that emotions are clearly reflected on the face, so it is not difficult to understand that a person is terrified.

Diagnostics

A single manifestation of sleep paralysis may be the body's response to overload, so there is no need to worry. But if sleep disturbance recurs frequently, you should seek help from a somnologist or neurologist. The primary task is to determine the cause of the disease. For this purpose they are used various methods diagnostics:

• Conversation with the patient and his relatives;
• Sleep monitoring using a polysomnograph;
• Study on psychological balance;
• Search for problems related to neuralgia.

When factors influencing the development of night paralysis are discovered, therapeutic therapy is developed aimed at restoring healthy sleep.

Treatment methods

The main methods include:

• Stabilization of the daily routine;
• Maintenance physical activity at a normal level;
• Elimination of alcohol and tobacco smoking;
• Ensuring inflow fresh air during sleep;
• Mandatory 15-minute appointment hot bath before bedtime;
• A course of vitamins that support immune system;
• Proper nutrition;
• Treatment or prevention of chronic diseases.

Medications

Since desynchronization of the processes of physical and brain activity is not a full disease, a drug has not yet been invented that would help quickly cope with such a sleep disorder. As an alternative, medications are prescribed that suppress the activity of the central nervous system and guarantee a calm rest:

• Melatonin

Intended for the treatment of insomnia. Helps normalize arterial pressure and has a slight calming effect. Contraindications to treatment are the period of pregnancy and lactation in women, age under 12 years.

• Neurostabil

Biologically active additive allows you to stabilize the nervous system, helps fight depression and stress. Neurostabil has short list side effects and has virtually no contraindications. The main “disadvantage” of the dietary supplement is that the minimum course of treatment lasts 4-5 weeks.

• Vita-melatonin

An effective remedy that has a complex effect on the body. Vita-melatonin activates the immune system, improves intellectual abilities and productivity at work, helps combat anxiety. The maximum course of treatment is 4 weeks. Main disadvantage drug – long list possible side effects.

Vitamins

Doctors often note that nighttime numbness is directly related to exhaustion of the body, although the person does not notice this.

• A– normalizes sleep, strengthens the nervous system;
• IN– increases stress resistance;
• WITH– improves the activity of happiness hormones;
• D– normalizes physical and mental activity;
• E– helps relieve drowsiness;
• TO– removes unreasonable anxiety;
• Mg– stabilizes the process of falling asleep.

In a number of cases, it was noted that taking vitamins was the only effective way treatment of sleep paralysis - after the body’s resistance was restored, the balance of all systems returned to normal.

Physiotherapy

The procedures are necessary for elderly people and patients with sedentary image life. Physiotherapy tones and normalizes the entire body psycho-emotional state. The main methods used are:

• Climatotherapy;
• Baths;
• Acupuncture;
• Exposure to direct current;
• Massage.

This or that type of physiotherapy is prescribed only in accordance with general condition health, so self-medication is not recommended.

Prevention

If night paralysis occurs once, then they will help prevent relapse simple methods prevention:

• Treatment of exacerbations of chronic diseases;
• Drinking soothing herbal teas;
• Ventilate the room before and after bedtime;
• Increased time spent on rest;
• Eat food no later than 3-4 hours before going to bed.

These measures will normalize deep and fast phase sleep, eliminate possible desynchronization in the work of individual brain centers.

Since sleep disorders are most often associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, experts recommend reconsidering your worldview and creating a personal schedule in such a way that there is time to maintain health:

• Stabilize the schedule, depending on the time of work, so that the body gets used to the same regime;
• Get a smart alarm clock that turns on during fast-wave sleep;
• Provide the body with normal physical activity at least 3-4 times a week;
• Refuse bad habits and turn to proper nutrition.

If sleep paralysis begins to bother you constantly, there is no need to self-medicate or take strong sleeping pills- this will only worsen the situation. The disease requires treatment, so you should consult a doctor who can find the cause of the problem and act on it, and not on the symptom itself.

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to move even a finger. There is darkness all around, but there is someone nearby - you can feel it on your skin, but you can’t even scream. This could happen tonight, but what to do if you don’t have the strength for even the slightest resistance?

This frightening phenomenon is called “sleep paralysis.” According to statistics, it occurs in 40 percent of people. In the past, such states were attributed to the actions of otherworldly forces and it is not at all surprising, because the sensations during sleep paralysis are difficult to recreate and convey in words. Waking up completely immobilized is very scary, but absolutely safe for your health.
Sleep paralysis is a frightening feeling of lack of control over the body that occurs either immediately after waking up or before falling asleep. In this state, it is impossible to move or even speak, and you may feel the presence of foreign entities in your room. Simply put, sleep paralysis is one of the most terrifying experiences we can have in life.
It is believed that between 20% and 60% of people have experienced sleep paralysis. Studies have been conducted that show that 21% of people at least, experienced it once, but only 4 percent experienced it five times or more often.

Scientists have begun researching the causes of sleep paralysis quite recently. A special science - somnology - explains them by an imbalance between the work of the brain and the muscles of the body. In phase deep sleep muscle tone is very low. That is why, if a sudden awakening suddenly occurs during the deep sleep phase, the muscles simply cannot keep up with their master and remain in a state of inability to do anything for a couple of minutes. It is at times like these that you can feel completely paralyzed. The biological meaning of paralysis is to prevent sudden movements, so that the sleeper does not wake up from his own movements.
In Basque mythology, a special character is responsible for sleep paralysis - Inguma. He sneaks into houses at night and squeezes the throat of the sleeping person.

The state of sleep paralysis is accompanied by a feeling of complete immobility. This is complemented by a state of panic, suffocation and the presence of a stranger in the room.
Factors that increase the likelihood of sleep paralysis include sleep deprivation, stress and sleep disturbances.

How to fight?

Don't fight. You should not try your best to move if your body is completely immobilized. This can only increase the feeling of pressure on the whole body and cause many negative emotions.
Relax. Instead of panicking and trying to do something, you should just relax and wait for what will happen next. Then you will either fall asleep or finally wake up and the horror will seem like nothing more than a night vision. It’s worth reading this article before going to bed, and if paralysis suddenly sets in, you should immediately remember that physiology is at work here and nothing terrible is happening.
Focus on the soles of your feet. The toes are the furthest part of the body from the brain. If you try your best to move them, the nervous system will quickly tone up and at the same time wake up the rest of the body.
Make a fist with your hands. The same scheme works here as with the toes. The signal to clench your fingers into a fist will pass throughout the body, toning the muscles, thereby eliminating the feeling of complete paralysis.