Does lethargic sleep exist? Imaginary death. Interesting cases of lethargic sleep

Lethargic sleep is one of the most unknown and least studied phenomena human body. It is so rare that the concept itself has acquired a magical aura. This phenomenon has a second name - imaginary death, and this is quite understandable. Despite the fact that the person is not dead, he falls asleep so deeply that it is almost impossible to wake him up. At the same time, everything vital functions It’s not that they stop and stop their activities, but they slow down so much that they can be very difficult to notice. Essentially, they freeze.

Outwardly and at first glance, lethargic sleep (lethargy) is no different from ordinary sleep. A sleeping person can cause concern to those around him only if he does not wake up during the day, especially if he does not even change his position all this time. Of course, if this is not the result too severe overwork when a person is able to sleep for a day.

WITH scientific point vision, lethargy is a painful condition associated with:

• emotional shock;
• mental disorder;
• severe physical (anorexia) or mental exhaustion.

A person stops reacting to any irritants, all processes in the body practically stop. Even the pulse and breathing become so weak and superficial that an inexperienced person can mistake this condition for death, although the brain continues to work actively.

More often women, and mostly young ones, fall into lethargy.

Scientists explain “going” into deep sleep as an attempt to isolate oneself from problems and experiences. That is, this is a kind of protective reaction of the body. Most likely, this is so - there are many cases where, during strong emotional experiences, a person constantly falls asleep (of course, in in this case not lethargic). Similarly, the body defends itself by trying to conserve energy during illness. That is why it is believed that sleep is best medicine.

There is usually no treatment for such conditions. However, in case of prolonged unexplained sleep, it is recommended to undergo comprehensive examination to identify true reasons such a long sleep.

Considering that human brain has so far been very poorly studied, and all hypotheses are based mostly on assumptions and subjective interpretations of research results, the causes of lethargic sleep are still unknown. Scientists believe that this is the result of a strong slowdown in processes in the cerebral cortex.

However, the main factors that could provoke this condition can be identified:

• mental disorder(hysteria, depression, breakdown);
• physical exhaustion(prolonged fasting, anorexia, severe blood loss);
• a rare form of streptococcus that causes tonsillitis.

According to the observations of scientists, lethargy is often inherent in people who have had a sore throat, and the infection had a special, rather rare form. It is believed that it is this infection that causes lethargy.

Despite the fact that outwardly lethargy looks the same as normal sleep, it is a completely different process. Until a certain time, it was impossible to distinguish between them - the only difference could be only the duration of such “sleep,” which sometimes cost people their lives. Fortunately, modern technology and medical advances have made it possible for many years to distinguish between normal sleep, lethargy, coma and death.

There are two ways that will help you determine for sure that a person at least, alive:

1. Electroencephalogram.
2. Pupil reaction to light.

The first case is more scientific and, naturally, more reliable. Its essence lies in the fact that the encephalograph records nerve impulses in the brain. During normal sleep, the brain is at rest, or at least less active than during wakefulness. When a person dies, his brain also dies, that is, no activity will be recorded. But during lethargic sleep, when a person seems to be just sleeping, his brain works the same way as in active phase. It is in such a situation that lethargy can be stated or at least assumed.

Interestingly, waking up from a lethargic sleep is as sudden and unpredictable as falling asleep.

The reaction of the pupils is the easiest way to understand whether a person is alive. If he has fallen into a lethargic sleep, then, as already mentioned, the body’s activity does not stop, so the pupils will react to the stimulus in any case, even if the other receptors have turned off.

It is possible to clearly record the symptoms of lethargic sleep mainly only when it manifests itself in acute form.

The condition is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. Cold and pale skin.
2. Hypotension muscle tissue.
3. Reduced arterial pressure.
4. Weak pulse (up to 2-3 beats per minute).
5. Exchange processes are slowing down.

When such a condition occurs in more mild form, the person retains chewing reflexes, the eyelids twitch in response to light. The brain is in an active phase.

It is possible to distinguish lethargic sleep from coma only instrumental methods. During coma, the activity of the central nervous system is suppressed nervous system and reflexes, many body functions are blocked, breathing and blood circulation are impaired. In lethargic sleep, even in severe form, this is not observed.

It is known that many famous people They were very afraid of the state of lethargic sleep. This was mainly due to the fear of being buried alive. The most famous story of this nature talks about the famous mystical writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. The writer bequeathed to bury him only when traces of decomposition of the corpse become noticeable. According to Gogol scholars, he really suffered from periodically falling into lethargic sleep, hence the fear. At one time there was even a version that he was actually buried in lethargy, and when he woke up, he suffocated in the grave from lack of oxygen.

But this is nothing more than a fictional, albeit interesting, story. The writer was a famous mystic and was not afraid to describe in his works characters that others were afraid to even mention in their thoughts. Such fame as a writer made this story more believable. In fact, Gogol died from psychosis, which he suffered, probably due to his phobia.

Another famous case- the awakening of the medieval poet Francesco Petrarch during preparation own funeral. The poet, however, fell asleep for only 20 hours. After this incident he lived another 30 years.

There are cases of the last decade when people came to life in the morgue or were buried alive, but were removed from the coffin literally immediately because they began to make sounds. The coffin was immediately opened, but in none of these cases could the person be saved. The main characters of such stories were people different ages and different genders.

Another interesting fact has been used many times in cinema and literature. When a person fell asleep for several decades, and woke up in a completely new, changed world. The curious thing in this case is that over all these years he did not turn into a decrepit old man, but woke up at the same age at which he fell asleep. There is obviously some truth in this phenomenon, at least this phenomenon can be explained - since all processes in the body slow down almost to a standstill, it is logical that the aging process also freezes.

The longest sleep was recorded for a resident of the Dnepropetrovsk region. She quarreled with her husband and fell into lethargy for 20 years, after which she woke up. This incident occurred in 1954 and was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

After some time, the same phenomenon occurred in Norway. The woman fell into a lethargic sleep after giving birth and slept for 22 years, and when she woke up, she looked just as young. However, after a year she appearance changed and became age appropriate.

Another incident occurred in Turkestan. The four-year-old girl who fell asleep was buried by her parents, thinking that she had died. But that same night they had a dream that their daughter was alive. So, the girl slept for another 16 years, being all this time at a research institute, after which she woke up and felt quite well and could walk normally. According to the girl’s stories, she lived in her dream and communicated with her ancestor.

Lethargic sleep is a special type of sleep painful condition human, reminiscent of deep sleep.

It is characterized by:

Lack of response to any external stimuli;
- complete immobility;
- a sharp slowdown in all life processes.

As evidenced by video films about lethargic sleep, a person can remain in a state of lethargic sleep from several hours to several weeks, and in exceptional cases it can drag on for years. Hypnosis can also be used to achieve a state of lethargic sleep.

Causes of lethargic sleep

Studies have shown that the causes of lethargic sleep can be completely different. Most often, lethargy occurs in hysterical women. Suffering severe emotional stress can also lead to lethargic sleep. There is a known case when one young woman had a strong quarrel with her husband, after which she fell asleep, and woke up only 20 years later. Many cases of lethargy occurring after strong blows on the head, car accidents, stress from the loss of loved ones.
Studies by British scientists have shown that many patients suffered from a sore throat before falling into lethargic sleep, however, they did not receive official confirmation of the fact that bacteria were involved in this. But hypnosis can put a person into a state of lethargy. Indian yogis, by meditating and using breathing slowing techniques, are able to induce artificial lethargy in themselves.

Symptoms of lethargic sleep

A person’s consciousness in a state of lethargy is usually preserved; he is able to perceive and even remember events around him, but is not able to react in any way. This condition should be distinguished from narcolepsy and encephalitis. In the most severe cases, a picture of imaginary death is observed: the skin turns pale and cold, the reaction of the pupils to light stops, pulse and breathing are difficult to determine, blood pressure drops, and even strong painful stimuli do not cause a response. For several days a person cannot eat or drink, the excretion of feces and urine stops, severe dehydration and weight loss occur. In milder cases of lethargy, breathing remains even, muscles relax, and sometimes the eyes roll back and the eyelids tremble. But the ability to swallow and make chewing movements is preserved, and the perception of the environment may also be partially preserved. If feeding the patient is impossible, then it is done using a special probe.

The symptoms of lethargy are not very specific, and there are still many questions regarding their nature. Some doctors believe that the cause is a metabolic disorder, while others see this as a type of sleep pathology. The latest version became popular thanks to the research of the American Eugene Azersky, who noticed an interesting pattern: a person in a phase slow sleep(orthodox), completely motionless, and only half an hour later can he begin to toss and turn and utter words. If precisely at this time (at the moment REM sleep) wake him up, then the awakening will be very easy and quick, and the one who wakes up remembers everything that he dreamed. This phenomenon was later explained by the fact that the activity of the nervous system in the phase of paradoxical sleep is very high. And types of lethargy most resemble the phase of superficial shallow sleep, so when getting out of this state, people can describe in detail everything that happened around them.

If the immobile state lasts for a long time, then the person returns from it not without losses, having received vascular atrophy, bedsores, septic damage to the bronchi and kidneys.

Phobias associated with lethargy

After watching enough video and photo lethargy, many people also begin to experience the fear traditionally associated with lethargy - being buried alive.

In 1772, several European countries It was legally required to bury the deceased only on the third day after death was confirmed. It's funny that in America at the end of the 19th century, in some places coffins were produced that were designed so that the imaginary dead person, upon waking up there, could raise the alarm. There is a known legend about Gogol’s lethargic sleep, although it is unreliable, but the fact that he, like other famous people (Nobel, Tsvetaeva, Schopenhauer) suffered from taphophobia is a historical fact, since in their notes they asked their loved ones not to rush into a funeral.

How to distinguish lethargy from death?

A person in a state of lethargy does not react at all to the environment. Even if you pour melted wax or hot water, there will be no reaction, unless the patient’s pupils react to the pain. Under the influence of current, the body muscles are able to twitch, the electroencephalogram shows weak brain activity, and the ECG records heart contractions.

Studies have shown that only a short time the brain of a patient with lethargy is in a sleeping state, and the rest of the time it is awake and perceives signals from noise, light, pain, heat, but does not give response commands to the body.

Known cases of lethargic sleep

Cases of lethargic sleep occurred especially often during and after the First World War, when there was an epidemic of lethargy, and many soldiers and residents of front-line European cities fell asleep and could not wake up. The epidemic then grew into a pandemic.

A nineteen-year-old Argentinean girl, having learned that her idol, President Kennedy, had been killed, passed out for seven years.

A similar story happened with one major Indian official who was removed from office for unknown reasons. Without waiting for the circumstances to become clear, the official fell into lethargy, in which he remained for seven years. Fortunately, he was given proper care: nutrition through tubes inserted into his nostrils, constant turning over of his body to avoid bedsores, body massage, so it is possible that in such conditions he would have slept longer, but malaria intervened. On the first day after infection, his body temperature jumped to 40 degrees, but the next day it dropped to 35 degrees. On this day, the former official was able to move his fingers, then opened his eyes, and a month later he turned his head and could sit on his own. His vision returned only six months later, and he was able to completely shake off his lethargy a year later, and six years later he turned 70 years old.

The great Italian poet of the 14th century, Francesco Petrarch, after a serious illness, fell into a state of lethargy for several days. Since he showed no signs of life, he was considered dead. The poet was lucky that he managed to wake up literally at the edge of the grave at the time of the funeral ceremony. But he was then only 40 years old, after which he was able to live and create for another thirty.

One milkmaid from the Ulyanovsk region, after the arrest of her husband, immediately after the wedding, began to have attacks of lethargy, which were repeated periodically. She was afraid she would not be able to raise a child alone and had an abortion from a healer. Since abortion was banned in those years, and the neighbors found out about it, they reported her, as a result of which the milkmaid was exiled to Siberia, where she had her first attack. The guards considered her dead, however, the doctor who examined her was able to diagnose lethargy. He attributed this to the body's reaction to hard work and stress. When the milkmaid was able to return to her native village, she began working on the farm again, and bouts of lethargy began to overtake her everywhere: at work, in the store, in the club. The villagers, accustomed to these oddities, got used to them and with each new case they simply took her to the hospital.

A unique case took place in Norway, where, after a difficult birth, one Norwegian woman fell into a state of lethargy, in which she remained for 22 years. Over the years, her body has stopped aging, likening the sleeping fairy-tale beauty. After waking up, she lost her memory, and next to her, instead of her tiny daughter, she found an adult girl, almost the same age. Unfortunately, the awakened woman immediately began to age rapidly and lived only five years.

One of the longest lethargic dreams occurred with a 34-year-old Russian woman who quarreled with her husband. Being in shock, she fell asleep and woke up only 20 years later, which was even noted in the Guinness Book of Records.

As for Gogol, around his exhumation there were only vague and contradictory rumors about his either missing or rotated skull.

Lethargy comes from the Greek lethe "oblivion" and argia "inaction." This is not just one of the types of sleep, but real illness. In a person in lethargic sleep, all vital processes of the body slow down - the heartbeat becomes rare, breathing is shallow and unnoticeable, and there is almost no reaction to external stimuli.

How long can lethargic sleep last?

Lethargic sleep can be light or heavy. In the case of the first, the person is noticeably breathing, he retains a partial perception of the world - the patient looks like a deeply sleeping person. In severe form, it becomes like a dead person - the body becomes cold and pale, the pupils stop reacting to light, breathing becomes so invisible that even with the help of a mirror it is difficult to determine its presence. Such a patient begins to lose weight, and biological secretions stop. In general, even on modern level medicine, the presence of life in such a patient is determined only with the help of an ECG and chemical analysis blood. What to talk about early eras, when humanity did not know the concept of “lethargy”, and any person who was cold and unresponsive to stimuli would have been considered dead.

The length of lethargic sleep is unpredictable, as is the length of coma. An attack can last from several hours to decades. There is a well-known case observed by Academician Pavlov. He came across a patient who “slept through” the revolution. Kachalkin was in lethargy from 1898 to 1918. After waking up, he said that he understood everything that was happening around him, but “felt a terrible, irresistible heaviness in his muscles, so that it was even difficult for him to breathe.”

Causes

Despite the case described above, lethargy is most common in women. Especially those who are prone to hysteria. A person may fall asleep after a strong emotional stress, as for example, happened to Nadezhda Lebedina in 1954. After a quarrel with her husband, she fell asleep and woke up only 20 years later. Moreover, according to the recollections of her loved ones, she reacted to what was happening emotionally. True, the patient herself does not remember this.

In addition to stress, schizophrenia can cause lethargy. For example, the Kachalkin we mentioned suffered from it. In such cases, according to doctors, sleep can become a natural reaction to the illness.

In some cases, lethargy resulted from serious injuries head, in case of severe poisoning, significant blood loss and physical exhaustion. Norwegian resident Augustine Leggard fell asleep after giving birth for 22 years.

Can lead to lethargic sleep side effects and overdose with strong medicines, for example, interferon - an antiviral and antitumor drug. In this case, to bring the patient out of lethargy, it is enough to stop taking the medicine.

IN Lately opinions are increasingly heard about viral reasons lethargy. Yes, doctors medical sciences Russell Dale and Andrew Church, having studied the history of twenty patients with lethargy, identified a pattern that many of the patients had a sore throat before “falling asleep.” Further searches bacterial infection made it possible to identify a rare form of streptococci in all these patients. Based on this, scientists decided that the bacteria that caused sore throat changed their properties, overcame the immune defense and caused inflammation of the midbrain. Such damage to the nervous system could provoke an attack of lethargic sleep.

Taphophobia

With the awareness of lethargy as a disease came phobias. Today, taphophobia, or the fear of being buried alive, is one of the most common in the world. She's in different time such people suffered famous personalities, like Schopenhauer, Nobel, Gogol, Tsvetaeva and Edgar Allan Poe. The latter dedicated many works to his fear. His story “Buried Alive” describes many cases of lethargic sleep that ended in tears: “I looked closely; and by the will of the invisible, who was still clutching my wrist, all the graves on the face of the earth were opened before me. But alas! Not all of them fell into a sound sleep; there were many millions more others who did not sleep forever; I saw that many, seemingly at rest in the world, in one way or another changed those frozen, uncomfortable positions in which they were interred.”

Taphophobia is reflected not only in literature, but also in law and scientific thought. As early as 1772, the Duke of Mecklenburg introduced a mandatory delay of funerals until the third day after death to prevent the possibility of being buried alive. Soon this measure was adopted in a number of European countries. Since the 19th century, safe coffins began to be produced, equipped with a means of escape for those “accidentally buried.” Emmanuel Nobel made for himself one of the first crypts with ventilation and alarm (a bell that was driven by a rope installed in the coffin). Subsequently, inventors Franz Western and Johan Taberneg invented protection for the bell from accidental ringing, equipped the coffin with an anti-mosquito net, and installed drainage systems to avoid flooding with rainwater.

Safety coffins still exist today. The modern model was invented and patented in 1995 by Italian Fabrizio Caseli. His project included an alarm, an intercom-like communication system, a flashlight, a breathing apparatus, a heart monitor, and a pacemaker.

Why do sleepers not age?

Paradoxically, in the case of long-term lethargy, a person practically does not change. He doesn't even age. In the cases described above, both women, Nadezhda Lebedina and Augustine Leggard, corresponded to their previous ages during sleep. But as soon as their lives acquired a normal rhythm, the years took their toll. Thus, Augustine aged sharply during the first year after awakening, and Nadezhda’s body caught up with its “fifty dollars” in less than six months. The doctors recall: “What we were able to observe was unforgettable! She grew old before our eyes. Every day I added new wrinkles and gray hair.”

What is the secret of the youth of those who sleep, and how the body so quickly regains the lost years, scientists have yet to find out.

Lethargic sleep is one of the most incomprehensible and frightening pathologies, which scientists have been trying to study for centuries. In a person, simple reflexes are suppressed, while inhibitory processes prevail in the brain, and the heartbeat is practically not audible (up to 3 beats/min.), There is no reaction of the pupil to light. Due to immobility, absence physiological needs, coldness skin and the imperceptible breathing of a person is difficult to distinguish from a dead one. Perhaps on this basis arose the belief in the existence of ghouls and bloodsuckers who emerge from their graves at night in search of their victims.

Lethargic sleep: what is it?

Imaginary death(lethargy) is a neurological pathology characterized by a lack of response to any stimuli. It is known that a state such as lethargic sleep can last from a couple of hours to several decades. There are cases where people woke up after 20 years. The condition does not require maintaining vital processes, this means that the body does not need to receive food or perform natural needs, although modern medicine requires parenteral nutrition.

Among probable causes conditions - severe stress, mental illness, tendency to hysteria, severe somatic illnesses, physical exhaustion, hemorrhages. The end of lethargy can come as suddenly as the beginning.

Causes

Research has shown that the causes of lethargic sleep are varied. It often occurs in women prone to hysterical reactions. In addition, there are several cases of illness caused by the stress of losing relatives. Mental illnesses, in particular schizophrenia, play a certain role in the occurrence of the disease.

British researchers R. Dale and E. Church, based on a study of 20 cases of lethargy, found that most of the patients had a sore throat the day before. In their opinion, this condition is caused by the influence of a specific bacterial infection that bypassed the blood-brain barrier and caused inflammation of the midbrain.

Abuse of antitumor and antiviral drugs may also cause overdose and unwanted reactions. Treatment in this case comes down to stopping therapy. Lethargy also occurs in people after severe intoxication, exhaustion of the body and massive blood loss.

The reasons for this condition are not completely clear. Presumably, it is caused by inflammation of the midbrain.

Symptoms

In a state of lethargy, consciousness is partially preserved, and a person can hear and remember what is happening, but there is no reaction to external stimuli. The presence of specific signs of lethargic sleep helps differentiate it from narcolepsy and inflammation of the meninges. At severe course disease, the sleeper becomes like a dead person: the skin becomes pale and cold, and the pupils completely stop reacting to light. The pulse and breathing become barely noticeable, the pressure drops, and the person does not respond to pain.

Patients stop eating and drinking, urination and bowel movements disappear, dehydration and weight loss increase. In some cases the condition is limited deep sleep with even breathing, complete immobility and muscle rigidity, periodic movements eyeballs. The swallowing and chewing reflex, as well as partial perception of reality, may be preserved. IN severe cases feeding occurs through a tube.

All types of lethargy fall into the superficial phase. One of the manifestations of REM sleep is that the patient, after waking up, can describe in detail the events that took place. Due to prolonged inactivity, he often wakes up with a whole list of pathologies, starting with simple bedsores and ending with infectious lesion kidneys, bronchi or degenerative vascular conditions.

How long can lethargic sleep last?

The severity of lethargy can vary. In a mild case, the patient exhibits respiratory movements and partially retains consciousness. At in serious condition he detects signs of death - pallor and coldness of the skin, lack of reaction of the pupils to light, visual absence of respiratory movements. Subsequently, the body becomes dehydrated and the person loses weight, urination and bowel movements disappear.

The duration of lethargy varies. An attack can last from several hours to tens of years.

IN specialized literature Several cases of lethargic sleep are described:

1. Recorded by Academician Pavlov: the sick Kachalkin was in a state of sleep for 20 years (from 1898 to 1918). Upon regaining consciousness, he reported that he was aware of what was happening, but was unable to react due to severe weakness and breathing disorders. The cause of lethargy in this patient was schizophrenia.
2. The case listed in the Guinness Book occurred with N. Lebedina, a 34-year-old woman. Due to a stormy showdown with her husband, she fell asleep in 1954, and her sleep lasted 20 years. She woke up hearing her loved ones talking about her mother's death. Doctors came to the conclusion that her illness was caused by a hysterical reaction to a quarrel.
3. Augustine Lingard from Norway suffered serious pathological birth With large blood loss, because of which she fell into lethargy for 22 years (from 1919 to 1941). During sleep biological processes aging slowed down, so she looked the same as before. But in almost a year she “caught up” with her peers. Doctors watched in amazement as Augustine aged literally before our eyes.
4. The famous Italian poet F. Petrarch fell ill infectious disease and fell into a momentary lethargy. Fortunately, he came to his senses at the funeral ceremony. After that, he lived and worked for another 30 years.

A severe state of lethargy can now only be determined using a chemical blood test, encephalogram or ECG. In earlier times, as a result medical error the patient could be buried alive.

What happens during lethargic sleep

At mild flow illness, a person simply looks asleep. But the severe form is very similar in symptoms to death. The heartbeat is difficult to record; it is only 2–3 beats/min. Respiratory movements are invisible, biological secretions practically stop. Due to slow blood circulation, the skin becomes pale and cold. At the same time it is vital important organs function poorly, and restoration of their work is in question. Studying the graph of brain activity allows us to conclude that the organ works in the same mode as when awake.

There are people who have repeatedly fallen into a lethargic state. They claim that every time before the attack they felt weak and headache. It is known that in such a state all mental reactions are inhibited, but the intellect remains at the original level, therefore a person who has fallen into lethargy in early childhood, upon awakening, demonstrates complete immaturity.

Help with lethargic sleep consists of maintaining the functions of internal organs.

Coma and lethargy: what's the difference

Both conditions are pathological and pose a great danger to life. They are similar, but they can be distinguished by a number of characteristics.

During a coma, the following can be observed:

1. The cause is traumatic brain injury and the consequences of serious illnesses.
2. Often ends in the death of the patient.
3. Patients need to be connected to life support machines and administered medications.
4. Upon recovery from a coma, a person requires long-term rehabilitation.

Lethargy is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. Sleep is caused by the influence of intoxication, infection, severe stress or chronic fatigue syndrome.
2. The patient is able to breathe on his own (except in severe cases).
3. Lasts from a couple of hours to tens of years.
4. A person independently comes out of pathological sleep and returns to normal life. At the same time, his internal organs are functioning normally.

Lethargic sleep, apparently, is less dangerous for humans than coma. However, both of these phenomena require continuous monitoring of his condition. The main difference between coma and lethargy lies in the causes of occurrence and methods of recovery.

A Latin saying says that the most certain thing in life is death, and the uncertainty refers to the hour of life. But there are situations in life when there is no real opportunity to determine a clear line between life and death. Our article will focus on lethargic sleep, as one of the most incomprehensible states of the body, which cannot be explained by scientists from all over the world. What is lethargic sleep?

Lethargic sleep is a painful state of a person, very close and similar to sleep, which is characterized by immobility, lack of reactions to any external stimuli, and a sharp decline everyone external signs life.

Lethargic sleep can last for several hours or extend to several weeks, and only in in rare cases reaches several months, years. Lethargic sleep is also observed in a hypnotic state

Lethargic sleep - causes

The causes of lethargic sleep are conditions such as hysteria, general exhaustion, severe anxiety, stress

Signs of lethargic sleep

It is very difficult to distinguish a sleeping person from a dead one. Breathing is imperceptible, body temperature becomes the same as environment; heartbeat is barely noticeable (up to 3 beats per minute).

Upon waking up, a person instantly catches up with his calendar age. People age at lightning speed

Lethargic sleep - symptoms

In lethargic sleep, the consciousness of the person asleep is usually preserved and patients perceive and remember everything around them, but cannot react to it.

It is necessary to be able to distinguish and isolate the disease from encephalitis, as well as narcolepsy. In the most severe cases, a picture of imaginary death appears, when the skin becomes cold and pale, and the pupils completely stop responding to light, while breathing and pulse are difficult to feel, blood pressure decreases, and increased pain stimuli are not able to cause any reactions. For several days, the sick do not drink or eat, the secretion of urine and feces ceases, sudden loss weight and dehydration.

Only in mild cases of sleep is there stillness, even breathing, muscle relaxation, occasional fluttering of the eyelids, and rolling of the eyeballs. The ability to swallow, as well as chewing and swallowing movements, will remain. The perception of the environment can also be partially preserved. If feeding is impossible, the process of maintaining the body is carried out using a probe.

The symptoms are difficult to define and no matter what their nature, there are many unanswered questions.

Some doctors attribute the disease to metabolic disorders, while others consider it one of the sleep pathologies. The basis latest version were studies conducted by the American doctor Eugene Azerinsky. The doctor came up with an interesting pattern: in the slow-wave sleep phase, the human body is like a motionless mummy, and only after half an hour a person begins to toss and turn, and also utter words. And if it is at this time that a person awakens, it will be very fast and also easy. After such an awakening, the person who fell asleep remembers what he dreamed. Later, this phenomenon was explained as follows: in the REM sleep phase, the activity of the nervous system is extremely high. It is during the phase of shallow, superficial sleep that types of lethargic sleep occur. Therefore, when emerging from this state, patients are able to describe in detail what happened when they were supposedly unconscious.

Due to prolonged immobility, a person returns to the world due to sleep with a bunch of diseases (bedsores, blood vessels, septic damage to the kidneys, as well as bronchi).

The longest lethargic sleep occurred with 34-year-old Nadezhda Lebedina after a quarrel with her husband. The woman fell asleep in a state of shock and slept for 20 years. This incident is listed in the Guinness Book.

Gogol's lethargic sleep was mistakenly perceived as death. This was evidenced by the discovered scratches on the inner lining of the coffin, and individual fragments of fabric were under the nails, and the position of the body of the brilliant writer was changed

Lethargic sleep - treatment

The problem of treatment remains to this day. Since the late 1930s, short-term awakening began to be used in this way: first, a sleeping pill was administered intravenously, and then a stimulant drug. This method of treatment allowed the living corpse to come to its senses for ten minutes. Hypnosis sessions also proved effective in treatment.

Often, after waking up, people claim that they have become owners unusual abilities: spoke in foreign languages, began to read thoughts, and also heal ailments.

To this day, the frozen state of the body is a mystery. Presumably this is inflammation of the brain, which makes the body tired and it falls asleep.