sleep paralysis
Image Source: Smart Nora

Sleep paralysis is a medical condition that affects many people. It’s downright terrifying and takes a significant toll on your mental health. You might also know it from any horror movie or series because they usually align this medical condition with the paranormal. 

What Is Sleep Paralysis?

It is a medical condition in which a person, on waking up from sleep, experiences a temporary inability to move or speak. It is also commonly accompanied by a feeling that someone or something is in the room with you or sometimes.

You actually may see or hear things (basically, hallucinate). Or, even worse, you can feel the physical sensation of experiencing pressure on your chest.

Sleep Paralysis
Image Source: The Sleep Judge

Here are some facts about sleep paralysis that will make you shiver:

1. Everything Comes To A Halt

The ability to move your eyes is usually preserved. Some people try to scream or call out for help, but this may manifest only as a soft vocalization. For example, while you may think you’re crying, you might be just whispering, squealing, or whimpering.

Many people have a sense of suffocating or breathlessness during sleep paralysis. This is because the muscles that help you breathe are also compromised. During an episode, the diaphragm acts as a bellows to help you inflate your lungs and blow. However, few other accessory muscles (such as the rib cage) of breathing are active.

2. You Can Have An Out Of Body Experience

The difference in the level of awareness is also considerable. Some people say that they are entirely aware of their surroundings and are in touch with all five senses. Others say that they are altogether disjointed from their bodies. 

The latter has also noted that often they feel as if they are floating above their bodies or can look at their selves.

3. You Can Experience Various Types of Hallucinations

sleep paralyis
Image Source: Medical News Today

You can experience auditory, visual, or tactile hallucinations. In other words, you’ll be dreaming with your eyes wide open. It is because of this symptom of sleep paralysis that many associate this condition with something supernatural. Most, in this state, see figures or other figments of their imaginations as real.

4. The Emotional Toll Is Real

Most people, when in the middle of an episode of sleep paralysis, report that they felt extreme emotions. Due to the hallucinations, most can feel a sense of impending death or harm and get terrified. Others feel bright flashes of light, which can make them feel overwhelmed. Some people feel extreme anger over what they see in their hallucinations.

In other words, the strange experience causes people to feel a rollercoaster of emotions, all of which can impact their mental health significantly.

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