Taking a Look at Sleep Paralysis

Night terrors also known as sleep terrors can be defined as a “sleeping disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified” (Meyers, 2014). Night terrors most commonly occur with children. Many people in general not just parents get confused between a nightmare and a night terror. Nightmares occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep which is a state of sleep where people are conscious. When a person wakes up from a nightmare they have a “vivid memory of a long movie like a dream” (nightterrors.org). Night terrors, on the other hand, occur “during NERM-3 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered” (Meyers, 2014). Since the child is in such deep sleep he/she will not remember a night terror. Since the child cannot remember their dream it makes it hard for doctors and psychologist to figure out what the child is fearful of, and why it is occurring. Although it is difficult for professionals to diagnose, it is beneficial to the child not

Also known as night terrors, these episodes are often paired with other prarsomnias, such as sleepwalking. A Parasomnia is an undesired occurrence during sleep, such as sleep talking, sleep walking, and night terrors. During these sleep terror episodes, an individual might kick and thrash around while still unconscious, stare wide eyed, scream or shout, and so on. Night terrors are said to be able to occur for a period of up to 30 minutes, once about that much time has passed, the person will once again lye down and go to sleep. Once the next day comes around the corner, usually the child or adult will not have any recollection of the event, but they at times remember small fragments of the

What is sleep paralysis? Well, sleep paralysis is the horrifying circumstance when your body is essentially disconnected from your brain. During this time period, you are unable to move any of your body parts, yet, you are conscious and able to understand

Narcolepsy is defined as a condition characterized by an extreme tendency to fall asleep whenever in relaxing surroundings. It is a brain disorder that causes poor control of sleep and wake cycles. People that have narcolepsy usually experience sudden sleep attacks. These sleep attacks can last from a few seconds to minutes. Narcolepsy is classified by extreme daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnologic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. In this paper the focus is on the physiological effects of Narcolepsy on an individual, as well as explains treatments and recent research studies being made today and in the future.

Sleep paralysis is most common in those who have narcolepsy. Some have sleep tests done, in order to find possible sleep disorders one may have, like sleep

Parasomnia refers to a wide variety of disruptive, sleep-related events or, "disorders of arousal." These behaviors and experiences occur usually while sleeping, and most are often infrequent and mild. They may however happen often enough to become so bothersome that medical attention should be sought out. "Parasomnias are disorders characterized by abnormal behavior or physiological events occurring in association with sleep stages, or sleep-wake transitions."(DSM pg. 435)

Sleep paralysis is a completely natural and healthy state. There's nothing wrong with your body, and nothing bad will come of it. The only possible concern is the person panicking and freaking out, which when combined with the pre-existing dreamlike state, can manifest in horrific hallucinations.

The scientific explanation of sleep paralysis and it’s ties to REM sleep is not sufficient in understanding the horror that has surrounded sleep paralysis since it’s inception. My research has shown that sleep paralysis is directly connected to nightmares and incubuses. As we have learned an incubus is a sleep demon that causes immobility and folklore reaffirms this belief. Another word for sleep paralysis is “old hag syndrome”, a “superstitious belief that a witch - or an ‘old hag’ sits on the chest of the victim, rendering them immobile” the folklore surrounding old hag syndrome contributes to the connotation of terror and shows how sleep paralysis was previously explained before the scientific definition. The causes of old hag syndrome also reflect the morals and beliefs of the people at that time. In Irish folklore there are “storm hags”, they are suppose to personify the elements, specifically when the elements are ruinous. The changing of seasons indicate when the storm hags will arrive and these hags impact famers by immobilizing them rendering them useless. Here we can see that sleep paralysis is intertwined with the fears of Irish culture which would be famine and a poor harvest. Sleep paralysis can also adopt

Did you ever awaken and find yourself unable to move? Perhaps you sensed a presence in your room or a pressure on your chest. This is sleep paralysis. It is a common disorder that affects millions of people. Most believe it occurs as we are on the edge of REM sleep. The disorder has been connected with such hallucinogenic events such as alien abduction or an evil presence. Sleep paralysis is an inability to move or speak, occasionally accompanied by hallucinations, for up to several minutes upon awakening or just before falling asleep.

Night terrors, also known as sleep terrors, are episodes of screaming, intense fear and flailing while still asleep (Mayo Clinic, 2017). Sleep terrors are considered a parasomnia, a disorder characterized by abnormal behavior of the nervous system while sleeping, and are often paired with sleepwalking, which is also a parasomnia. They are characterized by frequent recurrent episodes of intense crying and fear during sleep (Web MD, 2017).

Less than 8 percent of the general population suffers from sleep paralysis, adding up to be approximately 25,898,400 people. Sleep Paralysis is when an individual is becomes fully conscious while falling asleep, experiencing the temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep. Even though sleep paralysis sounds unnatural it is not classified as a psychological disorder, but as a phenomenon. While it might sound terrifying adding to the fact hallucinations are typically involved, it is surprisingly harmless to an individual 's mind and body. In some cases it even terrifies people to an extent, that makes them believe they are being haunted or have been cursed by a demon. However, in most scenarios this is not the case. It has been regarded that sleep paralysis is a symptom to psychological disorders such as narcolepsy. Furthermore, in recent studies psychologists, and scientists have not taken the time to do further study on sleep paralysis itself. Even when it is such a normal occurrence in the world of science today. Moreover, to find further research on the topic, judging whether this content should be further studied.

Sleep terrors, also known as Night terror are episodes of screaming, intense fear and flailing while still asleep. It’s considered a parasomnia — an undesired occurrence during sleep. Sleep terrors can also be paired with sleep walking. Sleep terrors are episodes of screaming, intense fear and flailing while still asleep. It may affect as many as 6.5% of all children. It tends to begin when a child is 4 to 12 years old. Children with sleep terrors will often talk in their sleep and sleepwalk. In children, sleep terrors are more common in females. Children outgrow sleep terrors by their teenage years. In rare cases, it can begin in adulthood. Overall, only about 2.2% of adults have it. Very few people over the age of 65 have sleep terrors. Many adults who have sleep terrors are also likely to have a history of one of the following: Bipolar disorder, some depressive disorders, and Anxiety disorders. Adults may recall a dream fragment they had during the sleep terrors, while kids won’t.

Why do we have sleep paralysis? Almost everyone has at least one episode in their lifetime. Sleep paralysis is one of the scariest, mysterious, things anyone can experience. It has you up the rest of the time wondering why it happened, or why you couldn’t do a thing at the moment you were having it. It is also known as rapid eye movement (REM). It is where you’re awake but your body is not. 5-60% of people have sleep paralysis.

I also realized that most of my friends who had traumatic experiences in the past, such as being involved in a car accident or knowing a loved one who passed away, tend to undergo more episodes of sleep paralysis in their lifetime. My mother, who’s also suffered from traumatic experiences, and some of my other friends, claimed that sleep paralysis has happened to them so frequently that they just go back to sleep without stressing over it like someone else would during their first or second episode of ISP; they’re used to the process, now knowing what to expect, and are aware that it is temporary and will pass by very shortly. Furthermore, I’ve also noticed that they all have similar hallucinations, which is somehow related to sensing an intruder

Sleep Paralysis is a sleep disorder that some people experience at least once in their life time. The article discuss sleep paralysis causes and effects on the individual as well as the hallucinations. According to the Daily Mail Online, “The terrifying symptoms of sleep paralysis”, Sleep Paralysis is an unusual condition where one wakes up in the night, unable to move, and often experiences a wide range of bizarre and terrifying hallucinations. Sleep paralysis episodes occur early in the night, as someone is falling asleep, or towards the end of the night, as someone is waking up (Denis, 2016). Sleep paralysis is consider a sleep disorder due to the fact that the sleep-wake cycle is disrupted. The disorder appears to be more common in individual with psychiatric conditions such as traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and panic disorder as well as people who have irregular sleep patterns. Sleep paralysis occurs during REM sleep when the muscles are paralyzed but the eyes are still moving, sometimes the person can awake while in the REM sleep cycle. As mentioned in the