
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and not knowing why you can’t move your body, a sleep doctor/sleep dentist may have the answer. It can be a scary feeling like something sitting on your chest and your body sinking deep into the mattress, yet your muscles won’t move, no matter how hard you try.
In moments like these, you’d also wonder whether you’re awake or it just a dream. This entire experience can be explained medically. Thus, learning more about what you experience in these moments will help to calm your anxiety.
Sleep doctors have come up with the term ‘sleep paralysis’ to explain the condition in which your muscles get paralyzed and frozen when you are awake. Some people also experience hallucination in this state of mind. The visions are extremely vivid as you are on the edge of wakefulness and dream sleep.
Sleep paralysis is of two types:
This happens usually when one is falling asleep. Sleep doctors associate this condition with the sleep disorder narcolepsy. The body starts relaxing in this state and enters different stages of sleep. The mind is aware that the body is in a state of rest and sleeping; however, it is unable to react or move through movement or speech.
This is the most common type of sleep paralysis. It does not involve any other sleeping disorders.
Research has been conducted to find out why sleep paralysis happens. Several factors can cause it:
Sleep paralysis is a medical condition and can be easily treated with the help of the right sleep doctor/sleep dentist. If you are going through it, seek help now!