Sleep Paralysis

SLEEP PARALYSIS: Demon in the bedroom
We all need enough sleep to do our tasks efficiently in our day to day life. who does not like sleep guys! each of us cried for extra 5 minutes sleep during our school days right! what if this sleep becomes scary enough! What if demons try to speak or attack you during the time you wish to sleep? My gosh! I can’t even imagine of that. well! let me tell you an incident that was experienced by one of my friend’s father. After finishing his night duty in office my friend’s father turned his way home with a tired face and body. As soon as he came home he dropped his bag, had enough food and went to sleep. Midnight (probably 1 O clock) he felt something sitting on his chest and was not able to breath properly.

With an uncomfortable feeling he opened his eyes. To his shock, he found a strange dark ghost like creature just on his chest. God damn! the sad part is he was unable to shout or move from that place. His heart beat went too fast that he felt something creepy is going to happen to him. After a struggle of several seconds he just woke up and started shouting! all his family members woke up and asked what had happened to him. Isn’t it terrifying? Well! Do you really think that it was the demon sitting on his chest? Take a deep breath and keep focusing on the further information I’m going to give you about this circumstance.

Have you ever felt that you are paralyzed in your sleep? Have you ever experienced a demon existence in your bedroom when you suddenly opened your eyes while your sleeping? Do you really think it’s a ghost that came to kill or attack you? Let us look deeper into this topic.

WHAT IS SLEEP PARALYSIS?

Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions you may be unable to move and speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking. Sleep paralysis may accompany other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is an overpowering need to sleep caused by a problem with the brain’s ability to regulate sleep

When does sleep paralysis usually occur?

Sleep paralysis usually occurs at one of two times. If it occurs while you are falling asleep, it’s called hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis.in this case as u fall asleep, your body slowly relaxes. Usually you become less aware, so you do not notice the change. However, if you remain or become aware while falling asleep, you may notice that you cannot move or speak. If It happens as you are waking up, it’s called hypnopompic or postdormital sleep paralysis.in this case, during sleep, your body alternates between REM and Non-REM sleep. During NREM sleep, your body relaxes and restores itself. At the end of NREM, your sleep shifts to REM. Your eyes move quickly and dreams occurs, but the rest of your body remains very relaxed. Your muscles are turned off during REM cycle has finished, you may notice that you cannot move or speak.

How is sleep paralysis scary?

Imagine you suddenly happened to see a creepy visual standing in front you or sitting on your chest or you feel something negative is there in your room but the sad the part is you are unable to move your body neither you could voice out loud or shout in that dark room. Isn’t that scary enough to even think about it? That sudden panic feeling you experience which drives your heart beat rate faster! God damn……. This weird phenomenon is the sleep paralysis we already spoke about in the introduction of the blog. People who have no idea about sleep paralysis, if they experience this weird phenomenon will definitely consider that something supernatural usually devils are present in the room.

Becoming mentally aware before the body wakes up from its paralyzed state can be a terrifying experience, as people realize they can’t move or speak. frequently, these episodes are hallucinations and the sensation of breathlessness. Such hallucinations likely gave rise to the demons that pin people down in their sleep (sometimes have sex with them).

Interesting fact: sleeping on our back causes’ frequent episodes of sleep paralysis.
Who develops sleep paralysis:

Four in every ten people may have sleep paralysis. This common condition is often first noticed in the teen years. But men and women of any age can have it. Sleep paralysis may run in families. Other factors that may be linked to sleep paralysis include:
• Lack of sleep
• Change in sleep schedule
• Stress or bipolar disorder
• Substance abuse
• Use of medications like ADHD
So, if you ask me what can you do not to get that terrifying sleep paralysis, all I could say is finish your works as soon as possible and good amount sleep! Umm GOOD AMOUNT OF SLEEP, sounds good right! So, the next time by chance if you experience this sleep paralysis, keep in mind not to be panic. Don’t ask me how could you be calm at that terrific time because remember I’ve said you that only your body wouldn’t be able to support you at time not you mind.

– Sowmyashree P, 1st Year Psychology