How to Deal With Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis is one of the least understood sleep-related problems and it definitely does not get enough attention in medical care. It is also quite common - according to Harvard Health, every two out of five Americans are suffering from it.
Research shows that sleep paralysis usually starts during teenage years, while most reported cases of sleep paralysis range from 20 to 40 years of age. Unlike sleep apnea, sleep paralysis doesn’t have a proper cause.
What sleep experts and researchers do know about sleep paralysis is that it disrupts the REM stage of sleep, where your most vivid dreams take place. It can be classified as hypnagogic, and predormital, which means it happens while you’re falling asleep.
Sleep experts believe that sleep paralysis happens when the brain becomes alert in between REM and other sleep stages. During REM sleep your body enters a stage called antonia - this basically means that your muscles become paralyzed, which is a normal part of sleep. On the other hand, sleep paralysis means you’re awake and aware of what’s going on during the antonia stage, but there is nothing you can do about it.