I suffer from these episodes occasionally and knowing the cause has helped me be calmer when facing them. Here is the remedy for when the dead man comes up to you.
Sleep paralysis: What happens when the mind wakes up, but the body falls asleep. Perhaps it has happened to you, you wake up after a nap, proceed to get up to face the afternoon, but suddenly your body is unable to move.
Does not react. You can’t articulate a word either. You feel enormous pressure in your chest and try to call for help, but it is ineffective. No matter how much you scream , no one comes to the rescue and you continue to be unable to get out of bed , as if something or someone had you immobilized.
This is how I experienced my first sleep paralysis, but it really felt like a nightmare come true because my mind was aware of what was happening around me. When I was finally able to really wake up, I did so distraught and without understanding what had happened.
Some time later, I discovered that it is more common than we think and that, above all, it is related to stress or poor sleep.
Table of Contents
What causes sleep paralysis?
Sleep paralysis is an episode, mostly punctual, in which the person is completely immobilized in bed while aware of what is happening around them, but unable to react or do anything about it. What you dream borders on reality and, if you have never experienced it before, it is scary. For this reason, understanding its meaning and where it comes from is essential for those of us who suffer from it.
How long does sleep paralysis last?
A psychologist from a famous organization , tells us that this is a more common parasomnia than we think. “These episodes usually occur punctually and their frequency is estimated between 3 and 6% of the population,” she indicates.
This parasomnia interrupts one of the phases of the sleep cycle, specifically the fourth and last one. “It appears during the REM phase, before starting to dream or when waking up,” she explains to us. Like dreams, this paralysis occurs over a short period of time. “Its duration can range from a couple of minutes to a quarter of an hour and it ends progressively, with the sensation that control of the body and its movement are recovered little by little.”
“There is a synchrony between awareness and our body, something as if our brain had woken up before the body.”
What is the most curious (and distressing) thing about this type of episode? Be aware. That is, being able to feel your paralyzed body and experience what happens in the dream as if it were something real. There are those who see shadows or someone watching them, while others experience sensations of suffocation or that something is pulling them. The psychologist tells us how this happens: “There is a synchrony between awareness and our body, something as if our brain had woken up before the body, which remains motionless and slowed down in the deep sleep of the REM phase. The person is aware and that is what makes the experience so distressing.”
Although it may seem like an episode that is harmful to health, in reality, it is not. However, it usually leads to “anxiety, anguish or even panic and, sometimes, it can lead to fear of sleeping,” warns psychologist. “That is why it is so important to know what it is and understand that it is not a serious, strange or paranormal alteration, as is often thought.”
What causes sleep paralysis?
Sleep paralysis is usually related mainly to episodes of stress, which result in these rest disturbances. However, there are other factors that can trigger these episodes. “It also usually occurs in vital moments of change, often full of uncertainty or due to lack of sleep, in addition to poor sleep hygiene,” the expert tells us. Although they are generally specific episodes and there is no reason to be alarmed, “if it appears very frequently, it is advisable to go to a specialized doctor and perform a sleep study, since it is sometimes associated with sleep disorders such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea. dream”
Sleep paralysis or nightmare?
The first time I had sleep paralysis, I didn’t know what it was. I simply thought it had been a very bad nightmare, but there are several symptoms that can help identify it:
Impossibility of movement. This is the most significant of the symptoms, according to the psychologist: “The total inability to move produces intense anguish when there is full consciousness.”
- Hypnagogic hallucinations at the beginning of sleep or hypnopompic hallucinations when waking up, that is, when you wake up. “Both generate the sensation of presences, that is, that someone is watching you or auditory hallucinations such as humming, voices or murmurs.”
These symptoms, added to the brain’s consciousness, are what cause the distressing situation. “They generate high anxiety upon waking up and a feeling of panic, with hyperventilation, which causes sensations such as lack of air or pressure in the chest,” explains Psychologist.
And yes, if you sleep with someone, another person can detect from the outside that you are having sleep paralysis and try to help you. “It is important to remain calm and remind them of what they are suffering and what it is about. Explain to him that he simply has to be patient to come out little by little and never move him or sit him up abruptly,” recommends the psychologist. “Gently touching the hand or arm so that it comes out slowly, while reminding it that it is a sleep disturbance that sometimes occurs, will make it easier to come out.”
How to prevent the dead man from creeping up on you when you sleep?
There is no specific treatment for this sleep disorder, but we can try to control and take care of other aspects that trigger it. Psychologist tells us, first of all, about the importance of “being aware that this is a normal physical event, related to an entry or exit of sleep where body and mind become desynchronized and it is only a matter of time before they synchronize again. . Knowing this will help us calm down.” During the episode we can focus on breathing and wait for the body to wake up on its own. “Giving it time will help us get out little by little and without feeling distress,” says the professional.
To prevent episodes of sleep paralysis, the psychologist gives us some specific recommendations that we can apply in our daily lives: “Have good sleep hygiene, slow down if we feel very stressed, take care of leisure time spaces… Also Physical exercise and self-care in general will help prevent them or, at least, reduce them.” Beyond popular beliefs where they tell us that we should insult the “dead” or “demon” that has climbed into our chest.
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