{"id":8512,"date":"2019-08-01T09:16:29","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T09:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=8512"},"modified":"2021-06-17T17:04:26","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T17:04:26","slug":"14-prevailing-symptoms-of-sleep-paralysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-prevailing-symptoms-of-sleep-paralysis\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Prevailing Symptoms of Sleep Paralysis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Sleep paralysis is often referred to as \u201cold hag.\u201d It is actually a very common experience. However, this experience can be very frightening if you are not exactly sure what it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep paralysis is when there are features of REM sleep while you are transitioning into or out of sleep. It can happen when you start to fall asleep or as you are waking up from sleep. It is estimated that about 20 percent of healthy people will experience this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people will only experience sleep paralysis, but it may also occur along with other symptoms that are a part of narcolepsy. During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your mind is very active and can imagine sounds, sights, and other feelings during your dreams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may even feel scared. Your body is paralyzed during this time so that you do not act out during your dream state. Here are some of the other prevailing symptoms of sleep paralysis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Paralyzation During Sleep Transitions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most common trait of sleep paralysis<\/a> is not being able to speak or move when transitioning from sleep. This can last for many minutes. Generally speaking, most people will still be able to move their eyes during this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some people who may try to scream out or call for help. This will typically only come out as a soft whisper if anything at all. During this time a person may only be able to grunt, whimper, or groan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As your eyes can open, this feeling of not being able to move or talk can become quite overwhelming and even terrifying. Fortunately, for most people, the paralysis will only last for a few minutes before they once again gain their ability to move around and speak. This does not take away the fear that the person feels during this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Breathlessness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are some people who may feel like they are suffocating or have a sense of breathlessness when they are experiencing sleep paralysis. This symptom is likely related to the limited number of muscles that are active when helping you to breathe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you are inactive REM sleep the diaphragm <\/a>will act as bellow in order to help your lungs inflate and then breath. There are very few other muscles such as the rib cage that are active during the sleep process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During sleep paralysis, a person may feel like their breath is being taken away. They may feel like someone is sitting or standing on top of their chest, not allowing them to take a deep breath. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This feeling of breathlessness or even suffocating can become very alarming. Some people feel like they are awake during this time and others state that they only have partial awareness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Visual Hallucinations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During sleep paralysis the visual experience a person may have can be very profound. There are many people who state that they see human figures during this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They often describe the human figure as being a shadow, a dark figure, or even a ghost. This human figure can be standing at their bedside or just outside of their peripheral vision<\/a>. Other people report that they see a bunch of people in their room during this time. Still, others state that they have seen bright colors, lights, or bright flashes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are times when the visual hallucinations are very elaborate as some people have reported seeing cats, bugs, a gargoyle, and disembodied hands and feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other cases, people state that the images that they see are shimmering or blurry. They report that they sense that everything in the room is floating. Overall, these visions can be quite scary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Auditory Hallucinations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In addition to experiencing visual hallucinations, people also often have auditory hallucinations <\/a>as well. These auditory hallucinations may be quite simple and routine or they can also be very bizarre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people who experience sleep paralysis will hear some type of noise during this time. Most commonly people report that they hear voices of some type. These voices may be speaking in a foreign language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The perception of screaming, whispering, and even laughing may be heard. Quite often a static noise or loud buzzing sound is reported by those in sleep paralysis. This is stated to sound like a radio that is not tuned to any station. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other people report that they hear footsteps, breathing, ringing sounds, and knocking. There have even been reports of hearing unusual sounds such as growling, or horse carriages. The sounds also may be hard to characterize or very nonspecific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Tactile Hallucinations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A tactile hallucination is one of the most reported phenomena of sleep paralysis. This is an experience of being touched when nothing is there touching you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people who experience sleep paralysis report that they have a feeling of pressure or some type of contact as if someone is holding them down. Other people report feeling a vibrating, numbness<\/a>, or tingling sensation during sleep paralysis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people report that they feel like they are falling, flying, or floating through the air. Some people even report that they feel very chilled or like they are freezing. Not as often a person may feel like they are being dragged or physically moved from their bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others report that they feel physical sensations that involve their genitalia and may even feel like there is some type of sexual contact. Some other tactile sensations that have been reported include being bitten, breathing around the ear, and the sensation of bugs crawling on their skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Olfactory Hallucinations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another symptom of sleep paralysis, although not as common, is olfactory hallucinations. These types of hallucinations involve the sense of smell. As with all of the other types of hallucinations that are experienced during sleep paralysis, this type of hallucination involves imagining a number of different smells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The smells may be good or bad and may remind the person of someone in their past. They could even be smells from their childhood such as the perfume worn by a long lost relative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The different smells that are experienced may also come from what their visual and auditory hallucinations<\/a> entail. For example, a person who is experiencing flashes of light may smell rain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, olfactory hallucinations are not as common as the hallucinations of vision, touch, and hearing, and many people do not really remember a certain smell that they experienced during their sleep paralysis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Emotions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important symptoms that a person experiences after sleep paralysis is the emotional component involved. For many people, sleep paralysis<\/a> experience can have a long and lasting effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this is because for many it is like having a nightmare while they are awake. Everyone has woken up from a dream startled from the reality of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when you are experiencing sleep paralysis it is during a time when you are either just starting to fall asleep or when you have just woken up from asleep. This means that your eyes are typically open and everything around you feels very real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You cannot move your body no matter how hard you try and this experience can be quite terrifying. Combined with the fact that you may feel like you cannot breathe during this time only further exacerbates the emotional impact that sleep paralysis can have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Stroke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A person who has experienced sleep paralysis for the first time may think that they have had a stroke<\/a>. Some people even report feeling like they have died. They cannot move their bodies and they cannot speak during the time they are in sleep paralysis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be very terrifying. Most people who suffer from sleep paralysis report it as being a very scary experience. Most of the time this is because they feel like there is a stranger present during this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This stranger may be at the end of the bed or in the room somewhere. The presence may even be directly on top of them holding them down. All of these things can be very frightening and when they finally overcome the paralysis they may feel the effects for a very long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may only be able to move one part of their body at first, thus the reasoning behind thinking they have had a stroke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Inability to Speak
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Many people who experience sleep paralysis notice that they develop an inability to speak as the attack occurs. Sleep paralysis affects the Broca’s area, the region of the brain <\/a>on the dominant hemisphere that’s responsible for the production of speech.\u00a0The temporary paralysis involved with the condition causes inefficiency in this area, resulting in a lack of expression.
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As a result of the condition, people with sleep paralysis find that they feel like they want to speak out. However, they are unable to produce any sound, and this effect may also extend into the first few seconds after waking up. However, all patients should be able to regain their ability to speak as soon as they are fully conscious and aware of the situation.
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If you notice symptoms of being unable to speak while in a dream state, or during waking up, talk to your doctor. Your physician will recommend strategies you can use to help limit the effects of sleep paralysis on your rest and your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Pressure in the Chest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People suffering from the effects of sleep paralysis may also find that their experience symptoms of pressure on the chest<\/a>. These symptoms occur as they sit as they lay\u00a0in limbo between the dream state and consciousness. Many people describe the sensation as having someone sit on their chest. As a result of the feeling, many patients will find it challenging to breathe.
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Disrupting the normal flow of oxygen to the lungs and the brain results in exacerbated symptoms of sleep paralysis. As a result, the patient may find that they experience more prolonged periods of paralysis. They may also find that they feel groggy after waking up due to the lack of oxygen entering the bloodstream.
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Patients that experience the sensation may benefit from the use of the c-pap machine while they sleep. These machines help to drive oxygen into the lungs while the person is in an unconscious state. C-pap machines are also a standard instrument used to alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. Interestingly enough, there is some medical literature that shows a link between the two conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Feelings of Fear and Dread
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Patients who are dealing with the onset of sleep paralysis may notice that they experience feelings of fear and dread in the moments before they wake up. These feelings may occur, regardless of whether the person experienced a nightmare during their sleep<\/a>. Terror and fear are two primal human emotions, produced by the limbic system.\u00a0
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The limbic system is one of the oldest primordial regions of the brain, and it’s responsible for creating the fight-and-flight response. The limbic system is also responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the body. This region is what helped our ancestors on the plains of savannas, as they watched out for predators.
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These feelings of fear and dread are quite real, and they can play a role in the development of mental issues with the patient. Waking up in a constant state of fear will drastically reduce the person’s emotional health and mental state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Sweating
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Patients who are dealing with a case of sleep paralysis may also find that they wake up in a pool of their sweat.\u00a0As discussed, sleep paralysis plays havoc on the region of the brain responsible for creating emotions. When the patient experiences anxiety<\/a>, fear, and dread involved with sleep paralysis,\u00a0the condition may start to cause them to sweat as a nervous response.
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While sweating is not harmful to their health, it’s a sign that something is wrong with their mental state. Many people who deal with the onset of sleep paralysis are involved in high-stress situations. If you are dealing with a stressful period in your life, then it will take its toll on your mental health and emotional condition.
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As a result of the additional stress in your life, you may find that you start to develop issues with your sleep, as well as you are emotional state during the day. Both of these circumstances only add more weight to the effects of sleep paralysis, and you may find that you start to experience the condition more frequently and with higher intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Headaches
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People are experiencing the effects of sleep paralysis may notice that they start to develop headaches early in the morning after waking up. This symptom may have some correlation with the fact that they may also have pressure on the chest as well. As mentioned, sleep apnea is a condition where the patient struggles to breathe while they sleep. As a result, the body does not get enough oxygenated blood moving towards the brain.
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When the brain does not get enough oxygen<\/a>, it starts to experience a disruption in both neural and cognitive function. As a result, the patient begins to develop a headache, and they also may find that they feel sluggish or tired in the morning. The sensations typically wear off as the day progresses. The patient may find that they are just feeling tired at the end of the day, hoping to get a good night’s sleep.
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However, sleep apnea is a recurring condition, and it will most likely result in a repetition of the situation. Purchasing a c-pap machine, and using it at night when you go to sleep will help to limit the effects of sleep apnea. In many cases, the use of the c-pap machine can help to remove the effects of sleep apnea entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Muscle Pains
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People who are dealing with the onset of sleep paralysis may also notice that they wake up in the morning with muscle pains. Muscle pains typically occur because of a lack of oxygen flowing to the muscular system during sleep. Once again, this may also have something to do with the patient experiencing sleep apnea.
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When the muscular system does not experience a steady flow of oxygen to the muscles,\u00a0it results in muscular cramps and tremors. While there is still no conclusive medical evidence suggesting a link between sleep apnea<\/a> and sleep paralysis; many medical experts believe the two have some correlation.
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If you find yourself waking up in the state of sleep paralysis and noticed that you have sore and stiff muscles for the rest of the day, consider investing in a c-pap machine. The machine forces oxygen down your airways while you were sleeping, providing the lungs with the steady flow of fresh air throughout the night. As a result, the muscular system receives the oxygen it needs to maintain healthy levels of function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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