What Are The Possible Symptoms Of Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis may be terrifying for patients. They seem to deal with periods where they are awake but cannot move. The paralysis appears to happen during sleep transitions. In order words, for it to be sleep paralysis, it should occur when waking up or falling asleep. Patients with this condition may not have any smooth transitions in their natural sleep cycle.

Sleep paralysis treatment may not be needed if the episodes are isolated. However, underlying conditions may require treatment. For instance, narcolepsy treatment may be fairly important. These patients may take medications for narcolepsy. Some patients may find that therapy for sleep paralysis is helpful. Natural remedies for sleep paralysis also appear to be beneficial. One example seems to be stress management for sleep paralysis. Individuals looking for treatment for sleep paralysis may need to understand the symptoms fully first.

Inability To Move Or Speak

Most individuals should be able to transition from being asleep to waking up, and vice versa, smoothly. However, it seems that in sleep paralysis, this does not happen. Patients may become hyperaware of their relaxed state. This may mean that their body is still resting, but their mind starts to race. The result of this appears to be an inability to move or speak. Many individuals seem to believe that this means the patient's mind and body are split. Their mind appears to be awake and quite scared, though their body is still asleep. This feeling may be very alarming and triggers the feeling of being paralyzed.

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Feelings Of Fear Or Impending Doom

Individuals may have adrenaline racing through their body if they are in danger. This seems to help prepare them to fight or flee. However, it appears that this rush of adrenaline can leave patients with intense fear. This should motivate them to act. Feelings of fear or impending doom seem quite common in panic attacks. They also appear to be common in sleep paralysis too. There seems to be a point at which the patient's brain realizes that they are unable to move. This moment may be when extra adrenaline is released, causing them to panic. However, this does not seem to be possible. The result may be intense fear and the idea that something terrible may be about to occur.

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Difficulty Breathing

As mentioned, patients with sleep paralysis may have a significant amount of adrenaline racing through their body. This may cause their heart to beat faster. Their breathing may speed up as well. Once again, this effect may be an attempt to get them moving. However, since they are likely not able to do it, patients can have problems breathing. Their breathing may feel like they have been running a marathon, and their heart may beat out of their chest. Some patients may believe that they are unable to breathe at this point. Others may breathe, but have significant difficulties doing so. Some individuals with sleep paralysis may find that their chest cannot expand properly. This may mean that their lungs cannot do so either. Thus, their breathing will appear to be impaired.

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Sleep Hallucinations

Hallucinations appear to be fairly common in sleep paralysis. Patients may deal with olfactory, visual, or auditory sleep hallucinations. It seems as if the hallucinations occur due to the neurological imbalance that triggers the patient's paralysis. However, researchers do not appear to have determined why this link exists. Some believe that it may be because a patient's brain is still dreaming when their body moves from non-rapid eye movement sleep to rapid eye movement sleep. This seems to happen in the opposite direction too. When linked to other possible signs of sleep paralysis, the patient's dream can become a nightmare. Other experts appear to think that the hallucinations are simply the result of the patient's fear, adrenaline, and inability to move. In other words, their body may be trying anything to get moving.

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Paranoia

Sleep paralysis patients appear to feel very frightened when they cannot move. Many of them seem to believe that someone in their room or something is sitting on their chest. This may be what most individuals would label as paranoia. However, many researchers appear to believe that it is the patient's mind coming up with an explanation for their paralysis. It is also vital to note that sleep paralysis patients may be sure that someone was in their room or something was on their chest. Thus, if others try to dismiss their claims, the patient may become paranoid about it. They may also deal with this if they cannot come up with a logical explanation.