Sometimes, on a certain morning, you wake up after a dream. And on the ceiling, there’s a gigantic spider, so large it’s unimaginable, crawling toward you. You might want to scream or jump out of bed, but suddenly you realize your entire body is completely paralyzed.
After a moment, you can wiggle your limbs. And the hairy spider has vanished.
Although this might sound strange, it is a somewhat similar experience for many people. This is known as sleep paralysis – the sensation of being frozen in place while simultaneously facing terrifying hallucinations – but don’t worry, neurologists will tell you that it’s not a major issue.
Sleep paralysis, scientifically known as Sleep Paralysis, often occurs when you wake up lying on your back, while your body remains immobile from the dream stage of sleep. At this point, you can’t move a muscle for a period ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Some people also experience hallucinations, sensing that something eerie is happening in their bedroom. While hallucinations vary, many report seeing an intruder in their room or feeling someone pressing down on them in bed. This phenomenon is remarkably consistent across different cultures and time periods.
In medieval Europe, it was believed that ghosts or evil spirits often inhabited people while they slept. The Japanese term for sleep paralysis is kanashibari, which means being bound. And in Vietnam, it is commonly referred to as the phenomenon of “bóng đè.”
According to sleep studies, about 8% of the population experiences sleep paralysis, although individual studies have reported figures ranging from 5% to 62%. Some people experience this phenomenon frequently, even weekly, while others only occasionally.
“Since sleep paralysis does not hinder you from leading a healthy, happy life, it is merely a strange occurrence created by the human brain,” says Rafael Pelayo, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford Sleep Center.
According to Pelayo, if your brain while sleeping resembles an orchestra, then sleep paralysis is akin to a conductor waving to stop the music, but one musician misses the cue and continues playing.
“It seems like a naturally occurring behavior,” Pelayo says, “just at the wrong time.”
“Bóng đè” vs. Sleepwalking
You will be paralyzed while asleep. It is referred to as REM sleep atonia, and this paralysis keeps you still during REM sleep, the stage associated with dreaming.
“The body doesn’t want to perform any actions while you are dreaming at night,” says Marri Horvat, a doctor at the sleep disorders center at the Cleveland Clinic. “Being paralyzed at that moment is a good thing.”
In fact, individuals with REM sleep behavior disorder, who experience the opposite of paralysis, often move around and are at risk of injury while dreaming.
During sleep, the body releases two chemicals to keep you still: gamma-aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA, and glycine. Sleep paralysis seems to occur when you are entering or exiting REM sleep, and if things go awry, you may still be inundated with those chemicals upon waking.
Sometimes, this is accompanied by the visual elements of REM sleep, also known as dreams, leading to a hallucinatory experience.
Common factors that often appear are sleep deprivation and sudden changes in sleep schedules.
Who is Most Likely to Experience Sleep Paralysis?
Sleep paralysis does not indicate any specific health condition and there is no formula to predict who might experience it. The most common factors include sleep deprivation and sudden changes in sleep schedules.
A variety of other factors may also contribute. A meta-analysis of studies on sleep paralysis found that non-white individuals experience it more frequently, and issues such as substance abuse, anxiety, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) also increase the likelihood. However, these findings are not always replicated in other studies and meta-analyses. While sleep paralysis may be related to narcolepsy, it also frequently occurs in individuals without this disorder.
If you are struggling with issues like addiction, stress, or trauma at the time you experience sleep paralysis hallucinations, this is a good time to address those issues. However, these specific hallucinations are not linked to more serious disorders, such as schizophrenia, mental illness, or brain tumors.
“Sleep paralysis and schizophrenia can both occur in adulthood, but the key difference is that those who experience sleep paralysis typically realize immediately upon fully waking that they have had a hallucination. In contrast, someone with schizophrenia may have more difficulty distinguishing what is real,” sleep doctor Pelayo explains.
Get More Sleep
According to Pelayo, the best way to treat sleep paralysis is to get more and better sleep. If the issue persists frequently, he recommends consulting specialists to determine whether sleep apnea or anxiety-induced nightmares from PTSD are disrupting your sleep and making you more susceptible to sleep paralysis.
“The most natural form of care we can give our brains is sleep,” Pelayo states. “Anything wrong with the brain can worsen due to insufficient sleep.”
However, for most people, the worst part of sleep paralysis is not knowing what it is. Even if you understand it’s not real, it can be hard not to feel anxious when faced with hallucinations of something frightening.
But, trust that sleep paralysis, or “bóng đè,” is nothing more than a quirky experience that occasionally arises during stressful times. And never let it affect your mental well-being and health.
