Men's Health > sleep problems > sleep paralysis

Sleep Paralysis

As its name suggests ... sleep paralysis, is a sleep disorder whereby the person suffering from it goes through a period of total inability to perform voluntary movements.

This can happen either at the “sleep onset” called the predormital form or upon awakening, which is called the post dormital form.

Other forms of sleep paralysis are “ hypnogogic” sleep paralysis and “hypnopompic” sleep paralysis.

What Sleep Paralysis Is

Sleep paralysis is a condition in which someone about to fall asleep, or just upon awakening from sleep, realizes that they are unable to speak or move, but can breathe and move their eyes.

This “half-asleep”/ “half-awake” stage is often referred to as the “twilight” stage. This stage is quite transitory in nature and one that opens you to certain experiences, which you would otherwise not be receptive to when fully conscious or fully asleep. It is also said that lying in the supine position (lying on your back) also increases the possibility of sleep paralysis in patients already suffering from it.

Old Hag Syndrome

Sleep paralysis is often associated with narcolepsy, a neurological condition in which a person has uncontrollable naps, but many people can also suffer from sleep paralysis without any signs of narcolepsy. Some people also suffer from hypnogogic hallucinations known as the “ Hag Phenomena” or the “ Old hag syndrome”. This is generally not harmful but yet it intimidates people because they don’t know what’s happening and gradually or abruptly they are able to move again within minutes.

The episode of sleep paralysis can also be terminated by a sound or a touch on the victim’s body. In Hag phenomena the victim feels that someone or something is sitting on his chest and he feels impending death and suffocation. Sleep paralysis is often described as being pinned down by an invisible force. This feature of the sleep paralysis often misleads people into thinking that it has some paranormal element in it, which is demonic or malevolent in nature. Therefore we will often find people suffering from sleep paralysis, rushing to the priests instead of the doctors.

My suggestion to those suffering from repeated nightmares or sleep hallucinations is that the next time you accost an old hag in the middle of the night, just relax and pass her your best smile! Believe me you; she will vamoose within seconds, cursing her luck, why she even bothered to come close to you!

Drew Voight