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Jalal Go to terrified bedexperimenting with his own real horror film.
Recently awake, the 19 -year -old could see his environment but could not move or speak, and he did not know why.
He thought, “My God, what should I do?” “Jalal, now 39, said about this moment in 2005.” I tried to call my mom (and) dad, but no word would come out of my throat.
“It strangled me, trying to kill myself. And I was 100% sure that I was going to die,” added Jalal. “It literally seems that all the evil in the universe is condensed in bubble, and it is in your room.”
This type of hallucination is a characteristic for many people with sleep paralysis.
It occurs during transitions to or out of rapid eye movements, or REM, from sleep, similar to a traffic jam at an animated intersection – your brain, your awakening and the alert and the body, always asleep and immobilized, are temporarily entering, said Dr. Matthew P. Walker, director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley.
After a deep sleepSleep Rem is The next critical phase Sleeping cycles, characterized by more dreams which is also very lively and realistic, and by faster heart and breathing. It is essential for memory, concentration, mood regulation and immune function.
Jalal’s experiences propelled him to study this phenomenon in the world. He was aimed at discovering the cause of sleep paralysis, he said, and why some people have the diagnosis “have these powerful encounters where it looks like the evil of epic proportions”.
He has since obtained a doctorate in psychiatry and is now a researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Harvard and a leading expert in sleep paralysis. He also treats patients struggling with her.
It is estimated that 30% of people around the world know at least one episode of sleep paralysis during their lifetime, according to Cleveland Clinic. How many people have recurring paralysis and altering sleep is not clear, but the percentage is probably low, said Jalal.
Here is what you need to know else about sleep paralysis and how it can be managed.
Science and symptoms of sleep paralysis
In paradoxical sleep, our bodies are paralyzed, so we do not act our dreams and do not risk injuring or injuring us or hurting or injuring others, said Jalal. Sleep paralysis episodes generally only last a few minutes but can last up to 20 minutes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
During sleep paralysis, however, “we regain awareness before the muscles find their freedom against the paralysis induced by REM,” said Walker, who is also a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California in Berkeley
About 40% of people with sleep paralysis have visual, hearing or touch -up hallucinations, such as the body’s pressure or the feeling of the body, said Jalal. For around 90% of these people, the illusions are terrifying. They may include ghosts or cat -shaped creatures, and their actions can be as harmless as just approaching or harmful as attacks or trying to kill them.
In Jalal’s academic trips, he discovered the content and interpretations of hallucinations, opinions on what causes sleep paralysis and the frequency and duration of episodes can also have a cultural basis. People living in Egypt and Italy, for example, often saw witches and evil geniuses, hold them responsible and thought they could die of sleep paralysis, said Jalal. Residents of Denmark, Poland and certain parts of the United States, on the other hand, have less supernatural or exotic explanations and less fear.
“Why do we see these monsters?” Is it dream imagery … which pours into a conscious consciousness? ” Said Jalal. “My answer is, according to my research, no, not exactly. But that is part of it.”
When you are aware but paralyzed and confused, your natural reaction is to escape this situation. Your brain bombes your body with signals to move, but your body cannot send any comments.
Jalal’s theory, in short, is that your brain says: “To hell with it” and put on a story that your body must be confronted with feeling such bizarre symptoms.
The reduced activity in your prefrontal cortex – responsible for reason and logic – also contributes to hallucinations becoming “extremely realistic and emotionally charged, amplified by an too active amygdal, the emotional alarm center of the brain,” said Walker.
Causes and risk factors for sleep paralysis
Although scientists know that Wake-Sleep Glitch is what is happening during an episode of sleep paralysis, they are not quite sure why. But several factors can increase the risk of fragmented sleep and sleep paralysis.
These factors include stress and related conditions anxietyPost-traumatic stress disorder (SSPT), bipolar disorder and panic disorder, experts said. Much of Jalal’s sleep paralysis occurred when he was at school. Now when he has an episode once or twice a year, it is usually during a period of high stress, he said. (Once you have experienced sleep paralysis, you can be aware of it for an episode but you are still afraid.)
Other common contributors are sleep deprivation, jet lag, an irregular sleep schedule, sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and genetic factors, said Walker and Jalal.
Obstructive sleep apneasubstance consumption disorder and certain drugs – like those For hyperactivity disorder with attention deficit – can also increase risks, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
As scary as sleep paralysis may seem, it is not really dangerous, experts said. But according to its recurrence, sleep paralysis can be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder, said Jalal.
Regular episodes can also cause anxiety around sleep, then avoid sleep, said Jalal. This model can interfere with your daily energy and your ability to operate. And if you often have frightening hallucinations, this can cause anxiety or symptoms of trauma.
Sleep paralysis can be considerably attenuated with several practices or treatments, said Walker – starting with Healthy sleep habitsfor one. This includes seven to nine o’clock in sleep resting every evening.
Maintaining a coherent sleep calendar in quality and quantity “acts as adjusting your internal clock, reducing the chances of disruptive alarm clock – a bit like ensuring that all parts of an orchestra are synchronized for perfect harmony,” said Walker.
Also prioritize stress management, using, for example, mindfulness And Relaxation exercisesSaid Walker. Therapies can relieve certain underlying problems triggering sleep paralysis, in particular Cognitivo-behavioral therapyespecially the version for people suffering from insomnia.
In more serious situations, drugs are sometimes used, said Walker. These include the ISRS (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or tricyclic antidepressants which can help manage a smooth flow between sleep stages or even reduce the REM phase of sleep.
Generally, increasing the brain serotonin levels somehow compensates for the loss of the REM phase, said Jalal. But rarely, the long -term use of antidepressants has been linked to REM sleep behavior disorder.
Although the above -mentioned treatments can help reduce the frequency or duration of sleep paralysis episodes, there is no surprising treatment for gold that can stop an episode once it happens.
Jalal has tried to officially create one in the past decade, and it was inspired by the self-inspired. Called meditation relaxation therapy, treatment reduced sleep paralysis by 50% after eight weeks for six people with narcolepsy, compared to a control group of four participants, found a small pilot study Jalal published in 2020. He currently has another study of the same treatment with more participants in progress in Harvard. And the stages of jalal therapy are as follows:
Cognitively reassess the sense of attack. Close your eyes and remember that your experience is common and that you will not die.
Emotionally get away from it. Tell yourself that since your brain is only playing tricks, there is no reason why you are afraid or risks the situation of your own negative expectations.
Focus on something positive. Whether they are praying or imagining the face of a loved one, this refocusing can make thoughts more pleasant rather than monstrous.
Relax your muscles and don’t move. Some experts say that trying to slightly move your fingers or the toes one by one can help you get out of an episode earlier. But the fourth stage of Jalal advises this movement because you always send signals to the paralyzed muscles and perhaps trigger hallucinations.
The visualization of your own biology in a more objective way by learning more on the scientific basis of sleep paralysis is also useful, said Jalal.