For the normal sleep behavior of body paralysis during dreams, see Rapid eye movement sleep.
"Night demon" redirects here. For the American heavy metal band, see Night Demon (band).
Medical condition
Sleep paralysis
The Nightmare by Swiss artist Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be a depiction of sleep paralysis perceived as a demonic visitation.
Specialty
Psychiatry
sleep medicine
Symptoms
Awareness but an inability to move during waking or falling asleep
hallucinations[1][2]
Complications
Nyctophobia
Duration
No more than a couple of minutes[2]
Risk factors
Narcolepsy
obstructive sleep apnea
alcohol use
sleep deprivation[1][2]
Diagnostic method
Based on description[2]
Differential diagnosis
Narcolepsy
atonic seizure
hypokalemic periodic paralysis
night terror[1][2]
Treatment
Reassurance
sleep hygiene
cognitive behavioral therapy
antidepressants[1]
Frequency
8–50%[2]
Deaths
None; harmless[3]
Sleep paralysis is a state, during waking up or falling asleep, in which a person is conscious but in a complete state of full-body paralysis.[1][2] During an episode, the person may hallucinate (hear, feel, or see things that are not there), which often results in fear.[1][3] Episodes generally last no more than a few minutes.[2] It can recur multiple times or occur as a single episode.[1][3]
The condition may occur in those who are otherwise healthy or those with narcolepsy, or it may run in families as a result of specific genetic changes. The condition can be triggered by sleep deprivation, psychological stress, or abnormal sleep cycles. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve a dysfunction in REM sleep.[2] Diagnosis is based on a person's description. Other conditions that can present similarly include narcolepsy, atonic seizure, and hypokalemic periodic paralysis.[2]
Treatment options for sleep paralysis have been poorly studied. It is recommended that people be reassured that the condition is common and generally not serious. Other efforts that may be tried include sleep hygiene, cognitive behavioral therapy, and antidepressants.[1]
Between 8% and 50% of people experience sleep paralysis at some point during their life.[2][4] About 5% of people have regular episodes. Males and females are affected equally.[2] Sleep paralysis has been described throughout history. It is believed to have played a role in the creation of stories about alien abduction and other paranormal events.[1]
^ abcdefghiSharpless BA (2016). "A clinician's guide to recurrent isolated sleep paralysis". Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 12: 1761–67. doi:10.2147/NDT.S100307. PMC 4958367. PMID 27486325.
^ abcdefghijklAvidan AY, Zee PC (2011). Handbook of Sleep Medicine (2nd ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. Chapter 5. ISBN 978-1-4511-5385-9.
Sleepparalysis is a state, during waking up or falling asleep, in which a person is conscious but in a complete state of full-body paralysis. During...
syndrome. Temporary paralysis occurs during REM sleep, and dysregulation of this system can lead to episodes of waking paralysis. Drugs that interfere...
supernatural creature, commonly associated with the phenomenon of sleepparalysis. It is a phenomenon which a person feels during a presence of a supernatural...
hallucinations or an inability to move (sleepparalysis) while falling asleep or waking up. People with narcolepsy tend to sleep about the same number of hours...
Sleep paralysis, characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly before or after sleep. Sleepparalysis may be accompanied by visual, auditory or...
as early as the late 2000s. The Hat Man is commonly associated with sleepparalysis and the abuse of the antihistamine medicine diphenhydramine, commonly...
does not explain the muscle paralysis of REM sleep; however, a logical analysis might suggest that the muscle paralysis exists to prevent the animal...
disorder – sleep disorder that involves involuntary limb movement during sleepPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback Sleepparalysis – Sleeping disorder...
stands for "rapid eye movement", this mode of sleep has many other aspects, including virtual paralysis of the body. Dreams are a succession of images...
experience of sleepparalysis, there has been difficulty in determining potential differences in the prevalence and severity of sleepparalysis between pediatric...
during the sleep phase with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The major feature of RBD is loss of muscle atonia (i.e., the loss of paralysis) during otherwise...
increased occurrence of sleepparalysis. Lying (position) Human positions Sex positions "Good health rests on a good night's sleep/". 20 May 2019. Retrieved...
7.6% of the general population have experienced sleepparalysis at least once. Exiting sleepparalysis to a waking state can be achieved by intently focusing...
7%. Sleepparalysis is associated with sleep-related hallucinations. Predisposing factors for the development of recurrent isolated sleepparalysis are...
Supine. Standard anatomical position Lying (position) Prone position Sleepparalysis Rothrock, J. C. (2007) Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery 13th...
vestigial (or anyway anomalous) REM sleep in the context of disturbed / hyper-aroused sleep (lucid dreaming, sleepparalysis, or situations of high anticipation)...
with runners in scoring position Recurrent Isolated SleepParalysis, a chronic form of sleepparalysis Rare Isotope Science Project, the research center...
hallucination and out-of-body experiences during sleepparalysis. According to this theory, sleepparalysis leads to disinhibition of the mirror neuron system...
New Solo LP "Humble Giant"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 18, 2024. SleepParalysis, March 15, 2024, retrieved March 18, 2024[better source needed] Keith...
offerings and appeal given to the jinn. Sleepparalysis is understood as a "jinn attack" by many sleepparalysis sufferers in Egypt, as discovered by a...
and ethnographer known for his research on paranormal phenomena and sleepparalysis. He is professor emeritus of Humanities and Psychiatry at Penn State...
dreaming, and sleepparalysis. In 1848, Alfred Maury introduced the term "hypnagogic" from the Greek words ύπνος (“hypnos”), meaning “sleep”, and αγωγός...
Hypnopompic and hypnagogic hallucinations are frequently accompanied by sleepparalysis, which is a state wherein one is consciously aware of one's surroundings...
experiences by factors such as suggestibility (e.g. false memory syndrome), sleepparalysis, deception, and psychopathology. Skeptic Robert Sheaffer sees similarity...
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