WHAT IS SLEEP PARALYSIS? - The Scientific Explanation & The Study

A Look At What Science Has To Say About Sleep Paralysis.

Sleep Paralysis is a phenomenon that has been studied far and wide, not only by universities and Sleep Institutes but those who experience it in their daily lives. If you Google it, you will get this:

"Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking."

WebMD

It is basic, it is, for the most part, factual but what it does not do is describe the panic and sheer terror this condition can cause to the person who experiences it. In this post, I will briefly discuss a few of the thoughts on what SP is from the viewpoint of the experiencer, the academic, and the spiritual believer. These the experiencer, depending on their social viewpoint, will fall on either side of the coin. Some believe that science has the answer and that if they simply don't fall asleep on their back, sleep partially sitting up or if they disturb their sleep pattern then it will help them stop or control their experiences of SP. Others believe that science only knows the mechanics of what SP is but not the true cause. They believe that while they sleep their spirit, their astral being, leaves their body and what they experience after it returns are the effects of that journey. They believe it to be a spiritual experience and one that should not be feared.

THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION -

Penn State and the University of Pennsylvania carried out a study in 2011 which showed that less than 7.6 percent of the general population in the United States of America experienced sleep paralysis, and of that 7.6 percent, it was more frequent in two groups -- students and people with certain psychiatric conditions.

During an episode of sleep paralysis the experiencer may:

• find it difficult to take deep breaths, as if their chest is being crushed or restricted,

• be able to move their eyes – some people can also open their eyes while others find they can't,

• have a sensation that there's someone or something in the room with you (hallucination?) – many people feel this presence wishes to harm them,

• feel very frightened,

• have the sensation of being held down,

• try to cry out but they can not.

The length of an episode can vary from a few seconds to several minutes.

Dr. Shelby Harris, director of Behavioural Sleep Medicine at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at the Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, New York, states that several things can bring on episodes of sleep paralysis. Triggers can be anything from sleep deprivation, some medications, and some sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. His findings showed that sleep paralysis could commonly be seen in patients with narcolepsy, a condition characterised by an extreme tendency to fall asleep whenever in relaxing surroundings.

THE SURVEY...

In 2017, Claire Barrand and I carried out a study to see what information we could gather on experiences of SP. We questioned 171 people using a questionnaire about their experiences of SP before, during, and after. Even though the test sample is a small one, the results are interesting.

• First instances of SP happened during adolescence years (ages 12 to 18), with only 48 people out of 171 experiencing it for the first time from the age of 21-years-old or over,

• 78% said they could not vocalise sound during SP,

• 63% said SP usually happened while sleeping on their backs, while 30% said would happen while sleeping on their side.

• When asked, "Were you taking any sort of drugs (OTC - over the counter or recreational) before an instance of SP" we found that 125 had not, while 25 of those asked had either taken drugs or alcohol.

• 61% said they had a visual cue while dreaming that SP would happen when they woke.

• This would indicate to us that lucid dreaming played a role in these instances of SP as being aware of their dream state would suggest this.

• 80% of 156 people asked said that upon waking and during SP they were aware of or sensed someone or something in the room with them.

• 61.8% of 170 people asked felt they had no control of their SP (shaking themselves out of it or inducing it)

• Of those asked, and their answers given, it would appear that FEAR was a major factor in their experience. Those who experience the most found it appeared to last longer and the chances of it reoccurring were greater compared to those who did not fear it. Of those asked 59 people out of 150 thought of SP as a positive experience while 90 people felt it was negative.

When 170 people were asked - Do you see SP as a spiritual experience?

• 24.1% said YES

• 34.1% said NO

• 41.8% were unsure

When 170 people were asked - Do you see SP as a paranormal experience?

• 24.1% said YES

• 31.8% said NO

• 44.1% were unsure

When 170 people were asked - Do you see SP as a medical issue?

• 32.9% said YES

• 21.2% said NO

• 45.9% were unsure

In addition to the above figures, we found that -

• 77% could clearly remember their first instance of SP,

• 89.5% has no knowledge of SP until AFTER their first attack,

• 71% were alone in bed during the attack.

We were curious if anyone had any sort of warning that they would be experiencing SP later that night and of 171 people asked -

• 59% said no, it happened out of the blue and they had no control

While...

• 32% said they would have a warning, usually, a bussing sound or a vibrating hum in their ears during the day or as they were settling to sleep (this has been my experience).

To date, science says there is no cure for sleep paralysis, but many are treating what they see as a possible underlying cause that has been highlighted by the scientific community. Some find it is brought on by sleep deprivation which would reasonably tie in with sleep disorders like apnea. For others, it has been found that avoiding nicotine, alcohol, and drugs after a certain time at night (at least 3 hours before sleep) reduces the instances of SP.

#SleepParalysis #SP #Scientic #SPSurvey #SPExperience