Understanding the phenomenon of Sleep Paralysis

You open your eyes. You just sleep for a few hours. You can feel your mind hovering between consciousness. Trying to collect the consciousness, you try to get up. But, there is something wrong. Your body can not move, shortness of breath, as if there are invisible creatures who step on your chest. You opened your mouth and started to scream, no sound came out. Someone is strangling my neck, you think. There is something wrong.

Yeah, you know what I mean. We've all been there. Some refer to this phenomenon as the ghost or overlap-IREP IREP. I do not know what the official Indonesian language. Before, I had thought that the word phenomenon is called Lucid Dream. However, I was wrong. This phenomenon is actually called Sleep Paralysis (Sleep paralysis) or The Old Hag Syndrome.

Those who experience this phenomenon sometimes feel scared because he thought being attacked by demons. Not to blame. In the old days, there is a belief that this phenomenon is caused by the "Old Hag" or "witch" who was occupying the victim's chest. From there he got the name The Old Hag Syndrome.

When science began to flourish, the name of The Old Hag Syndrome becoming obsolete. Researchers prefer to call Sleep Paralysis (SP).

Then, the question is: What gives?

According to the 1992 Gallup survey, nearly all adults experiencing Sleep Paralysis, at least two years. So this phenomenon is not something foreign to humans. Attempts to study it has been going on since the 1950s, but has only really be understood when researchers began to understand the relationship between the condition of REM (rapid eye movement) with a dream.

When we sleep, we will enter some particular stage. Indeed there are many, but we will only see two large stages, namely non-REM and REM.

When we sleep, the first 80 minutes, we enter the Non Brake, followed by 10 minutes of REM. 90-minute cycle is repeated about 3 to 6 times a night. During non-REM, our bodies produce some minor movement and eye twitching little.

When we go into REM conditions, accelerated heartbeat, breath becomes short and quick and our eyes move rapidly (Rapid eye movement - REM). In this condition the dream we created and we can clearly see the objects in the dream.

Dr.Max Hirshkowitz, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston said that Sleep Paralysis occurs when our brains are experiencing the transition state between deep sleep dreams (dreaming REM Sleep) and the conscious state.

During REM dreaming sleep, our brains turn off most of the muscles of the body motion so we could not move. In other words, we are temporarily paralyzed. This phenomenon is called REM Atonia.

"Sometimes, our brain does not end our dreams or completely paralyzed while awake. This could explain why our bodies become stiff."

According to his research, Dr.Hirshkowitz conclude that this effect only lasts for a few seconds up to a maximum of one minute. However, for the victim, this experience seems to last very long.

Then, what about the sense of a supernatural creature that appears in our room?

Florence Cardinal, another of the researchers said that the hallucinations usually does accompany Sleep Paralysis. Sometimes there is a feeling that no one else in the room or even we could feel the creature was hovering over us.

Then, we can feel the pressure in your chest like being trampled or occupied. In fact, there are several victims who reported hearing footsteps, the door opened and strange noises. It's pretty scary, but normal. In fact many researchers believe that the phenomenon of "alien abduction" or "evil spirits attacked" mostly just hallucinations associated with Sleep Paralysis.

Then, the condition is commonly arise Sleep Paralysis?

Some research indicates certain conditions where the likelihood of experiencing Sleep Paralysis will be higher for someone. Those who experience it, is usually concerned when sleeping on your back.

Then, the phenomenon is more common in those who experience excessive fatigue or their normal sleep schedule disrupted.

And outside usually, those who used to drink a sedative would be more frequent experience (Ironic is not it?).

How do we avoid Sleep Paralysis?

Here are some tips generated from clinical research, namely:

1. Adequate sleep and regular

2. Reduce Stress

3. Exercise regularly

In other words, a healthy lifestyle!

But most important of all is, if you already have this, do not be afraid, because this phenomenon lasts only a moment, and will soon pass.

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