WAKING NIGHTMARE

“I can’t move my body but I’m aware that I’m just dreaming.”
“I feel like there is something that is restraining me from getting up.”
“I feel like there’s something pressing my head.”
“I can’t see faces but I can hear voices from someone that is close to me.”

Have you ever wondered about what might happen even when you’re asleep? Many of us are considering sleeping as an escape route of the reality but sometimes this escape route might lead us to something that is terrifying. Some of the terrifying things that might happen are being unable to move even though you are awake, sensing a great pressure in your chest, and seeing and hearing things that are not there, and that is what we call sleep paralysis. This can happen either when falling asleep (hypnagogic or predormital form) or when waking up from sleep (hypnopompic or postdormital form). What sleeping paralysis looks like: Sleeping Paralysis

There are a lot of things that are believed to be the causes of sleep paralysis or waking nightmare. One of the causes is lack of sleep- a condition of not having enough sleep. A chronic sleep deprivation state can affect some cognitive functions in the brain. Some of the other causes are change of sleeping schedule, mental conditions and narcolepsy. Click here for more details: Causes These certain causes lead to various effects that a person can experience. Some of these effects are: Paranoia, somniphobia (fear of falling asleep).

The following are the signs and symptoms of sleep paralysis: Inability to move the body when falling asleep or waking, being consciously awake, unable to speak during the episode, having hallucinations that may cause fear, feeling pressure on the chest and having headaches and muscle pains. More information, click here symptoms

There is no specific treatment for sleep paralysis, but stress management, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, and observing good sleep habits can reduce the likelihood of sleep paralysis. More information, click here treatments

In conclusion, sleep paralysis can be a horrifying but amazing experience. It can be God’s way in making us appreciate the grace of sleeping and waking up each day as a blessing.