Sleeping yet awake

As newer job opportunities come to the market, they bring with them several demerits. Sleep paralysis is one of the ill health outcomes of working during the night shifts. Shockingly, of the total population that works after the dusk, 58 per cent suffers from sleep paralysis.

But, what is sleep paralysis?

If one is awake but is unable to breathe or move one’s limbs, then one is suffering from a medical condition termed as ‘sleep paralysis’. According to a senior sleep surgeon, Dr Srinivas P, sleep paralysis is a scary situation to be in. While it is temporary, lasting only a few seconds or at the worst a few minutes, the patient can be frightened as he finds himself unable to speak anything or move any part of his body.

A disease commonly seen among teenagers and young adults, sleep paralysis is an outcome of irregular sleeping patterns and indulging in substance abuse / alcohol consumption. Occasionally elderly citizens also suffer from sleep paralysis.

What causes sleep paralysis?

While sleeping problems like irregular sleeping patterns remain the major cause of sleep paralysis, there are some other factors as well that could lead to this unfortunate medical condition. Some of those are: Excessive travelling, weakness in the nerves, family history of sleep disorder. It could also be because of mental disorder or substance abuse.

Position of your body during sleep is critical in contributing to sleep paralysis. If one is lying in supine position, there are chances of the disease attacking you. Sleep paralysis occurs either when you are falling asleep or when you are waking up. In the former case, it is called hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis and in the later, it is termed as hypnopomic or postdormital sleep paralysis.

What is the treatment?

Diagnosis of sleep paralysis can be a challenge as there are no symptoms or signs in the patient’s body or behavior when he visits the doctor. However, often is the case that patients rush to quacks or Registered Medical Practitioners (RMP), which does not help as they are not the right people to seek help from. A patient must consult a senior doctor. It may be a scary disease, however, there is cure. Once the treatment is completed, the patient is fully free from sleep paralysis and there is no reason to worry about relapse.

How to avoid sleep paralysis?

Stop substance abuse and consuming alcohol before going to bed. Ensure that you are stress-free before you sleep. Having sound sleep is very important, for which one must sleep for six to eight hours every day. Sufficient sleep is the most important factor to stay away from sleep paralysis. Adopt the habit of going to bed every day at the same time. If one wakes up every now and then during sleep, it is alarming.

Try new sleeping positions frequently. Do exercise regularly to keep the mind and body active.

True that the situation can seem upsetting, however, remember that there is not much to worry about, because sleep paralysis can be treated.