Sleep paralysis, popularly known as “nightmare”, is defined as “waking up of the brain while the body is asleep during the dreaming phase”. Stating that it is an extremely fearful feeling for the living, experts point out that although awakened in sleep paralysis, the body cannot be moved, along with hallucinations, non-existent objects and entities. Experts recommend not to use stimulants such as tea, coffee and alcohol before sleep, not to eat heavy meals, and to avoid using smartphones and social media.
Üsküdar University NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Barış Metin made important evaluations and recommendations regarding sleep paralysis, which has been on the agenda recently.
It is popularly known as a nightmare
Expressing that sleep paralysis is known as a nightmare among the people, Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said, “In this disorder, the person wakes up from sleep but cannot move his body. It is an extremely fearful feeling for the living. The person wakes up from sleep, opens his eyes, hears and sees his surroundings, but cannot move himself. It can be accompanied by hallucinations, non-existent objects and entities,” he said.
It creates a feeling of paralysis in the person’s body
Defining sleep paralysis as “waking up of the brain while the body is asleep in the dreaming stage”, Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said, “At this stage, our body muscles cannot move because they are paralyzed. Thus, the person thinks he is paralyzed. Some people have an oversleeping disorder called narcolepsy. These people involuntarily fall asleep throughout the day. Sleep paralysis is common in narcolepsy. However, narcolepsy is a rare disorder and not all sleep paralysis patients are narcoleptic.
It is necessary to pay attention to sleep hygiene
prof. Dr. Barış Metin drew attention to the need to pay attention to sleep hygiene and concluded his speech as follows:
“Sleep hygiene means avoiding factors that will disrupt sleep. It is necessary to pay attention to the rules such as going to sleep and waking up at the same time, not using stimulants such as tea and coffee before sleeping, avoiding substances that disrupt sleep such as alcohol, avoiding activities such as smartphones and social media that will impair sleep quality in bed, and not eating heavy meals before sleep. If sleep paralysis persists despite sleep hygiene measures, some medications can be used for treatment.
Source: (BHA) – Beyaz News Agency
