World Sleep Day is celebrated every year before the Spring Equinox and this year it is celebrated on March 17.
The theme for World Sleep Day 2023 is “Sleep is essential for good health”, which brings us to the unfortunate reality that in today’s hustle-bustle culture, 40℅ of people suffer from insomnia. believed to be suffering from a mental disorder.
Statistics show that 75℅ adults with depression suffer from insomnia. Studies have shown that nearly 9℅ of the population in India suffer from insomnia and 30℅ suffer from it occasionally.
Another common disorder is Sleep Paralysis which affects approximately 7.6% of the general population during their lifetime. It is a phenomenon caused by a temporary loss of synchronization in the structure of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
Many people are not aware of this phenomenon, and gathering information will help take preventative measures in the future and cause less damage if it occurs. Let’s dig deeper into this issue as World Sleep Day has given us this platform to discuss and spread awareness about various issues faced by the general population related to sleep. Sleep.
What is sleep paralysis?
When you fall asleep or wake up, your brain sends you signals to help relax the muscles in your arms and legs. Later, muscle atony allows you to stay still during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but when sleep paralysis occurs, you regain awareness but cannot move.
Sleep Paralysis: What Happens While You’re In It?
- When sleep paralysis occurs, you are aware of your surroundings but unable to move or speak, which can be extremely scary for some people.
- You can still move your eyes and breathe during sleep paralysis.
- Hallucinations can also occur when you can hear or see things that aren’t real, making the hallucinations even scarier.
- Episodes of sleep paralysis last from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Sleep paralysis: Who can get it?
- People of all ages can face rare or isolated sleep paralysis.
- Sleep paralysis is more likely to occur in the setting of sleep deprivation related to or altered sleep schedule.
- College students or shift workers face this more often because they don’t have a proper sleep schedule.
- Recurrent sleep paralysis is a symptom of narcolepsy, a disorder of unstable sleep-wake boundaries.
Sleep paralysis: Causes
- Sleep paralysis occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep when you have the ability to dream.
- Your brain prevents the muscles in your limbs from moving to protect you from acting out your dreams and hurting yourself.
- You may face sleep paralysis as you regain awareness when entering or exiting the REM stage.
- Since narcolepsy is distinguished by erratic wakefulness and unstable sleep, frequent nighttime awakenings in people with narcolepsy may be associated with sleep paralysis.
This condition has many causes, including:
- Narcolepsy.
- Work in shifts.
- Sleepless.
- Difficulty breathing while sleeping.
Sleep paralysis: Symptoms
Symptoms include:
- Paralysis of your limbs.
- Inability to speak.
- Feeling of suffocation
- Illusion.
- Fear.
- Panic.
- Impotent.
- Tight around your throat.
- Daytime drowsiness can be a sign of narcolepsy.
Sleep paralysis: Diagnosis and testing
How is sleep paralysis diagnosed?
Health care providers confirm or rule out sleep paralysis after evaluation. They may ask you about the following:
- You may face symptoms, such as how often you experience sleep paralysis, what it feels like, and when it starts.
- Your sleep, such as how many hours you sleep at night and whether you feel tired during the day.
- Your medical history, including medications you are taking and whether you smoke, use alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Your mental health disorders, which may include anxiety, post-traumatic stress or depression.
- Your family history of sleep paralysis.
Sleep paralysis: Management and treatment
Although no therapy has been proven to prevent sleep paralysis, most people who experience the condition say they focus on making small body movements. You can do small exercises like moving one finger, then switching to another finger to help recover faster. Your healthcare provider can recommend treatments that reduce your risk of future episodes. It can also help consolidate your sleep, try to prevent sleep deprivation and avoid alcohol and recreational drugs.
Sleep paralysis: Prevention
Although there isn’t much you can do to prevent sleep paralysis from occurring, you can take some steps to reduce your risk.
You can avoid sleep paralysis by improving the quality of your sleep. You can do this by:
- Set a sleep schedule with specific times to go to bed and wake up.
- Create a comfortable, dark, and quiet sleeping environment.
- Put away phones, tablets, e-readers, and computers before going to bed.
- Relax before bed by taking a bath, reading a book, or listening to soothing music.
Bottom line
It’s natural and with good reason to feel tired, emotional, and scared after recovering from sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is a terrifying experience. Be kind to yourself, including taking extra breaks if you need them. Talk to a loved one for comfort or see your healthcare provider if you are worried.
Note:
Sleep paralysis is uncommon. But many people feel scared after an episode. The experience may be so strange that you may wonder if anyone can believe what happened.
Don’t let these feelings stop you from getting the medical care and support you need. A healthcare provider can determine the cause, prescribe treatment, or make self-care recommendations to reduce the risk of future episodes.
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Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn