Sleep Paralysis: When Nightmares Are Conscious

Can you imagine waking up in the middle of the night and feeling paralyzed? Your body is completely still, you feel a weight on your chest and, worst of all, you could swear that there is someone or something malicious and hostile there with you. It almost looks like a horror movie, but that’s what happens to people with sleep paralysis.

What is sleep paralysis?

It is a disorder that alters the natural order of sleep phases. In practice, and in simpler terms, the mind of the sufferer wakes up before the body does.

Usually, when we go to bed, the first thing that happens is that we fall asleep or, as is often said, we lose consciousness. After that, the chemistry in the brain “paralyzes” our body. We start dreaming and, even if in our mind we are running, jumping or dancing, this chemistry causes our body to stay still on the bed. When it starts to dawn, we stop dreaming and begin to regain the mobility of our body. Finally, we wake up.

Now, imagine if this whole process unfolded in disorder. What if your brain continues to produce glycine and GABA (the two amino acids that paralyze the body during sleep) even when you are awake? In this case, you would wake up before regaining the mobility of your body. What if some of your dreams are mixed with your state of consciousness? Well, this combination is capable of triggering a really scary experience.

Myths and symptoms

Being paralyzed makes us feel helpless. We cannot scream for help, nor respond to the natural instinct to protect ourselves. When someone is in this vulnerable state, it is possible for their greatest fears to take hold of him or her.

In these cases, it is normal to find yourself thinking: “If I don’t control my body, then who is doing it?”. Many people who have experienced sleep paralysis episodes have come to the conclusion that an evil force was next to them. Obviously, these ideas are fed by religious beliefs and popular myths. Based on your life experiences, it is possible to believe that you are a victim of spirits, extraterrestrials, demons or who knows what other mythological creature.

However, regardless of how everyone explains this experience to themselves, the truth is that there are some common symptoms, among which we find lack of air, pressure on the chest, inability to move the body, and inability to distinguish clearly the details of the environment in which you are, such as, for example, the bed, the bedside table, the alarm clock, etc. In almost all cases, these episodes also occur when the person is sleeping on their stomach.

Before going to sleep

Exercising every day will help you enjoy a more peaceful night’s sleep. It will also help you take a little break from work once or twice throughout the day, closing your eyes, relaxing and breathing deeply.

Another useful tip is to avoid excess caffeine and stay outdoors for at least 30 minutes every afternoon. Another very important aspect is to try to go to sleep at a regular time, so that you have enough hours of rest every night.

What to do during a sleep paralysis attack?

Some people find it helpful to focus on moving a small muscle, such as a finger, or neck, and thus are able to “wake up” their body. Others, on the other hand, focus on breathing, trying to keep it quiet, until the body starts moving again. In all cases, try to remain calm and observe what is happening to you from a logical point of view.

Carla MacKinnon *, who has suffered from this disorder since childhood and has done a lot of research on it, says: “I have noticed that by focusing on the details of this experience and comparing them to my studies, I can distract my mind from the feeling of fear and threat. In this way, I am able to drive out the suffocating dark power that once possessed these episodes ”.

Has such a thing ever happened to you? If you have had similar experiences, do not be discouraged, you are not alone and it is even possible to combat this frightening ailment.

Cover image courtesy of Gabriele Negri

* Carla MacKinnon is the director of The Sleep Paralysis Project and, in May 2013, she completed the production of a short film on sleep paralysis, entitled Devi in ​​the Room . This short film makes use of techniques such as step-one animation, live action and projection mapping to evoke and explore the worlds that lie halfway between the eve and the unconscious. The short film was made by Carla MacKinnon for the Masters in Animation at the Royal College of Art’s and created in collaboration with the art and technological resources of the Seeper studios.