Sleep paralysis is no laughing matter, say neurologists

Described as the momentary inability to move the body or speak, while the mind remains perfectly alert and awake, sleep paralysis may be considered a scary experience - wherein the body and the mind are not on the same page.

Stating that it is a condition that not many are aware of, Dr V Sathish Kumar, Consultant Neurologist, Gleneagles Global Hospital, said, “It is one of the many neurological troubles people experience. The most common association of sleep paralysis is Narcolepsy, which is a sleep disorder, characterized by excessive sleepiness, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and in some cases episodes of partial or total loss of muscle control. It occurs equally in men and women and is thought to affect roughly one in 2,000 people.”

Describing the condition, he said, “It is basically the problem of an individual being unable to move despite being completely awake. An individual will be able to hear and feel things around him but will be completely unable to react to the same.”

While it is opined that people tend to experience sleep paralysis at least once or twice in their lives, he said, “If it occurs too often, the individual must for sure visit a Neurologist. Persons suffering from sleep paralysis tend to doze off anytime and anywhere including while driving a car – which is extremely dangerous - hence the need for it to be checked,” said Neurologist Dr P Sampath.

With no restriction in terms of age, sleep paralysis can affect anyone. “There is some mechanism in the brain stem which is responsible for alertness as well as for the normal movement in the sleep,” he stated. “Sometimes, due to some issue, the person loses control and in the middle of the sleep, the brain does not activate the receptor and that can lead on to paralysis, which is temporary phenomena. However, when the brain stem function gets restored, it will start moving.”

However, it may be noted that it is a serious risk if undiagnosed, especially if it becomes more recurrent and prolonged. It can sometimes cause respiratory depression and in some cases result in the death of an individual, he said, adding, “A 22-year-old woman approached me after having visited a number of doctors, with the complaint that she was constantly sleepy. However, unaware of the condition, she did not visit a neurologist until she read up about the condition. Awareness needs to increase on the condition.”

While it may be a serious condition, it may also be the body’s way of urging the person to get some rest. “Most patients who come to me with this condition complain of terrible sleep cycles, with immense stress. However, even if it is temporary, it is important to get oneself checked if faced with the symptoms,” said the doctor.