Ever had this experience before?
While sleeping u suddenly open ur eyes and u are aware of your surroundings but u cant just move your limbs, turn ur head or even say anything out loud. It's like something is pressing u down. The experience however is short lived and everything soon returns to normal. Some said it's diabolical spirits pressing you and all that others say there's a medical explanation. Any ideas please?

I have heard of a psychological angle to it. Also, from the one person I have heard complain about this- there seems to be an association with Anxiety Neurosis. . .though we can't say which one caused the other.

@Sweetdoct - This has nothing do do with "diabolical spirits, and there is no "medical explanation", but a physiological one.

Sleep Paralysis is a normal condition of the body that is instigated during sleeping to stop us from injuring ourselves during the "Rapid Eye Movement" dream stage (REM). It is the classed as a disorder when it becomes excessive.

When we sleep, we often dream. The dream state is called Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. To protect us from acting out our dreams, the body secretes a hormone that paralyses our muscles, except those of the eyes and diaphragm (for breathing). This mechanism is called "muscular atonia".
In the case of sleep paralysis, you wake up from REM sleep, but the paralysis hormone is still active in the body.
Sometimes, hallucinations may occur, making it a terrifying experience.

It can become more frequent if you are extremely tired, wake up suddenly, or using medication. Make sure you are relaxed before you go to sleep, avoid sleeping "face up", and if you have an experience, try to move ur facial muscles and eyes, don't try to move ur body, and relax. All in all, an experience should last between a few seconds to a minute. If any longer, it is best to see a Sleep Specialist, as you may be suffering from Narcolepsy - a more serious condition

@romeo4real, I don't think even a sleep specialist could've explained it better.- are you one?
Sincerly though, you were brief and precise and I learned a thing or two. Great work/research.

@MUZBO - No, im not a sleep specialist, but i am quite knowledgeable on medical matters, especially the Naturopathy and Holistic approach to disorders and illnesses. I am a trained Fitness Coach and Nutritionist though - amongst other things.

@ Romeo
That was a great explanation u've given there. I now perfectly understand. Thanks a lot and I think u should write a book. However since u said u're quite knowledgable on neuropathic matters I'll also like to hear ur view on this issue; there's this friend of mine who has not been sleeping I just cant fathom why a person will just not sleep. Whenever this goes on for like 3 days he starts to show signs of neurosis. So he's constantly on this drug(Chlorpromazine) which he takes at night everyday before going to bed (has been on the drug for almost 20yrs now). However in recent times he noticed that d medication is no longer as effective as it used to be there are nights he doesnt sleep more than 2-3hrs and there are nights he doesnt sleep at all despite taking the drug. All d doctors could say was that he should continue with d drug. Any ideas we are all getting worried. Is it still possible for him to sleep naturally without the drug? His sickness started around when he was 30, before then he was sleeping well and naturally.

excellent explanation romeo . . . i sometimes experience this and usually when i'm dead tired. It doesnt last more than 30 secs and i bat my eyelids furiously to get me moving again.

@sweetdoct247 - Chlorpromazine is drug that has many uses in humans and animals. However, it is mainly used as an antipsychotic in the treatment of mental illnesses like Schizophrenia, Manic Depression and Bipolar Disorder, amongst other things. It works by affecting the pathways of neurotransmitters in the brain - namely Dopamine.
Why your friend would be prescribed this powerful drug to treat what you essentially describe as Chronic Insomnia defeats me. Most people would show signs of neurosis having being denied sleep for 3 days - That is why sleep deprivation is regarded an extremely useful form of torture.

The question is - Why was he prescribed this drug? Was there any diagnosis of mental illness(depression, anxiety, behavioral problems) in addition to the Insomnia? Was there any momentous event that happened around the same time the Insomnia started? Was there any anxiety/stress/ depression around this time? Did his lifestyle change? Is he overweight? Does he suffer from Sleep Apnea or Narcolepsy? Are there any stimulants in his diet - Caffeine/Sugar/Kola etc? - All these issues could precipitate insomnia.

I would not advise him stopping the drug immediately, as i dont know why it was prescribed. If he chooses to come off it, he should do so by reducing the dosage gradually, and there are some very effective natural supplements that can combat Insomnia.

Lavender - You c an get this in Oil form. A few drops on the pillow at night will help him relax.
Valerian - This is a herb and a well known remedy for Insomnia. You can buy in it tablet/capsule form, and taken 1hr before bedtime. Do NOT use with any other other medication, sedative or alcohol.
Melatonin - This is actually a hormone made in the body at night, from Serotonin (a neurotransmitter). It can be taken 30 mins before bedtime
Magnesium - This is a natural sedative and helps relaxation. You can buy as a supplement (250mg). Take 2tabs/day. It is also found in seed, spinach, wheat bran, almonds, cashews and yeast.
Diet - Remove any stimulants form the diet (Coke, Sugary drinks, Caffeine, Alcohol and any Smoking substances)

that happened to me once before (i think it was 2 or 3 years ago) wen i woke up from sleep in the middle of the night. my God  i was soo scared i couldn't feel my right arm   i was screaming and rushing to my parents room but by the time i got there the feeling was coming back again. hahah
i felt stupid afterward 'cus my mom just hissed n rolled her eyes at me for scarring the life out of her over such petty thing.

i pray to God to never experience such a thing ever again. ha  

@sweetdoct247 - Chlorpromazine is drug that has many uses in humans and animals. However, it is mainly used as an antipsychotic in the treatment of mental illnesses like Schizophrenia, Manic Depression and Bipolar Disorder, amongst other things. It works by affecting the pathways of neurotransmitters in the brain - namely Dopamine.
Why your friend would be prescribed this powerful drug to treat what you essentially describe as Chronic Insomnia defeats me. Most people would show signs of neurosis having being denied sleep for 3 days - That is why sleep deprivation is regarded an extremely useful form of torture.

The question is - Why was he prescribed this drug? Was there any diagnosis of mental illness(depression, anxiety, behavioral problems) in addition to the Insomnia? Was there any momentous event that happened around the same time the Insomnia started? Was there any anxiety/stress/ depression around this time? Did his lifestyle change? Is he overweight? Does he suffer from Sleep Apnea or Narcolepsy? Are there any stimulants in his diet - Caffeine/Sugar/Kola etc? - All these issues could precipitate insomnia.

I would not advise him stopping the drug immediately, as i dont know why it was prescribed. If he chooses to come off it, he should do so by reducing the dosage gradually, and there are some very effective natural supplements that can combat Insomnia.

Lavender - You c an get this in Oil form. A few drops on the pillow at night will help him relax.
Valerian - This is a herb and a well known remedy for Insomnia. You can buy in it tablet/capsule form, and taken 1hr before bedtime. Do NOT use with any other other medication, sedative or alcohol.
Melatonin - This is actually a hormone made in the body at night, from Serotonin (a neurotransmitter). It can be taken 30 mins before bedtime
Magnesium - This is a natural sedative and helps relaxation. You can buy as a supplement (250mg). Take 2tabs/day. It is also found in seed, spinach, wheat bran, almonds, cashews and yeast.
Diet - Remove any stimulants form the diet (Coke, Sugary drinks, Caffeine, Alcohol and any Smoking substances)

My father and i used to experience this stuff regularly in the past.Its a horrible experience.I even had difficulty breathing.One day i discovered one of the major causes of my paralysis - lack of blood flow to the head.I had bad sleeping positions.And worse still, i used to rest my head on a hard pillow with the back of my neck pressing hard against the pillow.That automatically cut off the flow of blood to my head causing the paralysis.When i noticed this i changed my sleeping positions and got a softer pillow.I dont recall having sleep paralysis since then.

I strongly believe sleep paralysis, apart from being partially a psychological problem, is majorly caused back a limited supply of blood and oxygen to the brain.

.

@sweetdoct247- I posted a detailed reply to your query (re: ur friend) about 2 weeks ago. It was removed by the Spam Bot, and i was assured it would be re-posted. It obviously has not. I will try to find it and repost.

@sweetdoct247 - Here is my original post.

Chlorpromazine is drug that has many uses in humans and animals. However, it is mainly used as an antipsychotic in the treatment of mental illnesses like Schizophrenia, Manic Depression and Bipolar Disorder, amongst other things. It works by affecting the pathways of neurotransmitters in the brain - namely Dopamine.
Why your friend would be prescribed this powerful drug to treat what you essentially describe as Chronic Insomnia defeats me. Most people would show signs of neurosis having being denied sleep for 3 days - That is why sleep deprivation is regarded an extremely useful form of torture.

The question is - Why was he prescribed this drug? Was there any diagnosis of mental illness(depression, anxiety, behavioral problems) in addition to the Insomnia? Was there any momentous event that happened around the same time the Insomnia started? Was there any anxiety/stress/ depression around this time? Did his lifestyle change? Is he overweight? Does he suffer from Sleep Apnea or Narcolepsy? Are there any stimulants in his diet - Caffeine/Sugar/Kola etc? - All these issues could precipitate insomnia.

I would not advise him stopping the drug immediately, as i dont know why it was prescribed. If he chooses to come off it, he should do so by reducing the dosage gradually, and there are some very effective natural supplements that can combat Insomnia.

Lavender - You c an get this in Oil form. A few drops on the pillow at night will help him relax.
Valerian - This is a herb and a well known remedy for Insomnia. You can buy in it tablet/capsule form, and taken 1hr before bedtime. Do NOT use with any other other medication, sedative or alcohol.
Melatonin - This is actually a hormone made in the body at night, from Serotonin (a neurotransmitter). It can be taken 30 mins before bedtime
Magnesium - This is a natural sedative and helps relaxation. You can buy as a supplement (250mg). Take 2tabs/day. It is also found in seed, spinach, wheat bran, almonds, cashews and yeast.
Diet - Remove any stimulants form the diet (Coke, Sugary drinks, Caffeine, Alcohol and any Smoking substances)

Alright. Ve checking in for it everyday actually

@ Romeo
dont know why thses spam bots keep disagreeing with your posts. . . dont worry, they'll appear soon enough

Lol. Am a dr here o. I used to have it earlier in life, and my parents used to cast and bind and cast and bind cos they thought i was possesed. Luckily after med school i got better knowledge. Unfortunatly i also have mild sleep apneas, so initially my bfs normally get scared and worried, but am managing it. The sleep paralysis aint half as scary as the sleep apnea, you just stop breathing in ur sleep

well,everything physical has a spiritual basis.Have experienced it n am not sure it has to do with whatever has been discussed earlier.it is 100% spiritual.my opinion sha

it is natural this normally happens as a result of pre occupied mind before u sleep or u were stressed i mean overwork your metabolism