Sleep Paralysis | The Waking NIGHTMARE
Institute of Human Anatomy・8 minutes read
Sleep paralysis affects 7% of the population, involving a demon-like creature hindering breathing during REM sleep due to high Gaba and glycine levels, with hallucinations triggered by stress and fatigue. Treatment focuses on lifestyle changes and medical assistance.
Insights
- Sleep paralysis affects 7% of people, causing a demon-like entity to sit on the chest during REM sleep, hindering breathing due to muscle atonia.
- Neurotransmitters such as Gaba and glycine play a crucial role in regulating muscle activity during sleep, with their levels impacting the occurrence of sleep paralysis by maintaining muscle atonia, leading to hallucinations triggered by various factors like stress or fatigue.
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Recent questions
What causes sleep paralysis?
Sleep paralysis is caused by a disruption in the REM sleep cycle, where muscle atonia prevents movement to avoid acting out dreams. This phenomenon is often triggered by stress, fatigue, or medications, and can be more common in individuals with psychiatric disorders or sleep conditions like narcolepsy.
How do neurotransmitters affect sleep paralysis?
Neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, Gaba, glycine, norepinephrine, and serotonin regulate muscle activity during REM sleep. In sleep paralysis, Gaba and glycine levels remain high after REM sleep, causing muscle atonia to persist and hindering movement.
What are common hallucinations during sleep paralysis?
Common hallucinations during sleep paralysis include hypnogogic and hypnopompic experiences. These hallucinations can vary based on cultural influences and are often triggered by stress, fatigue, or medications.
How long does sleep paralysis typically last?
Sleep paralysis is brief, lasting only seconds to minutes. It is a temporary phenomenon that occurs during the transition between wakefulness and deeper sleep stages.
How is sleep paralysis treated?
Treatment for sleep paralysis often involves lifestyle changes such as improving sleep hygiene and reducing stress levels. In more severe cases, medical assistance may be necessary to address underlying sleep disorders or psychiatric conditions contributing to the episodes.
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Summary
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"Sleep Paralysis: Demonic Creatures and Hallucinations"
- Sleep paralysis affects around 7% of the human population, causing a demon-like creature to sit on the chest, hindering breathing.
- Sleep paralysis falls under parasomnias, including sleepwalking, nocturnal seizures, and night terrors, occurring during REM sleep where muscle atonia prevents movement to avoid acting out dreams.
- Neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, Gaba, glycine, norepinephrine, and serotonin regulate muscle activity during REM sleep, transitioning the brain between wakefulness and deeper sleep.
- Gaba and glycine levels decrease after REM sleep, allowing muscles to function, but in sleep paralysis, these levels remain high, causing muscle atonia to persist.
- Hallucinations, like hypnogogic and hypnopompic, are common during sleep paralysis, often triggered by stress, fatigue, or medications, with cultural variations in the hallucination experience.
- Sleep paralysis is brief, lasting seconds to minutes, more common in individuals with psychiatric disorders or sleep conditions like narcolepsy, with treatment involving lifestyle changes and medical assistance.
