Hello?
Is anybody there?
I can’t move.
Why can’t I move?
Hello?
Somebody help me!
Please!
The following is the first video in a twelve part series on disturbing sleeping disorders.
In this first installment, we'll be discussing sleep paralysis; what causes it and how it
affects the body.
Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move.
It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep.
In the Philippines, sleep paralysis is often referred to as the “bangungot”, and some
folklore has even suggested that people have died from this.
Sleep paralysis happens during REM sleep, when the body is temporarily immobilized.
This immobilization occurs as a natural way to prevent us from acting out our dreams and
potentially injuring ourselves, but the paralysis normally goes away once the body is roused
when we awaken.
When experiencing sleep paralysis, however, the mind wakes up often several minutes before
the body does, and thus, the body is still paralyzed despite the mind being fully conscious.
The experience can be terrifying, and it often coincides with sleep hallucinations, where
reports of an evil presence are common.
Also commonly associated with the experience are the feelings of being crushed or choked.
These sensations have given sleep paralysis a firm place in the world of paranormal folklore,
and also in the world of alien mythology.
So, why do we experience sleep paralysis?
Well, many people have experienced sleep paralysis at some point in their lives, and it can sometimes
be triggered by sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, or certain medications.
The key to dealing with it when it does occur though is to not fight it, and instead try
to relax and take slow controlled breaths.
Then, while remaining calm, attempting to move the extremities, such as toes or fingers
can often do the trick, as the feelings of paralysis are not as prevalent in these areas.
So, that’s it for part one of our series on the twelve disturbing sleep disorders.
If you would like to see part two, which is on insomnia, make sure to like this video
and subscribe to Pysch2Go.
Good night and sleep tight.