Sleep Paralysis Demon

Sleep Paralysis? What is that?

Imagine you come home after a hard day’s work and lie down to sleep, a contented smile across your face as you adjust your position and shift gears, entering a deeper state of sleep. Your air conditioner not disappointing as the blast of cold air takes you to the clouds.

Suddenly, you find yourself sweating, the room goes dark and stale and you’re unable to breathe! You struggle to come up for air, but find what seems like very powerful hands holding you down. No sound comes out when you try to scream. You lose control of your hands, then your legs.

If only you could summon strength back into them you would fight this evil force holding you down.

Resigned and expecting the worst you say a little prayer.

Sleep Paralysis

The phenomenon of sleep paralysis is as old as time. It is more common than we think. People rarely talk about it because a lot of times they are ashamed to admit that a ‘demon’ visited them in their sleep.

But what exactly is this phenomenon? What causes it and is there any way to manage it?

Sleep paralysis is a condition that happens when one is immobilized. The cause is not well understood but felt to be due to a disturbed deep sleep cycle.

In normal deep sleep, the brain immobilizes your limbs, this is to prevent you from acting out what is happening in your dream. Imagine having a dream where you are jumping from a height and your brain allows you to do this while asleep!

However what happens in sleep paralysis is when you are in this dream state, you are half awake and realize you cannot move. This brings a feeling of fear.

The condition may run in families, be due to stress and anxiety or occur when one has a disordered sleep pattern.

Things you can do to reduce your risk of having sleep paralysis include avoiding naps, don’t sleep on your back, and learn to have a full night’s sleep.

If it still distresses you, seek professional help.