Sleep paralysis is the temporary inability to move or speak when you are waking up or are on the brink of falling asleep. Although you are actually awake, your body is briefly paralysed, after which you can move and speak as normal. The paralysis can last from a few seconds to several minutes.
Some of the most common causes of sleep paralysis are: sleep deprivation, irregular sleeping patterns and your age. Sleep paralysis is more common in young adults. It is actually normal for your muscles to be paralysed at certain times whilst you are sleeping. Sleep paralysis occurs when the mechanism that causes your muscles to relax during sleep temporarily persists after you have awoken.
Sleep deprivation affects a high percentage of us, particularly teenagers and young adults. This is quite alarming considering that sleep deprivation can affect their concentration in lessons whilst at college or focus whilst at work. Therefore they will also be more vulnerable to sleep paralysis when they are in bed.
The best way to prevent sleep paralysis it to ensure that you have a regular sleeping pattern, avoid being sleep deprived at all costs. Not only will being sleep deprived make you more vulnerable to sleep paralysis, it can also have a negative effect on your attention span and your concentration levels as well as your ability to retain information. Another way to prevent the likelihood of sleep paralysis is to actually change your sleeping position.
