Open your eyes, but the body does not answer. You try to shout, but the voice does not come out. Feel an overwhelming weight on the chest and an indistinct figure next to the bed. It’s night, but you’re not dreaming. You are experiencing an episode of sleep paralysisa phenomenon as widespread as shocking, often accompanied by visual or auditory hallucinations so vivid as to seem real.
Many describe it as a real nightmare with open eyes. There are those who see demonswho hears hostile appearances, those who perceive they are touched or immobilized by something invisible. And science confirms: about the 30% of the world population He experienced this condition at least once in his life.
When the brain wakes up, but the body remains blocked
In 2005, Baland Jalal was only 19 when he woke up for the first time paralyzed. The room was familiar, but something was wrong: «I couldn’t move, nor speak. I felt a creature lift my legs, then start strangling me. I was convinced that I would die. “
Today Jalal is 39 years old, a doctorate in psychiatry, works in Harvard and has become one of the main scholars in the world of this phenomenon. His experience prompted him to understand what really happens during sleep paralysis and because our brain generates such frightening visions.
During the REM sleepphase in which we dream more intensely, the body enters a state of natural paralysis To prevent we move and hurt ourselves. Sometimes, however, the brain is “reactivated” before the body: we remain aware but blocked. And it is in this short circuit that chaos takes place.
According to the neuroscientist Matthew Walker, director of the center for Human Sleep Science of the University of California, Berkeley, sleep paralysis is a collision between a cute and body still immersed in deep sleep. Our nervous system, unable to obtain responses from the body, interprets this imbalance as a danger, generating visions and powerful sensations.
About 40% of the affected people have hallucinations during the episodes, e 90% It describes them as frightening. Visions change from culture to culture: in Egypt and in Italy there are common figures such as witches or wicked genes; In Denmark or in the US, however, the interpretation is often more rational and less terrifying.
The main risk factors
But what is sleep paralysis from? Experts agree on one thing: it is a malfunction in the transition between sleep phasesbut there are various elements to favor it.
Among the most common:
Jalal says that the episodes were more frequent during university years, when stress was high. Even today, he says, he has one or two a year, always in emotionally intense periods.
Although not dangerous, sleep paralysis can have important psychological effectsas an anticipatory anxiety, insomnia, or even symptoms similar to trauma. This is why it is important.
A natural approach to face it
Are there care for sleep paralysis? Not exactly. But frequency and intensity can be reduced.
According to Walker, the first weapon is the sleep quality: sleep at least 7-9 hours every night, follow regular rhythms and reduce stress with relaxation, yoga or mindfulness techniques. In some cases, specific psychological therapies may be useful, such as the CBT-Icognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia.
For the most serious cases, some doctors prescribe Triciclici or SSRI antidepressantswhich can reduce the duration of the Rem phase and stabilize sleep. But they are not without risk: in rare cases, prolonged use can cause disorders related to REM sleep.
Jalal, however, has developed one Natural therapy called Meditation-Relaxation Therapy. Tested in 2020 on a small group of patients with narcolepsy, he showed a 50% reduction in episodes in eight weeks. A larger study in Harvard is currently underway.
The technique includes four simple steps:
- Cognitive revaluation: close your eyes and remember that you are not in danger. It is a common phenomenon.
- Emotional distancement: accepts that it is an illusion generated by the brain. Fear worsens experience.
- Positive thinking: focus on something that reassures you, like a loved face or a prayer.
- Muscle relaxation: avoid moving. Although some techniques advise you to move fingers or feet, Jalal recommends immobility in order not to aggravate hallucinations.
Understand what happens during these episodes e give a name to what you feel It can help reduce fear. And perhaps, over time, even to get rid of their night demons.
