Alien Abduction or Just Another Case of Sleep Paralysis?

You wake in the middle of the night, your heart is pounding and you can’t move. Something is in the room with you. Is it an alien; a demon; a person from your past? You’re terrified, you can’t breathe, you begin to sweat. You try and scream but you can’t make a peep. In about thirty seconds, the “spell” is over. You can move again, your heart rate begins to slow and the visitor(s) in your room are now gone. What in the world just happened? A century ago, the superstitious attributed this experience to a demon sitting on the inflicted’s chest. These days many believe it to be associated with some form of alien abduction. Although these otherworldly explanations of the phenomenon can be enticing, it’s really just a common harmless sleep disruption called sleep paralysis.

According to Web MD, sleep paralysis affects about 40% of all people and is usually first noticed in the teen years. Sleep paralysis can affect men and women of any age group and lasts for as short as a few seconds and as long as a few minutes. Sleep paralysis is a very scary thing to endure because it inhibits both breathing and movement and can induce hallucinations. While stuck in the limbo between sleep and awake the mind can conjure up many strange scenarios including those that border on the supernatural. Although these experiences can end after the sleep paralysis is gone, some people can be psychologically traumatized by the event if they believe their hallucinations were real.

Sleep paralysis occurs when people wake up while transitioning between REM and non-REM sleep cycles. During REM sleep, your muscles are “turned off” so if you wake up during this period you will feel paralyzed until your body catches up and turns your muscles back “on” again. Sleep paralysis can be caused by a lack of sleep, changing sleep schedules, sleeping on the back, substance abuse or certain prescription medications. If you are experiencing sleep paralysis, the best thing to do is start regulating your sleep schedule by attempting to go to sleep and wake at the same time every day. Although sleep paralysis can be a terrifying experience, it is rarely necessary for it to be treated by a physician. Although, if a doctor does feel that the symptoms need treatment, they most commonly prescribe antidepressants which help to regulate sleep cycles.

So next time someone tells you they were visited in the night by aliens or an angry leprechaun, let them know that it was just a case of sleep paralysis and they needn’t be afraid of what lurks under their bed. Unless, of course, there are leprechauns hiding beneath their box spring; and if that’s the case, SleepBook suggests you call a paranormal investigator.