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What is Sleep Paralysis

January 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
What is Sleep Paralysis - Immobility during sleep

What is sleep paralysis?

 

Often, people misdiagnose sleep disorders due to overlapping symptoms experienced in some, in the following article we hope to provide you with detailed and distinct knowledge of what is sleep paralysis?

That feeling when you’re sleeping and you feel as if you are drifting through dreams and suddenly you’re fully aware of your surroundings, following which you are unable to move at all and you feel another’s presence, that is the empirical essence of what is sleep paralysis. The prospect of sleep paralysis is rather scary, and therefore it is important to know exactly what is sleep paralysis so you’re in a better position to realize it and deal with it the next time.

To begin to uncover the question what is sleep paralysis, quite simply, it is a condition in which an individual experiences partial or absolute inability to carry out voluntary movements. This either happens just as you are falling asleep, (hypnogogic or predormital) or in most cases upon awakening from sleep (hypnopompic or postdormiral). It mostly happens when one is in a supine position and the paralysis lasts anywhere between seconds to several minutes.

Understanding what is sleep paralysis and narcolepsy

 

What is Sleep Paralysis - Immobility during sleep
Sleep paralysis is a condition in which an individual experiences partial or absolute inability to carry out voluntary movements.

Sleep paralysis is most often associated with narcolepsy, a neurological condition whereby one experiences sudden bouts of daytime sleepiness. Therefore it is always good to get your condition checked by a doctor to ensure you do not have narcolepsy, as unlike sleep paralysis, that is a physically harming condition. There is no real causation of sleep paralysis yet discovered, it could be a number of factors such as genetics, immunity etc. General symptoms covered when considering what is sleep paralysis, include immobility, the feeling of not being able to breathe, rapid eye movements, feeling choked and hallucinations of strange noises and images.

When looking at what is sleep paralysis, it is important to remember that the condition, is in no way harmful to the health, physically or even mentally. Except, while undergoing a phase of sleep paralysis, there is a strong feeling of fear and anxiety that is felt in the moment. It seems extremely scary and confounding and it’s hard to make sense of much immediately. This sensation can be heightened if hallucinations take place, whereby one begins to imagine the presence of someone either fantastical or horrific, which in most cases is extremely disturbing to the mind. During this whole phase though you are technically awake, the process must have been quite sudden, due to which the brain still believes it is dreaming. But within minutes the body fully awakens and either gradually or abruptly one will be able to move voluntarily again. The phase usually terminates upon sound or touch.

Sleep paralysis though seemingly unreal, is quite a realistic experience and is quite common. About 20% to 50% of the world suffers from it. It is found most commonly amongst university students (21%), a lot of which is owed to sleep deprivation, stress and the disruption of sleep-wake cycle schedules.

It is important to keep in mind the above-mentioned facts about what is sleep paralysis, to avoid confusing it or misdiagnosing it with other sleep and anxiety disorders.

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Sleep Paralysis Symptoms

January 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Sleep Paralysis Symptoms

Often looked over, sleep paralysis is a common condition suffered by many, to prevent from further such cases, below is a detailed outline of sleep paralysis symptoms and what bring them about.

Primary Sleep Paralysis Symptoms

 

Sleep paralysis is not only extremely easy to diagnose, unlike some other sleep disorders, it is also one of the scariest sleep disorders for one to experience. It throws our body in a state of paralysis, just as we’re awakening from sleep or falling asleep. Our muscles don’t move at all for periods ranging from seconds to minutes, even though one can sense everything else. It often sets in stress and brings about modes of panic due to the trapped and helpless feeling, for any person experiencing it.

Sleep Paralysis Symptoms – Inability to move or talk

 

The primary and most obvious sleep paralysis symptom is the partial or complete inability to move or talk, you can feel heavy pressure on your chest, restricting your breathing and sometimes you might also realize a choking feeling. You will be completely aware of your surroundings and of the fact that you are trying to move but cannot. You will unknowingly continue to perform involuntary movements such as blinking your eyes or breathing, even though it might not feel like you can. This sleep paralysis symptom occurs as while you sleeping and dreaming, there is often movement and sometimes the brain signals to paralyze the muscles to prevent movement and possible injury while you are asleep and dreaming. Hence even when you suddenly wake up, sometimes the brain fails to perceive that and continues to presume you are asleep and retains the state of paralysis. It is an extremely frightening experience but brings no hard at all to the body.

Sleep Paralysis Symptoms -Hallucination

 

Sleep Paralysis Symptoms
Having hallucinations while sleeping is a common symptom of sleep paralysis

The second sleep paralysis symptom is what we see as frightening illusion images, which doctors call a hallucination. You might experience frequent episodes of hypnagogic and hypnopompic experiences. Most times these hallucinations occur in a form whereby it makes us feel that some evil presence is trying to harm us in some way, either being very closely watching the individual or in some way bodily harming the individual. In most cases it is some form of a demon or an alien. Other forms of hallucination that might take place are acoustic, where loud noises can be heard, exosomatic, vibrations or tremors are felt, it could be visual, where we view a scenario taking place of any possible nature, or it could be hallucinations within which you are experiencing extreme pain of some sort. These hallucinations can vary in intensity, could be very slight and fleeting or extremely solid where you believe it like you are awake and experiencing it. The latter sleep paralysis symptom being scarier and more dangerous to one’s mental state. Hallucination is definitely an important sleep paralysis symptom, however if it occurs always or almost always it is usually the case that it is a symptom of a different and more serious health condition, sleep narcolepsy, in which case you will definitely need to visit a doctor.

As can be seen from above there are 2 primary sleep paralysis symptoms, which you might experience, seeing as how they are pretty obviously recognizable sleep paralysis symptoms, it would be wise to act on it as soon as you can, to avoid dreadful sleep.

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Sleep Paralysis Causes

January 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Sleep Paralysis Causes

What are the common sleep paralysis causes?

The scary feeling that you feel from not being able to move at all during sleep, comes with sleep paralysis, to be able to avoid this fearful condition it is of essence to look at it’s parameters and sleep paralysis causes. In every 10 people, 4 experience sleep paralysis and it is so randomly spread that anyone can experience it at any stage when any of the causes are triggered, therefore it is important to learn of sleep paralysis causes.

There are quite a few sleep paralysis causes that doctors consider to be significant in bring about the condition, however these are all just widely considered theories, as the actual and primary sleep paralysis cause is still unknown. Sleep paralysis in effect is causes by a short-term episode of muscle paralysis, which disables one to move in any manner. It does not in any way cause any damage to an individual’s physical health but it does affect them mentally, sometimes quite severely. Those who suffer from sleep paralysis often feel extremely frightened when unable to move and experience immediate bouts of stress to the slight disorientation of not fully being able to grasp what is happening and it’s effects and reasons.

A very common sleep paralysis cause is narcolepsy, whereby you experience random, sudden bouts of extreme daytime sleepiness brought about by mixed brain signals regarding the sleep-wake cycle. The sudden state of being awake and then asleep is a major sleep paralysis cause. A lot of the times when you change your sleep schedule drastically it can also result in sleep paralysis, this is very common amongst first year university students as well for those who travel around a lot across several time zones. Moreover, irregular sleep schedules, also form substantial sleep paralysis causes, whereby you take frequent naps, sleep in very often or put yourself through sleep deprivation.

Major sleep paralysis cause – STRESS

 

Sleep Paralysis Causes

How sleep paralysis occurs?

Another major sleep paralysis cause is the presence of high levels of stress or even low levels of stress on a regular basis. The hormones released in your body when you are experiencing stressful situations, results in disturbed sleep and affects the motor ability when asleep. When people have a fear of sleeping alone for whatever reason and they do sleep alone, it can also cause a lot of stress brought about by fear, very often becoming a sleep paralysis cause. A lucid dream can often bring about sudden bodily movements that can be immediately succeeded by an episode of sleep paralysis. Also sleeping in a face upwards position or a supine position for long fixed time periods that freeze your body in that position for a time period causing sleep paralysis.

Certain medications, prescribed or unprescribed, contain chemical drugs which either induce or inhibit sleep and can bring about sleep paralysis as well. Hence it is important that you check that the medication you are taking doesn’t have large doses of sleep affecting drugs, as that can often become sleep paralysis causes.

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What is Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder?

October 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder is a type of disorder that occurs only during sleep. People that have this disorder flex their feet and kick their legs up during sleep. It may even occur several times during the night. Typically, the bed partner is the one that notices these leg movements. However, the person suffering from this condition may also awaken because of it. Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder is most common in the legs, but can also occur with the arms. Also, this disorder is found typically in older people.

Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder may worsen due to caffeine, alcohol, excessive cold or hot temperatures, certain medications, and sleep deprivation. Unlike the related condition Restless Leg Syndrome, that is diagnosed based on symptoms and history, Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder relies on sleep monitoring for diagnosis.

People that suffer with this disorder usually complain of insomnia or sleepiness and daytime fatigue. The incidence of this disorder is much higher in older people. The treatments that are available are limited at this time because there is limited understanding of this disorder. Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder affects a person’s quality of life by negatively impacting their family and social life, work performance, and daytime functioning.

Recent Research on Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder

 

In the last five years, research has found that this condition is more prevalent in children that have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Also, EEG patterns suggest that this disorder may be associated with an underlying arousal disorder.

Research studies have concluded that there needs to me more evaluation of spinal cords and brains from patients that suffer with Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder to identify possible abnormalities that underlie this disorder. Also needed is further characterization and identification of genes that are involved with this condition. In addition, it is important to determine the extent of daytime sleepiness and nocturnal sleep disturbance in adults and children that suffer with this disorder.

Scientists also encourage the study of the developmental changes that occur in adults to explain the higher incidence of Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder in the elderly. There is also a need to improve the treatment strategies that are available at this time for this disorder. Most frequently anticonvulsants, opioids, and dopamine agonists are frequently used to reduce the symptoms associated with Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder. However, long-term studies have not been conducted to make an assessment of the patient’s quality of life.

Treatments of Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder

 

The treatments that are today available to treat Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder are medications that include narcotics, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsant medication, and Parkinson’s disease drugs. The current first treatment recommendations are the anti-Parkinson’s medications. This type of medication very often eliminates or significantly reduces the symptoms of this disorder. However, it should be noted that at this time there is no cure for Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder, and the treatment that is provided is to relieve the symptoms.

Food and drinks that contain caffeine, such as soft drinks, tea, coffee, and chocolate should certainly be avoided. A person that suffers with Periodic Limb Sleep Disorder should avoid caffeine because it intensifies the symptoms of this disorder.

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Twitching While Sleeping

October 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Understanding Twitching while sleeping

Twitching while sleeping is a symptom and not a diagnosis of a disease and it is medically referred to as Sleep Myoclonus. This is the involuntary, sudden, twitching or jerking up in muscle or several muscles. Sometimes this twitching can occur in sequence or alone, with a pattern or without a pattern. This twitching may occur several times each minute or it may occur infrequently. This twitching, however, cannot be controlled by the person that is experiencing it.

The symptom of twitching while sleeping typically occurs during the first phase of sleep. It especially occurs during the moments of drifting off to sleep. Some forms of this type of myoclonus seem to be sensitive to stimulus. Some people that have twitching while sleeping rarely need treatment or are troubled by this condition. But, sleep myoclonus can be a symptom of a more disturbing and complex sleep disorder like restless leg syndrome, and if that’s the case it might just require a doctor’s treatment.

The causes of twitching while sleeping may develop as a response to a disorder but the truth is that the specific mechanics of the underlying issue is not fully understood. Some scientists believe that twitching while sleeping may because by over excitability in the portion of the brain that controls that movement. Some studies have suggested that an imbalance in brain chemicals may be an underlying cause for twitching while sleeping.

Some research has speculated that deficiencies or abnormalities in the receptors of some neuro transmitters may be responsible for some types of myoclonus. However, more research is needed in order to be able to determine how it is that these abnormalities can contribute or cause twitching while sleeping.


Treatment for Twitching While Sleeping

In the majority of cases there is no treatment that is indicated for twitching while sleeping. However, if treatment is necessary, then there are medications that can help reduce the symptoms. The drug of choice to treat myoclonus is a tranquilizer called clonazepam. When this drug is prescribed it is usually increased gradually until the person improves or its side effects become harmful. Loss of coordination and drowsiness are very common side effects for this drug. Also, the beneficial effects of clonazepam can diminish with time because the individual can develop a tolerance for this drug.

Other drugs that can be used to treat twitching while sleeping include primidone and barbiturates. Primidone is an effective antiepileptic drug, however it can have harmful long-term effects and can even cause liver failure. Barbiturates help to slow down the nervous system and causes antiseizure and tranquilizing effects. An alternative therapy for this condition is sodium valproate taken alone or in combination with clonazepam. These medications are effective for most people that suffer from this condition. However, some people do have an adverse reaction to these drugs.

Because of the complex origins of twitching while sleeping condition or sleep myoclonus. It may require the use of multiple drugs in order to find an effective treatment. Some drugs have been found to have a limited effect when used on a person, however they seem to have a greater effect when used with other drugs that act on the different mechanisms or pathways in the brain. Doctors and scientists hope that by combining several these drugs, they may be able to achieve greater control of twitching while sleeping symptoms.

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Sleep Terror Disorder

July 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

What is Sleep Terror Disorder?

 

Sleep terror disorder is a type of sleep disorder characterized by frequent, sudden and partial arousal of a patient from his sleep, screaming or crying in fear. The patient usually jolts up from lying down, and acts in a scared and frightened manner. Sometimes, those suffering from sleep terror disorders would suddenly stand up from bed, and unconsciously goes around, and this is when accidents happen. There have been cases reported where patients have fallen out of windows or down the stairs while in episode attacks of sleep terror disorders. People experiencing sleep terror disorders are not fully awake and are not aware of their actions. Oftentimes, they would react violently if someone tries to restrain or console them. The patient normally does not remember his night terrors once awake. Episodes of terror attacks usually last for about 15 minutes or so. While these episodes are commonly known as night terrors, the term sleep terror disorder is deemed more appropriate as these types of sleep disorders can also happen during the day.

 While sleep terror disorder is associated with emotional distress, the definite causes of sleep terror disorders are largely unknown. It is observed to happen to those who have undergone severe emotional trauma, but not for all cases. Sleep terror disorders are more commonly seen among children than among adults. There seems to be no clear pattern as to whether more boys are girls are affected; so gender is not a factor in the disorder’s dynamics. In most cases, children’s sleep terrors are said to be resolved before or during the time children enter into adolescence, without any special medical intervention. Cycles of sleep terror disorders are believed to go down with age as the amount of slow-wave sleep, where the terror episodes usually happen during sleep, also goes down as a person ages.

Diagnosis of Sleep Terror Disorder

 

 Diagnosis, especially among children, usually starts with parents approaching their children’s pediatrician about these abnormal sleep terror attacks. Currently, there are not much available laboratory tests to directly diagnose sleep terror disorders. Detection of this particular sleep problem usually comes from the description of the parent or the guardian of the episode attacks. Parents are encouraged to consult pediatricians or sleep specialists if children experience terror attacks several times a week, and if the sleep disruption is already affecting the child’s activities at daytime.

 If the sleep terror episodes occur infrequently, or if it they do not seem to interfere significantly on a person’s activities during the day, sleep terror disorders may not necessarily require active intervention and medication. The person can go on with his or her normal activities, granted that the sleep terror attacks do not largely affect his or her other normal daily functions. Some households take precautions  for children experiencing sleep terror disorder by rearranging furniture, such that children will not hurt themselves should they bolt up suddenly from their bed and move around at night. For some cases, especially for those who have gone through some traumatic experience, sessions of psychotherapy have also proven helpful in dealing with sleep terror disorders.

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