More Americans than ever are suffering from sleep disorders that keep them up at night, keep them from waking up in the morning, or that make sleep an unpleasant experience. Sleep paralysis is a common sleep disorder that has a profound effect on the way that tens of thousands of Americans sleep. So, how real is sleep paralysis?
More people suffer from sleep paralysis than admit — but how real is the phenomenon?
What is Sleep Paralysis?
Sleep paralysis is very similar to the normal paralysis that can occur during the REM cycle of sleep. Normal sleep paralysis occurs due to how neurons in your brain stem function during that sleep stage. These neurons prevent any body movement, block out any sensory input, and give your brain the brain activity that shows up during the REM stage. Sleep paralysis happens when you wake up during the middle of the night and find yourself unable to move your body at all. In some cases, sleep paralysis also involves vivid and terrifying hallucinations that can be hard to discern from reality.
What Happens in the Brain During Sleep Paralysis?
Sleep paralysis occurs during the REM stage of sleep, where your body is working to stop your muscles from “acting” out your dreams in real life. Typically, this ends when you enter another sleep stage or wake up. When people have sleep paralysis, they wake up during REM sleep and are still suffering from a lack of muscle movement, hence the name for the sleep disorder— sleep paralysis.
Is Sleep Paralysis Really a Problem?
Sleep paralysis can have many crippling effects on people suffering from it. It is often linked to narcolepsy, where people have the uncontrollable urge to sleep and suddenly start to slumber, no matter what they are doing or where they are. It can be very difficult to manage, as the feelings of terror do not fade once they are able to move their limbs again.
Sleep in Comfort with All American Mattress
At All American Mattress, we have the expertise and great prices to help you choose the perfect pillows and foam mattress for your bedroom. We have mattresses and bed frames available made from a variety of materials to suit your needs, whatever they are. Stop by our showroom, visit us online, or give us a call at (410) 451-9006 to see how we can get your toddler sleeping through the night. We offer brand names at affordable prices and we will always work hard to keep your whole family comfortable. For more mattress shopping tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
Tags: sleep disorder, sleep habits, sleep paralysis, Sleep Tips