Sleep Paralysis

What predicts distress after episodes of sleep paralysis?

(Medical Xpress)—Ever find yourself briefly paralyzed as you're falling asleep or just waking up? It's a phenomenon is called sleep paralysis, and it's often accompanied by vivid sensory or perceptual experiences, which ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Mar 04, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study identifies how muscles are paralyzed during sleep

Two powerful brain chemical systems work together to paralyze skeletal muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, according to new research in the July 11 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The finding may help scient ...

Neuroscience created Jul 11, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Psychologists chase down sleep demons

What do Moby Dick, the Salem witch trials and alien abductions all have in common? They all circle back to sleep paralysis.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Oct 17, 2011 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (6) | comments 2 | with audio podcast


Sleep paralysis is paralysis associated with sleep that may occur in healthy persons or may be associated with narcolepsy, cataplexy, and hypnagogic hallucinations. The pathophysiology of this condition is closely related to the normal hypotonia that occurs during REM sleep. When considered to be a disease, isolated sleep paralysis is classified as MeSH D020188. Some evidence suggests that it can also, in some cases, be a symptom of migraine.

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