{"id":36477,"date":"2025-07-30T17:58:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T17:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/damwebserver.com\/dreamdoctor\/articles\/stuck-in-the-position-2\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T17:58:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T17:58:20","slug":"stuck-in-the-position-2","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/damwebserver.com\/dreamdoctor\/articles\/stuck-in-the-position-2\/","title":{"rendered":"stuck in the position"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi Maria\u2014 <\/p>\n

<\/span>I\u2019m glad to hear from someone with Sleep Paralysis who is able to laugh about it afterwards. It just goes to show that there really is comfort in numbers. \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n

<\/span>Sleep paralysis is what happens when our minds wake up prior to our bodies. During sleep, muscle tone is very relaxed. During REM sleep (dreaming sleep) muscle tone is completely absent; we actually are temporarily paralyzed during each of our REM sleep periods so that we don\u2019t act out our dreams. If our brain wakes up before our body from either stage of sleep\u2014then we experience these moments of paralysis\u2014and like you say\u2014they can be quite frightening. <\/p>\n

<\/span>One of the most terrifying aspects of sleep paralysis is that our breathing is affected. This is because the muscles that support the chest\u2014which help us to breathe\u2014also are paralysed. We can breathe normally\u2014as if we were still asleep\u2014but if we go to draw a deep breath we find that our chest muscles don\u2019t respond. This often causes us to jump to the conclusion that we can\u2019t breathe at all, which in turn can cause us to panic. <\/p>\n

<\/span>For the same reasons, it is also difficult (or impossible) to scream or call for help during an event. The tongue, mouth and vocal cords are paralysed. This is especially unfortunate, as typically the touch of another person is all that is required to break the \u201cspell\u201d of the paralysis. <\/p>\n

<\/span>Occasions of sleep paralysis typically are infrequent enough\u2014and of short enough duration when they do occur\u2014that sleep doctors do not prescribe medication to prevent them. Sleep paralysis can be annoying and frightening, but most physicians prescribe relaxation during the event, coupled with a patient will to awaken oneself. Most periods of sleep paralysis do not last more than one minute. <\/p>\n

<\/span>The medication that you currently take, which is a member of the SSRI medications\u2014used <\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span> most commonly to treat depression\u2014dramatically <\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span> reduces the overall <\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span> amount of REM sleep you experience. You are correct in drawing a link<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span> between your use of this medication and the decrease in frequency of your sleep paralysis. Most cases of sleep paralysis arise from REM sleep.
<\/p>\n

Back to original question<\/a>
Back to Sleep Paralysis page<\/a><\/span>
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