Sleep paralysis symptoms and causes. Sleep paralysis (sleep stupor)

Sleep apnea is of two types:

1. Hypnagogic - when falling asleep.
2. Hypnopompic - immediately after waking up.

From a medical point of view, the rationale is as follows: at the moment of the REM sleep phase, all the motor skills of the body are turned off, only the vital organs “work”. This is necessary for a safe, calm rest of the brain and body. Turning on occurs when you enter the stage of slow sleep or upon awakening. Sometimes the mediators of the brain responsible for these processes fail, which is why motor skills either turn on late or turn off earlier than expected. This results in sleep paralysis.

Is there a link to genetics?

To establish a predisposition to the state of sleep paralysis at the genetic level, scientists conducted studies with identical twins. It is these twins that "share" almost 100% of the genes with each other (fraternal - only 50%).

The experiment showed that the relationship at the genetic level actually exists. A predisposition to sleep stupor occurs in those people who have a mutation in a certain gene responsible for the cyclical sleep. Official confirmation of the relationship has not yet been presented, and geneticists have to do a lot of work in this direction.

When does immobility occur?

There are three stages of sleep:

1. fast phase.
2. slow phase.
3. Awakening.

In the fast phase, the brain is highly active, as are the heart muscle, respiratory system, and organs of vision. You can observe how a sleeping person's eyes move under closed eyelids. This means that at this moment he sees vivid dreams. All other muscles of the body in this phase are completely relaxed. If a person wakes up at this moment, with the correct functioning of the brain, all the motor mechanisms of the body are simultaneously launched, the muscles come into tone.

However, if there are sleep disturbances, failures at the genetic level, paralysis does not go away even after waking up. In most cases, a minute is enough for a person to come to his senses, but even during this short period, you can experience real horror and fear.

Sleep paralysis is a unique phenomenon of consciousness. Somnologists conducted tests and found that the activity of the brain in all participants in the experiment who experienced the anomaly falls on the phase of REM sleep, moreover, the results of the recordings are identical.

Most often, the phenomenon of stupor occurs at the time of awakening. It has been established that if a person wakes up in REM sleep or immediately after it, a stupor occurs. The brain still "sees" colorful dreams, while the body continues to "sleep" and remains motionless. Hence the effect - mystical phenomena, otherworldly shadows seem to a person, there is a feeling of horror and detachment of the soul from the body. In the normal state, awakening occurs at the end of the phase of slow sleep, after the body has completely rested, prepared for wakefulness.

Sleep paralysis - causes

Sleep paralysis sometimes acts as one of the symptoms of a neurological pathology:

• narcolepsy (spontaneous, unintentional falling asleep);
• somnambulism (walking during sleep);
• bipolar disorder (psychosis, in which manic activity alternates with deep depression).

But most often the phenomenon is spontaneous and occurs by itself due to short-term disorders of the nervous system, in which the stages of turning on consciousness after sleep and the work of the muscular system do not agree with each other.

What causes sleep paralysis? There are several contributing factors:

• violation of the regime of the day (frequent lack of sleep, short-term, but frequent falling asleep during daily activity);
• constant insomnia at night;
• stress in acute and chronic form;
• long-term use of pills that affect the nervous system (antidepressants);
• addictions in a chronic form (nicotine addiction, alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse);
• restless legs syndrome;
• the habit of sleeping on your back (it has been proven that when sleeping on your side, sleep paralysis occurs less often);
• hereditary factors.

Scientists have been studying this phenomenon for a long time and have done a lot of research. The result is staggering: 40 out of 100 people experienced paralysis after sleep at least once.

Both men and women of all ages are predisposed to the syndrome, but it is most often observed in the age group from 13 to 25 years.

Psychology point of view

Nightmares from sleep paralysis, according to psychiatrists, are not dangerous for the psyche of a healthy person. But if a person is emotionally unstable (this is especially true for women who are more receptive to everything), there may be problems associated with the fear of death, the feeling of falling into a coma.

This is due to the fact that the hallucinations accompanying the phenomenon are very realistic, and the defenselessness of a paralyzed body is frightening. Sleep paralysis is quite often accompanied by auditory hallucinations, when the sounds of the outside world are distorted, amplified, supplemented by echoes of a dream that has not yet gone completely.

Signs and symptoms

Different types of this anomaly have their own symptoms.

Hypnagogic stupor (when falling asleep):

• an unexpected abrupt awakening with an almost complete transition to sleep, when it seems to a person that he fell or someone pushed him;
• a feeling of numbness in the body due to fright;
• a depressing feeling, as if the end of life is approaching along with drowsiness, death may occur, or there is a feeling of falling into darkness;
• abrupt or complete understanding of what is happening around without the ability to influence it;
• a feeling of absolute awareness of one's own body (when fingers, hair, bones are felt, something that in ordinary life a person does not pay attention to and takes for granted);
• the realization that you can move your hand or roll over on your stomach, but the transition from thought to action takes an infinitely long time;
• the appearance of hallucinations of hearing - tinnitus increases, turns into ringing and into a kind of monotonous squeak.

Hypnopompic stupor (after awakening):

• complete immobility of the limbs, inability to open the mouth, utter words or shout;
• a feeling of heaviness in the body, as if someone, having leaned on his whole body, does not allow him to move;
• a sense of the presence of otherworldly mystical creatures, the appearance of which depends on the worldview of a person, his cultural, religious traditions (devils, the dead, vampires - any subconscious fears);
• feeling of animal horror at the level of primitive instincts (fear of death, suffocation, complete helplessness);
• waking dreams - conscious hallucinations in which a person sees shadows, ghosts, silhouettes of people where they should not be;
• sound hallucinations, accompanied by audible voices, steps, squeaks, knocks;
• disorientation in the world around (a person does not understand where he is);
• twitching of nerve endings in the fingers, limbs;
• a false sense of movement (a person imagines that he has rolled over on his back, although he has not actually moved).

Any of these symptoms force a person to wake up. Due to a sharp emotional surge that has arisen, a person may jerk his hand or moan softly. This helps to finally get out of sleep paralysis and wake up.

There are several common symptoms for both types of stupor:

• difficulty breathing, feeling of suffocation, lack of oxygen, it seems to a person that he has forgotten how to breathe;
• a false feeling that the heart has stopped, after which the heartbeat quickens;
• sometimes blood pressure rises, cold sweat appears, internal trembling appears, accompanied by a feeling of anxiety.

Symptoms are short-term and gradually subside after 1-2 minutes, but it feels like an eternity.

Diagnostics

Sleep paralysis does not apply to medical diagnoses; in the classification of sleep disorders, it is positioned as a type of parasomnia.

If sleep paralysis syndrome has occurred only once, there is no need to seek medical help. With frequent episodes, medical intervention is necessary. The doctor will take a history based on the events and factors described by the person. After that, if necessary, he will prescribe a special examination that will help identify the causes of frequent sleep paralysis.

The phenomenon may be a symptom of a mental disorder. A deeper diagnosis is needed if:

• stupors are repeated and regular and especially if they occur every night or several times during a night's sleep;
• the symptoms of sleep paralysis are pronounced, with a clear effect on the psyche and nervous system;
• there is a factor of confusion, a constant feeling of fear;
• there are associated sleep disturbances (nightmares, sleepwalking, daytime naps but insomnia at night);
• sleep paralysis is accompanied by other symptoms of mental disorders: panic attacks during the daytime, unreasonable aggression, increased suspiciousness.

To make a correct diagnosis, psychiatrists practice the following methods:

• The patient should constantly keep a diary in which he records each episode of sleep paralysis. Records should be very detailed, with a description of all sensations and experiences. Also, the doctor himself makes notes about the presence of other diseases of the nervous system and psyche, which act as risk factors. The diary should be kept from 4 to 6 weeks, if necessary, a longer period.
• Polysomnography is a recording of a patient's sleep using a computer program connected to special equipment. If sleep paralysis is not in a particular case a pathology of the patient's psyche, polysomnography will show the norm of sleep.

After the examination, when establishing pronounced signs of parasomnia that disturb the patient, he is sent to a specialist dealing with sleep behavior disorders - a somnologist.

Doctors say that sleep paralysis does not need special treatment and it is impossible to solve the problem only by taking sedative pills. However, specific prophylaxis is required for other aggravating circumstances - neurosis, stress, drug addiction, alcohol abuse. All these factors have a causal relationship, and paralysis will bother a person until he eliminates them.

By eliminating concomitant factors, it is possible to achieve normalization of sleep and get rid of recurrent sleep paralysis by following simple medical recommendations:

1. Develop the habit of going to bed at the same time.
2. Exercise regularly, be active during the day, and be outdoors more often. A healthy lifestyle helps to establish the interaction of the brain with the muscles, which allows them to achieve coordinated work during sleep.
3. Refusal of bad habits, exclusion of the use of tonic drinks before bedtime and in the evening, refusal to take pills that cause insomnia.
4. Airing the room before going to bed, taking relaxing baths and drinking relaxing herbal teas.
5. You need to learn how to fall asleep on your side, at first you can put objects under your back that prevent you from turning on your back, or fall asleep, clinging tightly to the wall.
6. You should set the number of hours needed for sleep. This indicator is individual - six hours is enough for someone, someone does not get enough sleep even for eight.

What to do if you experience sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis cannot be prevented if it has already happened. The brain in half-asleep is unable to understand where the dream is and where the reality is. However, any person can get rid of the syndrome as quickly as possible.

The main thing is to realize that shadows, monsters, witches and devils are hallucinations, they have no mystical background, they are harmless, easily eliminated. To stop the panic from sleep paralysis will help some rules.

What not to do:

• No need to rush to get rid of weakness in the muscles, try to raise your hand or turn your head. It has been proven that until the brain itself “turns on” the muscles, stupor will only increase the panic fear of helplessness.
• You should not hold your breath, as most people do when they are afraid of something. The cessation of oxygen supply leads to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the lungs, which further complicates the respiratory reflexes.
• But you don’t need to breathe too fast either, hyperventilation (oversaturation of the lungs with oxygen) exacerbates the feeling of anxiety and fear.

What should be done:

• try to mentally relax;
• take one deep breath and then breathe evenly, as usual;
• since the muscles of the mouth are also constrained, you need to try to make at least some sound with your mouth closed - mumble, moan;
• close your eyes tightly even with your eyes closed;

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The phenomenon in which a person suddenly wakes up at night and cannot move is called sleep paralysis. This manifests itself in people of different age groups and becomes the cause. A somnologist will help to cure the disease after diagnosing and establishing the cause of the disease. If the problem is ignored, there is a high chance that cases of sleep paralysis will increase, interfering with healthy sleep and normal daytime activities.

What it is

Old Witch Syndrome or sleep paralysis is a condition in which there is a sudden dysfunction of muscle tissue during sleep. As a result, a person completely loses mobility.

In the early stages of the disease, sleep paralysis occurs no more than once or twice a night. If the treatment is neglected, then the loss of mobility is observed up to 5 times in one rest. Each exacerbation is accompanied by a strong nervous shock - a person wakes up, along with which there is a strong fear and even panic. In difficult cases, patients report the occurrence of hallucinations.

Many mystical stories related to the appearance of ghosts and brownies in the middle of the night are told by people who are unaware of the existence of the problem, assuming that they are paralyzed by some higher or otherworldly forces. Meanwhile, sleep paralysis is a disease that requires treatment. Proper therapy can return the patient to healthy sleep.

Symptoms

Night paralysis is a condition in which a person leaves, but has not yet entered the waking period. The phenomenon combines physiological problems and psychological disorders, accompanied by a number of symptoms:

• Complete immobility of the body, except for the eyes;
• Syndrome of suffocation or heaviness on the chest;
• The apparent presence of third parties, accompanied by an auditory or visual hallucination;
• Fear turning into panic.

In the false stages of the manifestation of the disease, all these symptoms are combined. Due to the strong pressure on the chest, it seems to the patient that someone is sitting on him and trying to strangle him, which causes even more fear and aggravates the situation.

The reasons

The causes of sleep paralysis are sleep disorders. Normally, the fast-wave rest phase is accompanied by dreams. If due to some factors there was a desynchronization of consciousness and the musculoskeletal system, a person wakes up, but his body is not yet. As a result, the patient cannot move. That is, in fact, it is not the development of paralysis that is observed, but the maximum relaxation of the muscles, which is normal for a sleeping person.

Somnologists tend to believe that the causes of sleep paralysis in most cases are the result of a genetic predisposition and disruption of the central nervous system. Together, these factors lead to an imbalance between the physiological and psychological state of a person. However, there are other causes of the development of the disease:

• Prolonged stress, depression;
• Taking medications that cause sleep disorders;
• Drug or alcohol addiction;
• Psychiatric disorders;
• Frequent change of time zones, leading to a shift in the normal biorhythm of the body;
• Sleep on your back throughout the night;
• Lack of a stable daily routine;
• Overwork.

Treatment of sleep paralysis is possible only after establishing the cause of the disease. If it lies in external factors, then therapy and prevention methods will help to completely get rid of the problem. In cases where the sleep disorder is based on a genetic predisposition, complex treatment will reduce the number of exacerbations to a minimum.

Kinds

• Hypnopompic paralysis

This is a natural phenomenon that occurs during the transition from REM sleep to awakening. If in the process of rest the part of the brain that “turns on” the consciousness is activated, the person begins to perceive the world around him as in the period of wakefulness. At the same time, the part of the brain responsible for muscle activity continues to rest, which leads to temporary paralysis. The duration of this phenomenon ranges from a few seconds to several minutes. The hypnopompic type of torpor occurs when you wake up naturally, or, for example, when an alarm goes off.

• Hypnagogic paralysis

Otherwise it is called semi-conscious. It occurs in the process of falling asleep in cases where the muscles relax faster than the area of ​​​​the brain responsible for consciousness has time to turn off. If a person does not fall asleep in a short time, then he is aware of this state, which will lead to the emergence of a strong fear that activates the complete awakening of consciousness while maintaining muscle immobility.

The type of nighttime numbness affects the choice of therapy for the treatment of the disease, so often doctors conduct patient studies in the laboratory to recognize all the nuances of the onset of sleep paralysis.

Disease danger

Night paralysis itself is not dangerous to human life and health, since it is not a pathological or destructive process. However, the fear and panic that accompanies a sleep disorder can cause a heart attack, a nervous shock, or even a breakdown, and in rare cases, death. For this reason, you should not neglect the treatment of the disease.

The effect of sleep paralysis on the mental state of a person has not yet been fully studied, so sleep scientists cannot guarantee the absence of danger from this side.

Possible Complications

In a healthy person, the natural fear of sleep paralysis is accompanied by such manifestations as:

• Increased heart rate;
• Confusion of breath;
• Rapid or intermittent pulse;
• A sharp increase in muscle activity immediately after returning to normal.

When the condition stabilizes, all symptoms associated with fear and panic quickly recede. The only right decision in this case is to breathe deeply at a steady pace, try to calm down and move your fingers and toes.

Sleep disturbance causes complications in people with diseases of the cardiovascular system and in hypertensive patients. Strong fear complicates the condition, which can lead to death. If there are such problems, you should contact a somnologist immediately after the first case of sleep paralysis.

Complications occur in people who tend to attribute the manifestations of the disease to otherworldly forces. They explain their condition by the arrival of a brownie, deceased relatives, or the phenomenon of death soon. This obsession leads to fear of sleep, disorders of the central nervous system and even more problems with sleep. Against the background of the above problems, after the completion of the attack, the accompanying symptoms remain:

• breathing problems;
• Tachycardia;
• Hallucinations of various kinds.

In the case of physically healthy patients who do not see a mystical basis in what is happening, therapeutic therapy is aimed at stabilizing the physiological state. When the disease is accompanied by strong feelings, it is necessary to work with a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Ways to cause sleep paralysis

While people with sleep disorders are trying to get rid of the disease, others are learning how to induce sleep paralysis. This phenomenon is of interest because it allows you to feel an out-of-body state, so people who are passionate about esotericism are trying to cause numbness.

• Try to fall asleep on your back without a pillow, relaxing your muscles as much as possible, but controlling your mind and your own feelings. The transition to the necessary state is evidenced by a change in the sounds and perception of the surrounding world.
• If you drink a drink before going to bed that has a tonic effect on the mind, then the body will relax and the mind will be in an active state. To achieve the desired effect, preliminary overwork is necessary so that the muscles “turn off” much faster than consciousness.
• For people with a well-developed imagination, there is another way - to lie down in bed and try to reproduce the feeling of flying. In this case, you should relax the muscles as much as possible.

Any of the methods does not guarantee the transition to a state of night paralysis, but with certain efforts and adjustment of experiments according to your body, you will be able to achieve your goal.

How to alleviate the condition

The panic and horror that a person feels during sleep paralysis are emotions experienced at the animal level. Dealing with them is very difficult, because they are not amenable to rational explanation. But man, as a rational being, can do it. When a symptom recurs, several rules must be followed:

• There is no need to immediately try to get up - the brain is not able to respond so quickly to the awakening of consciousness and, as a defensive reaction, will further weaken muscle tone.
• After stabilizing the breath, you should try to realize what is happening. Fear comes when a person is in the gap between dream and reality. If you make the consciousness work in full force, the realization will come that hallucinations are nothing more than the remnants of dreams.
• After the panic subsides, you can try to move your eyes, fingers, or at least your tongue a little. As a rule, partial mobility is maintained, which will allow you to throw off the state of helplessness.
• Before you go back to sleep, you need to calm down. You can wash your face, take a shower, or drink warm, soothing tea.

When the disease occurs in one of the spouses, you need to warn the partner about this and ask him to wake up or calm him down if he notices an attack. Observation of patients showed that emotions are clearly reflected on the face, so it is not difficult to understand that a person is horrified.

Diagnostics

A single manifestation of sleep paralysis can be a response of the body to overload, so you should not worry. But if sleep disturbance recurs frequently, you should seek help from a somnologist or neurologist. The primary task is to determine the cause of the development of the disease. For this, various diagnostic methods are used:

• Conversation with the patient and his relatives;
• Sleep monitoring with a polysomnograph;
• Research on psychological balance;
• Search for problems from neuralgia.

When factors that influence the development of nocturnal paralysis are discovered, therapeutic therapy is being developed aimed at restoring healthy sleep.

Treatment Methods

The main methods include:

• Stabilization of the daily routine;
• Maintaining a normal level of physical activity;
• Exclusion of alcohol and smoking;
• Ensuring the flow of fresh air during sleep;
• Obligatory reception of a 15-minute hot bath before going to bed;
• A course of vitamins that support the immune system;
• Proper nutrition;
• Treatment or prevention of chronic diseases.

Medications

Since the desynchronization of the processes of physical and brain activity is not a disease in its entirety, a drug has not yet been invented that would help to quickly cope with such a sleep disorder. As an alternative, drugs are prescribed that suppress the activity of the central nervous system and guarantee a peaceful rest:

• Melatonin

Designed for the treatment of insomnia. Helps to normalize blood pressure and has a slight calming effect. Contraindications to treatment is the period of pregnancy and lactation in women, the age of up to 12 years.

• Neurostabil

Dietary supplement allows you to stabilize the nervous system, helps fight depression and stress. Neurostabil has a short list of side effects and has virtually no contraindications. The main "minus" of dietary supplements is that the minimum course of treatment lasts 4-5 weeks.

• Vita Melatonin

An effective tool that has a complex effect on the body. Vita-melatonin activates the immune system, improves intellectual abilities and productivity at work, and helps fight anxiety. The maximum course of treatment is 4 weeks. The main disadvantage of the drug is a long list of possible side effects.

vitamins

Often, doctors note that nighttime numbness is directly related to the exhaustion of the body, although the person does not notice this.

• BUT- normalizes sleep, strengthens the nervous system;
• AT- increases stress resistance;
• FROM– improves the activity of hormones of happiness;
• D- normalizes physical and mental activity;
• E- helps to relieve drowsiness;
• To- removes unreasonable anxiety;
• mg- stabilizes the process of falling asleep.

In a number of cases, it was noted that taking vitamins turned out to be the only effective way to treat sleep paralysis - after the restoration of the body's resistance, the balance of all systems returned to normal.

Physiotherapy

Procedures are necessary for the elderly and patients leading a sedentary lifestyle. Physiotherapy brings the whole body into tone and normalizes the psycho-emotional state. The main methods used are:

• Climatotherapy;
• baths;
• Acupuncture;
• Exposure to direct current;
• Massage.

This or that type of physiotherapy is prescribed only in accordance with the general state of health, therefore self-medication is not recommended.

Prevention

If nocturnal paralysis manifested itself once, then simple prevention methods will help prevent relapse:

• Treatment of exacerbations of chronic diseases;
• Taking soothing herbal teas;
• Airing the room before and after going to bed;
• Increase in time spent on rest;
• Eating no later than 3-4 hours before going to bed.

These measures will normalize the deep and REM phases of sleep, eliminate possible desynchronization in the work of individual centers of the brain.

Since sleep disorders are most often associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, experts recommend reconsidering your worldview and making a personal schedule in such a way that there is time to maintain health:

• Stabilize the schedule, depending on the time of work, so that the body gets used to the same mode;
• Get a smart alarm clock that turns on during REM sleep;
• Provide the body with normal physical activity at least 3-4 times a week;
• Give up bad habits and turn to proper nutrition.

If sleep paralysis has become a constant concern, do not self-medicate or take strong sleeping pills - this will only aggravate the situation. The disease requires treatment, so you should consult a doctor who can find the cause of the problem and act on it, and not on the symptom itself.

The experience of sleep paralysis is a very powerful experience that can instantly change a person's worldview from a materialist skeptic to a convinced mystic who is ready to see manifestations of otherworldly forces even where they do not exist.

Such an experience is not forgotten!

In a state of sleep paralysis (or sleep (night) stupor, as it is also called), people experience strong emotions and sensations. As a rule, these effects are very frightening in themselves. But, in addition, after the fact, when trying to realize what it was and where it came from, a person does not find a rational satisfying explanation. And it scares no less than the night experience itself.

Hence, there are explanations of the night stupor by the influence of otherworldly entities, such as: mara, kikimora, brownies, etc. Already in the early medieval texts on Christian demonology, there are references to succubi and incubi - female and male night spirits, respectively, who visit people in their dreams. In the mythology of the Sumerian civilization - the oldest known - there are references to the night demon Lilith, who kidnaps (kills) children and seduces men. Kabbalah also speaks of Lilith. According to one version, she became the first wife of Adam, but was created not from his rib, but from clay (ash), like Adam himself. Lilith rejected Adam, turned away from God and left Eden, and later became a demon herself.

Thus, legends about nocturnal supernatural entities are present not only in popular beliefs and superstitions, but also in developed mystical traditions that cover issues - no more, no less - of the structure of the entire universe. And to dismiss such legends would be too short-sighted and presumptuous. It is also foolish to deny the existence of a mystical, more precisely, a magical component in states of sleep paralysis.

In this article, I will review this unusual phenomenon. I will also tell you a little about the medical, rationalistic explanations of sleep stupor - especially since I do not see anything that would contradict the magical point of view in them.

What is sleep paralysis

Let us first describe the effects that accompany this state.

• Actually, paralysis itself - the body cannot move. Don't move a finger or turn your head.
• The feeling that someone or something is pressing on the chest, less often - holding hands, legs, or covering the whole body in general.
• It is difficult or impossible to breathe. Pain in the body.
• A clear understanding that in the room, besides you (and the one who should be nearby), there is someone or something else. This entity does not necessarily suffocate you, or touch you in any other way, but is present nearby, telepathically controlling your body and consciousness.
• Sounds are heard that can be very loud, or the volume suddenly increases to unbearable. Sounds can be like a squeak (high pitch), or a roar (low pitch), or generally an atonal rasp.
• Visions of supernatural, inexplicable entities - demons, shadows, spirits, even ... aliens.
• The feeling that you have been kidnapped, moved to another space. In a spaceship, for example, aliens.
• Other non-descriptive audio-visual hallucinations other than those mentioned above.
• Fear.

The traditional frightening effects of night paralysis are listed here. They are experienced by most affected people. I want to emphasize that I am wary of the word “hallucinations”, because what a person sees and hears may indeed be a hallucination, or maybe not. As a magician, I do not exclude the possibility of spontaneous contact, the possibility that an ordinary person can see an otherworldly entity.

I don't even deny the existence of aliens. Who knows what happens in the depths of the universe? But I am sure that most of those who talk about aliens most likely interpreted in their minds the images of the astral world that they spontaneously discovered in this way.

In addition to negative frightening effects, night paralysis can be accompanied by pleasant, interesting sensations. For example:

• Out-of-body or out-of-body experience. (Although this can also frighten an unprepared person.) We are talking about the exit of a subtle energy body from the physical shell. In this case, you can see yourself sleeping from the side. In this state, one can travel both in the physical world and in the astral world.
• Feelings close to near-death experiences (NDEs) are, in fact, usually pleasant.
• Feeling of bliss, euphoria.

However, people experience such phenomena much less frequently than negative experiences.

The effects can be different and, as you can see, even contradictory, but what is sleep paralysis ...

…From the point of view of medicine

Sleep has two phases - fast and slow. In the fast phase, people dream, their brains are more active, and their muscles relax. A drop in muscle tone is necessary for the body to remain calm during sleep. For example, somnambulism (sleepwalking) is a consequence of the fact that when falling asleep, the muscles do not relax, and a person moves, walks in a dream, and performs some actions.

Night paralysis happens when the body has already relaxed (already asleep), and the mind is still awake. All sorts of nightmares and unusual experiences arise due to the lack of habitual bodily sensations in the brain. For example: a sleeping person’s breathing slows down, and if his consciousness suddenly wakes up, but his body doesn’t, then there will be a feeling that it’s hard to breathe, something interferes with this, presses on his chest, etc.

According to statistics, sleep stupor affects about 10% of the population. Most people experience this condition:

• whose activities require a strong mental strain (students, when preparing for exams, for example);
• whose life and work is accompanied by severe stress;
• abusers of alcohol or psychoactive drugs;
• not observing diet and sleep patterns.

This is about healthy people. In addition, sleep paralysis is experienced by more than half of those suffering from narcolepsy.

... From the point of view of esotericism and magic

Almost everything that doctors say about sleep paralysis is true. And I cannot but agree with this - with everything except one thing: rationalists completely deny the connection between sleep stupor and otherworldly forces. I will now talk about this connection.

Firstly, I will make a reservation that situations are not excluded when the phenomenon of nocturnal stupor is not associated with otherworldly activity, especially if there are clinical prerequisites (narcolepsy disease, for example). Another thing is that the mechanism of sleep paralysis is not explained by medicine.

Stress, mental stress, confusion in the daily routine, alcohol - accompany many people in life, because we do not live in a sanatorium. Why is sleep paralysis so rare?

Because this is a state in which there is contact with otherworldly entities, with the world of subtle energies, etc. There are many names, but the essence is one.

Night stupor as an exit to another reality

I think most of my readers are aware that the unified nature of man is not limited to the physical body. Therefore, I will not expand in detail. I will only say that in various mystical and occult traditions there can be a different number of subtle bodies - from one to a couple of dozen. Most often, energy, mental and are separately called. I usually do not make such a division in my articles, so as not to complicate things. All these bodies are woven from subtle energies, therefore, in general, we can talk about the astral energy-information field or the human body. It is he who comes into contact with the other world.

Again, I emphasize that I avoid the word "supernatural" because I consider the subtle levels of reality as natural as the material plane. It's just that they are still inaccessible for technological measurements and scientific study. However, the possibility of their existence is already recognized not only by magicians.

Above, I named a whole scattering of phenomena that accompany the state of sleep paralysis. You can see that they are very different and even contradictory. Gamma sensations - from horror to bliss. This is explained by the fact that sleep stupor is a state of only the physical body, and a variety of things can happen to the energy body at this time.

They can be broadly divided into three groups:

• spirit attack;
• mage attack;
• spontaneous exit from the physical body and sensations close to near-death experiences.

The attack of spirits should be considered the impact of negative astal entities, endowed with the ability to act arbitrarily. These include all sorts of maras, bats, succubi and incubus. Why are they attacking? Because they saw such an opportunity - for example, a weak protective biofield of a person, or violations in the astral connections of energy exchange, which allow foreign egregors to wedge in.

Some malevolent spirits may be associated with the place. For example, brownies. Or if in a house in which a person is tormented by bouts of nocturnal paralysis, there is a restless spirit of a suicide (or).

Magic attack is almost the same. The only difference is that otherworldly entities pay attention to a specific person at the behest of the magician. It can also be the subtle body of the sorcerer himself, who is trying to "process" your astral field.

In the case of influence from spirits or magicians, the half-awakening of a person in a state of nocturnal stupor can be either an accident or a planned effect. For example: if the purpose of magical influence (, for example) is to torment the victim with sleep paralysis and nightmarish sensations.

If the causes of sleepy stupor belong to the first or second group, then one cannot do without the help of a magician.

Now about the reasons for the third group ...

During sleep paralysis, spontaneous exit from the physical body is possible. The sensations that a person experiences in this case are often called "out of body experience". They are close both in nature and in nature to near-death experiences (NDE), that is, to the experience of a person who has experienced a coma, clinical death.

During clinical death, the subtle body leaves the physical shell. The same result can be obtained in other states, for example, in meditation, in trance (shamanistic ritual), with sensory deprivation, etc.

Sensory deprivation (i.e. limitation) is when conditions are created under which most of the usual sensations that enter the brain through the senses are blocked, such as vision, hearing, tactile perception. Let me remind you that the phase of REM sleep is physiologically characterized by deprivation of tactile (bodily) sensations and visual information (unless, of course, you do not sleep with the lights on).

In the case of a coma, the effect of sensory deprivation occurs, so to speak, in the brain itself, because its cells experience oxygen starvation.

Of course, these states are all different, but they lead to one thing - to the exit of the astral body from the physical shell.

Is sleep paralysis dangerous?

If its causes are not related to magical intervention or the actions of otherworldly forces, then no. Doctors advise to normalize sleep, work, nutrition, etc., give up alcohol and drinks that stimulate the nervous system (coffee, strong tea), avoid stress and overwork. That's all "treatment".

When to beware of night stupor:

• If you have had such experiences, but there are no clinical prerequisites for them (I have already mentioned narcolepsy), then it is better to turn to a magician for a diagnosis. Sleep paralysis often indicates a hostile invasion of your astral field by malevolent energy entities or a magical attack.

• If you experience an "out-of-body experience" during sleep paralysis, it means that you are naturally highly sensitive and active in the subtle body. Perhaps you have a talent for practicing magic, or there were sorcerers and shamans in your family. But you have to be careful here:

Your openness to the astral world also means that you are more vulnerable to the influence of otherworldly forces. And - for any impact, including negative ones. Even if you practice entering the astral plane consciously, then you should protect yourself - put up powerful magical protection.

Frequent experience of "out-of-body experience" during sleep stupor may indicate.

Sleep paralysis as a magical practice

It is believed that shamans and sorcerers specifically achieve this state for astral travel and magical practices. This is not true.

Firstly, this is not the most convenient and, so to speak, unprofessional way. There are many others - meditations, lucid dreams, rituals, etc.

Secondly, sleepy stupor is called that - because this condition is involuntary, but pathological. Whether it's from a physiological point of view, whether it's from a magical point of view.

Therefore, I will say it again: if you, without any preparation, are trying to “master” subtle energy plans with the help of, among other things, states of night paralysis, then keep in mind that this is dangerous. Invading the world of otherworldly entities without recklessness. As they say, do not wake up famously ...

How to get rid of sleep paralysis

Most people do not experience sleep stupor regularly. More often than not, everything is limited to one unpleasant experience. But even in this case, I advise you to contact an experienced magician for diagnosis. Even a single phenomenon may indicate a very strong damage or. "Very strong", because the weakest and less dangerous influences do not manifest themselves in this way.

In principle, an experienced magician will be able to inflict a strong negative so as not to manifest himself, therefore sleep paralysis as a result of a magical attack is a magician's mistake. Of course, if such an effect is not planned by itself as a corruption aimed at exhausting and devastating the victim's energy resources.

The causes of sleep stupor can be different, therefore, the ways to get rid of the disease are different. It may be necessary to cleanse the place, expel the spirit, or correct the astral field, remove the negative. That is, magical actions can be performed both on a person suffering from night paralysis and on his habitat. The specificity of the rituals in each individual case is different.

Moreover, I strongly do not recommend solving the problem yourself (doing something like the one in the photo above). First, you need to know exactly how to solve it - what kind of magic to use. And secondly, unprofessionally performed so-called "village magic" is often ineffective, but can aggravate the situation.

If you contact me for help, I will start with a thorough diagnosis of the situation and only then tell you what is the cause of the problem and how I can help you.

The video below is a fragment of the ritual. The sorcerer strengthens the energy-informational field of a person suffering from attacks by astral entities that cause sleep stupor.

Sleep paralysis is a disease that leads to complete paralysis of the muscles of the entire body immediately after a person wakes up or before the sleep period begins. a person close to hysteria, when the body ceases to obey. There are rare cases when an ailment becomes chronic, and a person simply gets used to a similar condition. The reason for this behavior of the body is considered to be the transition of brain activity from the period of sleep to the period of wakefulness.

The state of the body to which sleep paralysis leads is almost identical to ordinary paralysis, which occurs during REM sleep. It impedes the movements of the body, thereby allowing it to completely relax. After waking up from sleep, the brain does not have time to quickly adjust to vigorous activity, which is accompanied by paralysis for a certain time. These are the main causes of sleep paralysis.

The duration of this state can be different, ranging from a few seconds to 2 minutes. Despite the huge inconvenience, this phenomenon does not pose a threat to the human body. Sometimes, in a state of immobility, a person can partially move parts of the body, but the movements are given with great difficulty and effort. As for the perception of the surrounding world, while in a stationary state, a pronounced squeak and whistle can be heard, which also disappears over time.

The treatment of sleep paralysis is an urgent problem, since the 3rd part of the population at least once in their life is faced with this phenomenon. For the first time, the phenomenon manifests itself at the age of 10 years. In the first stages, an unusual state of the body manifests itself 2-3 times during the year. However, further attacks can become much more frequent.

Sleep paralysis is accompanied by feelings of terror, pressure in the chest, difficulty breathing, and a sense of body movement. Most people try to wake up completely, but such efforts do not bring results. The process may be accompanied by auditory and visual hallucinations. In 50 percent of the case, people are not even able to open their eyes.

Most often, sleep paralysis manifests itself in the supine position. It rarely happens in people who are accustomed to resting mainly on their side. A similar phenomenon is especially common when a person has difficulty with a night's rest. Paralysis takes possession of the body of people only during natural awakening. A sharp rise excludes the possibility of this phenomenon. Also, when sleep is interrupted due to certain stimuli, such as an alarm clock, screaming, bright light, and other factors, paralysis is simply not possible.

The methods of treatment are quite different. The most basic tool is the regulation of the mode of full sleep and rest. When an attack occurs, it is necessary to remain calm and try to move as actively as possible all possible parts of the body, eyes, fingers and tongue. Even if it doesn't work right away, don't stop trying. Some people suffering from this phenomenon prefer complete relaxation of every cell of the body. This allows you to restore the correct activity of the body and finally get rid of it. An excellent tool is the activation of the activity of the brain. Mentally solving problems, examples or equations, rhyming lines or making a plan for the day contributes to a quick return from an unpleasant state. You can restore the activity of the body by mooing or using other sounds that can be made without opening your mouth.

Most often, emotionally unstable and overworked individuals become victims of the disease. As a rule, the phenomenon is temporary, and gradually disappears after a certain period.

When a person wakes up in horror from the feeling that someone terrible is sitting on his chest and choking him, this only means that he met with sleep paralysis, which means that panic is inappropriate. The state on the verge of sleep and reality has been playing such “fun” games with the human brain and body since ancient times. To counter this harmless but frightening phenomenon that irritates the nervous system and interferes with normal sleep, you just need to deal with it and help yourself.

What is sleep paralysis or "old witch syndrome"

Sleep paralysis is one of the interesting physiological phenomena studied by somnology (medical and neurobiological research of sleep), which since ancient times has a mystically frightening name "old hag syndrome" or "old hag".

Sleep stupor or paralysis is a specific condition that occurs on the border of sleep and awakening, manifesting itself in the form of severe muscle weakness - short-term muscle paralysis, which is not pathological in nature and does not threaten health.

It seems to a person that he is fully awake, but is unable to move, although he sees and hears everything. At the same time, such a phenomenon is accompanied by a feeling of intense fear, and not only because of the inability to move or speak. The “victim” feels an invisible heaviness and pressure in his chest, as if an evil witch, as in ancient beliefs, sits on his chest and is about to strangle him. For this reason, the majority associates this state with the attack of otherworldly forces, and if 200 - 300 years ago they were witches, spirits, brownies and genies, then today they are mainly aliens, "aliens".

For one person, an attack of sleep stupor can happen once in a lifetime, for another - several times during the night, which is directly related to emotionality and the state of the nervous system. Single attacks of this type of sleep disorder in healthy people are noted in 30 - 40%, periodic in 5 - 6%.

Based on long-term studies, doctors say that the syndrome is completely harmless.

The main thing to remember is that during sleep paralysis, nothing threatens a person, he will not die, he will not go crazy, he will not fall into a lethargic sleep. He wakes up and everything will be fine.

Causes and risk factors

Based on many studies in neuropsychology and neurochemistry, it has been established that sleep stupor develops as a result of a disorder in the function of sleep regulation. In this case, the following happens: certain parts of the brain have already “woken up”, and the muscle reaction is delayed, or, conversely, the muscles completely relax, ahead of the moment the person is completely immersed in sleep.

Forms of manifestation

It is known that sleep includes phases of REM and non-REM sleep (FBS and FMS, respectively). According to the time of development, two forms of muscle stupor are distinguished:

1. In form I (hypnagogic), the old witch syndrome occurs in a semi-drowsy state, and the moment of entering REM sleep (FBS) has time to be recognized by the brain. Normally, when falling asleep, the brain turns off a couple of seconds before the physiological relaxation of the muscles, so the person does not remember when this happens.
2. In II (hypnopompic) and the most common form, sleep paralysis overtakes the "victim" upon awakening at the stage of REM sleep. And most often - if he lies on his back, especially - with his arms thrown over his head.

Much less often, muscle paralysis happens if a person sleeps on his stomach and on his side. And it never occurs when the alarm goes off, the light is turned on in the room, or forced to wake up. That is, the old hag syndrome develops only at the time of the natural transition from sleep to awakening, and vice versa.

What Happens When a Witch Attacks

Doctors consider sleep paralysis as a functional (not painful) condition in which the processes of turning on consciousness and the muscular system do not work synchronously (not simultaneously).

Hypnagogic paralysis

If, when falling asleep, the muscles managed to relax, and the body practically “fell asleep”, but the consciousness has not yet turned off, the person feels that he is not able to move and even utter a word, and since he does not know the reasons, he has a real panic.

Hypnopompic paralysis

Occurs at the moment of awakening. The deeper the sleep, the greater the relaxation of the muscles. In the FBS phase, the muscles are practically disabled, and brain activity, on the contrary, is sharply increased (we have dreams).

If at this moment the part of the brain responsible for consciousness is half awake, and the part of the brain responsible for motor functions is still "dozing", the person is aware of reality, but since the signals to the neurons of the muscle fibers have not yet reached, he is not even able to move, which gives rise to a sense of defenselessness and horror.

To come into tone, the muscles need time from 5 - 10 seconds to 2 - 3 minutes. This is how long sleep paralysis lasts, but this short-term state seems to stretch for many tens of minutes. At least, this is how a person who has been attacked by an “old witch” feels.

Risk factors

Although in the vast majority of affected cases, the syndrome is not associated with neurological or psychiatric disorders, it is not uncommon in people suffering from certain types of parasomnias (sleep disorders) such as narcolepsy (irresistible drowsiness) and somnambulism (sleep walking).

In rare cases, along with a variety of other symptoms, sleep stupor can be a symptom of manic-depressive psychosis (bipolar disorder).

It should also be emphasized that very frequent visits of "witches" are typical for people suffering from vegetative-vascular dystonia with panic attacks. This further upsets the nervous system, so such patients need to understand the essence of sleep paralysis and not be afraid so as not to provoke a panic attack.

The factors predisposing to the onset of an imbalance in the regulatory mechanisms of sleep include:

• violation of the quantity and quality of sleep (lack of sleep, insomnia, frequent changes in sleep patterns);
• hereditary predisposition;
• acute stressful situations and latent (hidden) long-term psycho-emotional stress, often not realized by the person himself;
• long-term use of certain medications, including tranquilizers, antidepressants;
• dependence on alcohol, drugs, substance abuse;
• having restless legs syndrome;
• the habit of sleeping lying on your back.

The “old witch” visits people of different sexes and ages, but more often teenagers from 12 years old and young people under 25 years old are subject to her “attack”.

Symptoms and signs

External manifestations and internal sensations with different forms have both similarities and differences.

Table

Diagnostics

For most people, sleep paralysis is not a pathology. However, given that in rare cases it can be one of the symptoms of mental disorders, it is better to consult a doctor for a diagnosis, especially if:

• sleep paralysis does not occur once, but develops regularly, and even more so if it happens every night, day or several times a night;
• the symptoms of nocturnal stupor are very pronounced and exhaust the nervous system;
• a person cannot figure out what is happening to him, and is very afraid;
• the syndrome is accompanied by other sleep disorders (sleepwalking, irresistible daytime sleepiness, nocturnal insomnia, vivid nightmares);
• sleep paralysis develops in parallel with other unpleasant symptoms: panic during the day, the development of unmotivated aggression, a feeling of split personality, excessive suspiciousness, suspicion.

To make an accurate diagnosis and exclude mental illness, the following methods are used in practice:

1. Keeping a diary, which describes all cases of nocturnal paralysis with detailed sensations and symptoms, indicates concomitant diseases, risk factors (for 4-6 or more weeks). Based on the diary, the specialist will quickly determine the cause of sleep paralysis in a particular case.
2. Polysomnography is a computer study of sleep with data recording on a polysomnogram.

If the old hag syndrome does not have serious pathologies in the psyche, no abnormalities are detected on the polysomnogram. In addition, this study helps to identify other parasomnias (anomalies in behavior during sleep).

During the examination, if all the signs are severe and disturb the patient, he is referred to a somnologist - a doctor who studies sleep disorders.

Treatment

Most often, the syndrome does not require special treatment. If this condition torments a person, it is recommended to study the algorithms for getting out of it. If it is a sign of neurological disorders, therapy should be aimed at these diseases.

How to behave during an attack of sleep paralysis

It is difficult to block an attack of sleepy stupor of one's own free will in the first seconds, since common sense in half-asleep has not yet awakened either. But to drive away the "evil witch" is quite within the power of any person.

First of all, a clear realization is needed that a person’s experiences at the arrival of the “old witch” do not have any otherworldly power, are short-lived and harmless. This thought should be the first one, which, like fire in the night, will warm the soul and calm the frizzy nerves.

To cope with panic during an attack of sleep stupor, you should adhere to the following rules:

What NOT to do:

• no need to feverishly resist muscle weakness, since it has been proven that until the muscles “wake up”, the fight against paralysis will increase panic, creating a feeling of being bound by invisible fetters;
• no need to hold your breath, which often happens when you are frightened - this leads to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the lungs and aggravates the feeling of being unable to breathe;
• you should not breathe quickly and shallowly - this leads to hyperventilation (excessive ventilation of the lungs), which, again, exacerbates unpleasant experiences.

What you NEED to do to wake up from a nightmare:

• do not strain, but try to relax;
• inhale deeply;
• since a person is not able to unstick his lips, it is necessary to make a sound from the nasopharynx such as a moan, growl or “mooing” - as loudly as possible;
• close your eyes sharply, even if they are closed;
• start moving your tongue or puff out your cheeks;
• try to make a small movement - move your thumb on the hand or foot;

In addition, intellectual “movements” of the brain help a lot, for example, counting from 1 to 10 and back, or a vivid memory of events that happened the day before, and not necessarily a pleasant one (for example, how you were scolded at work for being late);

Such actions quickly enough help to begin to control your body.

When Prayer Is Priceless

Reading a prayer will help both the believer and the atheist. Since it is difficult to concentrate in a state of panic, it is better to say to yourself a short but most effective magic spell in Christianity - the Jesus Prayer.

After an attack

After the final awakening and throwing off the "shackles of the old witch" follows:

• roll over to the right side;
• drink water with a sedative tincture;
• for those who do not have diabetes, you can eat a delicious candy or a piece of milk chocolate (this, firstly, stimulates the production of “happiness” enzymes and calms, and secondly, increase the sugar content in the blood, which decreases at night, causing a drop in pressure, which can also indirectly influence the development of the syndrome);

Some calm down when they turn on the light, wash themselves with cool water, but such actions are usually very invigorating. And in such cases, it is better to work out a certain scheme of actions yourself, which definitely works.

Based on research data, people with an analytical, critical mindset get out of sleep paralysis calmer and faster, “turning on” logic, and are less depressed after an attack.

After a Dementor attack, a smart professor advises Harry Potter to eat a chocolate bar, because it helps well after an attack of sleep stupor

Medical treatment

If sleep stupor causes significant anxiety and does not allow sleep, or if a specialist identifies a more serious cause of this condition, the patient is prescribed medications, including antidepressants, tranquilizers.

It is extremely dangerous to take them on your own with this type of sleep disturbance, since very often they themselves are factors provocateurs of the syndrome. It requires a very careful selection of dosages and the appointment of specific drugs with a minimum "side effect".

Self-approved over-the-counter sedatives:

• Novo-Passit (Great Britain) in syrup and tablets;
• Unisin (Finland);
• Alvogen-Relax;
• liquid extract of passionflower;
• Valevigran (in capsules);
• tincture of elusive peony, valerian root, motherwort;
• Motherwort extract in tablets;
• Persen and Persen-forte;
• Valoserdin, Valocordin, Corvalol;
• Bellanaminal;
• Afobazole;
• Dormiplant;
• Tenoten;
• Valosedan;
• Sedariston;
• Nervoflux;
• Adonis bromine;
• Bromocamphor;
• herbal preparations Fitosed, Fitosedan.

Many sedatives, including herbal ones, contain components that are not recommended for children, women who are expecting a child, people with heart conditions or high blood clotting. Certain substances provoke. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully check the composition of the drug and contraindications.

Folk remedies

Sedatives of traditional medicine have a positive effect on sleep processes and the nervous system. But, since any medicinal herbs have contraindications (for example, oregano, hops, tansy are not recommended during pregnancy), home recipes should be treated with the same caution as when using pharmacy drugs.

Some recipes:

Infusion of cyanosis blue

Blueberry azure is almost 10 times stronger than valerian root as a soothing herbal remedy. The infusion is used for depression, nervous disorders, fear, heart neurosis and even rabies.

For 200 ml of boiling water, take a teaspoon of crushed dry rhizomes and cyanosis barks, keep for half an hour in a water bath (or insist 8 hours). Drink infusion of 50 - 100 ml after meals.

Milk pine broth

A handful of pine needles are boiled in milk (250 - 300 ml) for about 10 minutes. Drink a tablespoon up to 4 times a day, after meals.

Valerian milk

Milk (warm boiled) and valerian root tincture are taken in equal proportions, mixed and drunk three times a day, 150 ml each.

Infusion of flowers and herbs

A good sedative is obtained from a mixture of rosehip flowers, oregano stems, valerian roots and sweet clover, mint, which are taken in equal proportions. Two tablespoons of the mixture is poured with boiling water (1 liter), infused for 20 minutes, filtered and taken 100 ml before meals 3 times a day.

oatmeal broth

Oat grains (400 - 500 grams) are washed in cold water, poured with boiling water (1 liter) and boiled until the grains are half soft. Drink a glass every day, adding honey.

hawthorn tea

Dry hawthorn fruits in the amount of 2 tablespoons are poured with boiling water (2 cups). Infuse the drink for 2-3 hours and drink in small doses (2 teaspoons) up to 5-6 times a day before meals and always at bedtime.

Photo gallery of medicinal herbs that help with sleep paralysis

Aromas to help you relax

If not, do not ignore the opportunities that aromatherapy gives a person. For this purpose, aromatic candles, pads with "sleepy" herbs, warm baths, to which decoctions of herbal preparations are added, are also used. If oils are used, they must all be exclusively natural.

Juniper, chamomile, lavender, cypress, bergamot, chamomile, orange help to fall asleep calmly. Ylang-ylang, sandalwood, rose, neroli relieve fears and anxiety. Vanilla oil works great as a delicious relaxing agent.

With faith in the other world

If people suffering from sleep paralysis are strongly influenced by the occult or are simply unable to free themselves from the irrational fear of the hostility of the "old witch", it will not interfere at all, but only calm the presence of "light" plants in the room.

Since ancient times, herbs and their smoke have been used, which surround a person with protection from bad dreams, spirits and other inexplicable phenomena. The strongest include: wormwood, laurel (ordinary bay leaves), thistle, juniper, blue cornflower, basil, consecrated willow.

Prevention measures

There is no need for specific prevention, all measures are elementary and logical. If this condition is provoked by neurological disorders, dystonia, panic attacks and any nervous tension, prevention provides for the mandatory identification and treatment of these diseases.

People who are healthy to one degree or another should change their lifestyle:

• develop a rest regimen for yourself, which includes a mandatory 7-8-hour night's sleep;
• wake up on an alarm clock, a television timer, which will eliminate sleep stupor, which develops only during natural awakening;
• ask loved ones to wake themselves up in the morning and at night if they observe strange symptoms (groans, tension in the facial muscles, feeling that the person is having a nightmare);
• acquire outdoor sports habits (running, walking, football);
• do not exercise and do not eat before bed, as the activation of muscle fibers and digestive processes will interfere with restful sleep;
• if possible, "get away" from stress, prevent conflicts, and if they are inevitable, treat them as natural situations (a matter of life, as Carlson says);
• before going to bed, use sedatives, warm baths, relaxing massage, drink herbal tea, milk with honey;
• for those who love sweets - do not deny yourself pleasure, except for the use of dark chocolate and cocoa;
• turn on beautiful, relaxing music before going to bed in a well-ventilated room;
• exclude mental activity before bedtime: watching news and movies, computer games and active communication in social networks, preparing for lessons, exams, nightly intellectual work (this activates the brain, which cannot relax for a long time).
• do not sleep on your back with your arms behind your head.

Thus, in most cases, sleep paralysis is a physiological condition and is not a sign of insanity or mental pathology, but simply indicates that the nervous system is exhausted by stress, anxiety, or works in a state of prolonged stress.

The old hag syndrome does not pose an objective threat to either health or life. It is possible to prevent night attacks by optimizing sleep patterns and lifestyle. If the syndrome develops against the background of panic disorders, parasomnias, including sleepwalking and neurolepsy, a psychotherapist and a somnologist will provide the necessary medical assistance.