Sleep Paralysis: What the Weird Sensation Means

You wake up but you can't move

FARGO, ND– Have you ever woken up and felt like you were paralyzed?

You’re not alone.

Your eyes open as you get ready to tackle the day ahead.

“It can last for a few seconds to a few minutes,” said Dr. Praveen Jinnur, who works with patients at the Essentia Health Sleep Medicine Department.

When you try to roll over, you feel like you have no control.

“He has a consciousness of what is happening around him but he is unable to move,” said Dr.Jinnur.

This state describes sleep paralysis, a type of parasomnia, which is a disorder that happens while you’re sleeping.

It’s the result of your body catching up to your mind when waking up.

“Sleep paralysis is often a common disorder which does not have real significance,” the sleep medicine doctor explained.

Dr. Jinnur said you’ll be more likely to experience the sensation when sleeping on your back.

There’s no doubt that it feels weird and sometimes scary.

“Most of the time it does not cause any problems but it can often lead to a sense of anxiety and stress in a few people,” said Dr. Jinnur.

The sleep medicine doctor said there’s no way to predict it either.

“There is no real cause but most common risk factors that we see are one is a lot of stress, the second is irregular sleep pattern,” said Dr.Jinnur

Unless you have other preexisting conditions.

“This is also a part of a broad sleep disorder which is called narcolepsy,” he explained.

Dr. Jinnur said there is no reason to worry if you find yourself in this uneasy situation.

The delay in your entire body waking up is common.

If it happens to you often it may bring you peace of mind to talk to your doctor.

“Those can be looked at with a sleep diary and if needed we might also need further evaluation like a sleep study,” said Dr. Jinnur,

You may also experience sleep paralysis when you start to fall asleep.

Sleep paralysis is most likely to occur between the ages of 20 and 30.