February 10, 2022

Good day to all my readers here in RC. Yes, RC is short for Read.cash from now on, let's use that initial, haha. I want to share you something and it has been happening to me since Monday. Every 12 in the afternoon, since it is break time, I find my time to take less than an hour nap. I took a nap last Monday in my cubicle. I was sleeping while sitting and my head is down in the table with a pillow underneath. As I dive to deep sleep, later on I cannot move. I am aware that I am fully awake but I cannot move. I fight it by moving my arms. I know my eyes are moving as well but the only way to really wake up is to move my arms.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, it happens on the same time. I think I woke up feeling tired because I was battling that over and over. And just earlier, the same time of nap, battled it for four times and good thing I able to survive again. I am worried because it is happening for 4 days now. It happened to me before but I was lying down in bed, not sitting and napping.

Sleep Paralysis

I made a research and Google says it is still sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is when you are fully aware of what is happening in your surroundings but your eyes are shot and you still look sleeping. During the sleeping stage our brain sends signals to our muscles in our arms and legs that relaxes them. I am not sure if this is for us to have a deep and relaxing sleep. Because of this, Muscle Atonia happens, in which you remain sleeping but with rapid eye movement. You are aware of what is happening around, you can hear it, you are awake but you can't move.

Why do we have Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis only last for a minute. It says that when a person having sleep paralysis never wakes up, they had a nightmare that leads them to death. We get sleep paralysis when we change our sleeping patterns. For example, when we used to sleep very late and then we adjusted it to very early sleep, we will experience episode of sleep paralysis. A change of shift or work, like when you are on a morning shift and suddenly you shift to a night schedule, sleep paralysis will likely to happen.

Specifically, what is happening to me is called Recurrent Sleeping Paralysis because it happened for 4 times now. Normally sleep paralysis happens all the time. When we are on REM stage of sleeping, we mostly have dreams on that stage. Sleep paralysis happens when our brain relaxes the muscles in our limb to prevent us from acting what is happening in our dream and also to avoid us for being hurt from it. Sleep paralysis happens when you become aware of your surroundings but you cannot move. Normally, you can move in less than a minute because the brain will say so. It means sleep paralysis stage will end in less than a minute that you are awake.

Take note of the Specific Cause of Sleep Paralysis

Changes of shift of work, when you change your work schedule from morning then it became night shift. Sleep deprivation is one causes. If you haven't sleep for a days, or you only have 3 hours of sleep that should be 6 to 8 more hours , you most likely experience sleep paralysis when you sleep. When you wake up, you feel like sleeping again or will feel heavy or tired. Narcolepsy and Obstructive sleeps apnea are one of the causes too.

Symptoms of Sleep Paralysis

Hallucination - when you see black monster above you in bed that will try to hurt you but they will not hurt you as they are just part of your hallucination.

Inability to speak - you know you are shouting and asking for help but no voice is coming out of your mouth

Paralysis in your limbs and muscles - you cannot move your whole body at all

Suffocation - you feel you cannot breathe because you are panicking

Panic - when you are aware you cannot move and you are uncomfortable you will start to panic

Fear- once you are aware that you cannot move you will start to get scared

How to prevent Sleep paralysis?

To prevent it is to have a good and proper sleep. The normal sleep time for adults are 6 to 8 hours of sleep. Find time to schedule your sleep and improve it. Stop using gadgets 30 minutes before you sleep so that you can have your comfortable sleeps. It is rumored that the radiation on phones can prevent you for having a good sleep. Make sure you are relax so an activity before going to bath like a warm bath is advisable. Relaxing the muscle and mind helps you to get a deeper sleep. Lastly, prepare your bed before sleeping. Make sure that it has lesser lights and quiet.

I remember that I changed my sleeping pattern lately. I know I am did change the time of sleeping but I changed the time of waking up. I wake up two hours earlier on my schedule last month. This made me have a shorter sleep hours everyday. I guess my sleep paralysis causes by having a shorter sleeping schedule. I should find time to adjust my sleeping time more to have more sleep.

Take note, it can be diagnosed. Doctor will evaluate your sleeping patterns and will make two test, one is Polysomnogram and Multiple sleep latency test.

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