Sleep paralysis

During sleep paralysis you may feel:

• awake but cannot move, speak or open your eyes
• like someone is in your room
• like something is pushing you down
• frightened

These feelings can last up to several minutes.

Sleep paralysis happens when you cannot move your muscles as you are waking up or falling asleep. This is because you are in sleep mode but your brain is active.

It's not clear why sleep paralysis can happen but it has been linked with:

• insomnia
• disrupted sleeping patterns – for example, because of shift work or jet lag
• narcolepsy – a long-term condition that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• generalised anxiety disorder
• panic disorder
• a family history of sleep paralysis

You may be able to prevent sleep paralysis by changing your sleeping habits.

• try to regularly get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day

• go to bed at roughly the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning

• get regular exercise, but not in the 4 hours before going to bed

• do not eat a big meal, smoke, or drink alcohol or caffeine shortly before going to bed

• do not sleep on your back – this can make sleep paralysis more likely to happen

You often have sleep paralysis and you feel:

• very anxious or scared to go to sleep
• tired all the time due to lack of sleep

A GP may be able to treat an underlying condition that could be triggering sleep paralysis such as insomnia or post-traumatic stress disorder.

If this does not help they might refer you to a doctor who specialises in sleep conditions.

Treatment from a specialist

You might be given medicine usually used to treat depression. Taking this type of medicine at a lower dose can also help with sleep paralysis.

You might also be referred for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

During sleep paralysis you feel awake but cannot move or speak. You may feel like someone is in your room or something is pushing you down.

Taking steps to improve your sleep can help prevent sleep paralysis, such as having a regular routine and avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bed.

Treatment for sleep paralysis can include treating an underlying condition or taking medicine usually used to treat depression.