Sleep Paralysis Overview
Learn About Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis is a condition in which you are unable to move or speak right as you're falling asleep or waking up. During an episode of sleep paralysis, you are totally aware of what is happening.
Parasomnia - sleep paralysis; Isolated sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is fairly common. Many people have at least one episode during their lifetimes.
The exact cause of sleep paralysis is not fully known. Research shows the following are linked to sleep paralysis:
- Not getting enough sleep
- Having an irregular sleep schedule, such as with shift workers
- Mental stress
- Sleeping on your back
Certain medical problems can be associated with sleep paralysis:
- Sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy
- Some mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and panic disorder
- Use of certain medicines, such as for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Substance use
Sleep paralysis that is not related to a medical problem is known as isolated sleep paralysis.
The normal sleep cycle has stages, from light drowsiness to deep sleep. During the stage called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your eyes move quickly and vivid dreaming is most common. Each night, people go through several cycles of non-REM and REM sleep. During REM sleep, your body is relaxed and your muscles don't move. Sleep paralysis occurs when the sleep cycle is shifting between stages. When you wake up suddenly from REM, your brain is awake, but your body is still in REM mode and can't move, causing you to feel like you're paralyzed.
Episodes of sleep paralysis last from a few seconds to 1 or 2 minutes. These spells end on their own or when you are touched or moved. In rare cases, you can have dream-like sensations or hallucinations, which may be scary.
In most cases, sleep paralysis occurs so rarely that treatment is not needed. If the cause is known, for example, due to lack of sleep, correcting the cause by getting enough sleep often resolves the condition.
Sometimes, medicines that prevent REM during sleep are prescribed.
In people with mental health conditions, such as anxiety, medicine and behavioral therapy (talk therapy) to help treat the mental health condition may resolve sleep paralysis.
Baland Jalal practices in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Jalal is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Sleep Paralysis. Their top areas of expertise are Sleep Paralysis, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Narcolepsy.
Jitka Buskova practices in Prague, Czech Republic. Buskova is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Sleep Paralysis. Their top areas of expertise are Sleep Paralysis, Drowsiness, Narcolepsy, and Idiopathic Hypersomnia.
Giuseppe Plazzi practices in Bologna, Italy. Mr. Plazzi is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Sleep Paralysis. His top areas of expertise are Narcolepsy, Drowsiness, Sleep Paralysis, Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, and Gastric Bypass.
Discuss your condition with your provider if you have repeated episodes of sleep paralysis. They may be due to a medical problem that needs further testing.
Summary: The goal of this study is to observe the impact of suvorexant, sold as BELSOMRA, on brain activity of people who frequently use cannabis. Suvorexant is an FDA-approved medication to treat insomnia. Researchers think that suvorexant may reduce activity in certain parts of the brain associated with cannabis use. Researchers are studying if this medication does affect brain activity in these areas. F...
Summary: Narcolepsy (NRL) is a rare chronic central nervous system dysfunction disease, which is more common in children and adolescents, and less common in adults. Its typical clinical features include excessive daytime sleep, paroxysmal cataplexy, sleep paralysis and sleep hallucination. In addition to the above typical manifestations, patients with narcolepsy can also manifest as hyperappetite, weight g...
Published Date: April 10, 2025
Published By: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, VA New Jersey Health Care System, Clinical Assistant Professor, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Sleep education: sleep paralysis. sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/sleep-paralysis/. Updated August 2020. Accessed May 2, 2025.
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