I understand not being able to move and feeling like you can’t breathe, since your body is still in sleep mode. But why do sufferers so often see or even hear things that are so absolutely terrifying? Is it something to do with REM sleep? If so, why is it always frightening things? (I don’t know about other people, but my one experience with sleep paralysis scared me way more than any nightmare I’ve ever had, although that seems to be true for most from what I’ve read of others’ experiences.)
In: Biology
So there is a part of your brain that basically paralyzes your body while you dream. This prevents you from hurting yourself by doing what you’re dreaming of. Sleep paralysis is when you’re brain is basically generating dreams, but your conscious mind is also working. This most frequently happens when you’re in a phase of sleep called rem sleep or rapid eye movement sleep, which is the lightest phase of sleep. However studies have shown that most people awoken in the middle of rem sleep have nightmares at that point. You don’t remember most of them if you’re not woken up. So basically you’re having a nightmare, while being awake, and your body is paralyzed because your brain doesn’t realize you’re awake.
Latest Answers