Running head: MULTIPLE CASES OF SLEEP PARALYSIS 1

Multiple Cases of Sleep Paralysis and its Effects

on Mental and Physical States of Mind

Logan R. Walters

Nevada State College

MULTIPLE CASES OF SLEEP PARALYSIS 2

Multiple Cases of Sleep Paralysis and its Effects

on Mental and Physical States of Mind

The effects of sleep paralysis are dictated by the amount of sleep and stress level but is

this the only cause and how do we cure it. This has been the question now for decades among

researchers and citizens. Many reports have no conclusive cure for it although according to

Sawant, N., Parkar, S., and Tambe, R. (2005) the main cause is narcolepsy which can be fixed

with better sleeping habits. They also admit to other possibilities and an agreed difference in

isolated sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is a common phenomenon found all around the world

and can happen in two ways. It affects people of all age and needs to be talked about more if

there will ever be a cure or way of controlling it or snapping out of it.

Discussion

When discussing the differences between isolated and non-isolated sleep paralysis, the

one more researched and studied is isolated sleep paralysis. To facilitate research and clinical

work in this area, the authors developed a reliable semi structured interview (the Fearful Isolated

Sleep Paralysis Interview) to assess ISP and their proposed fearful ISP (FISP) episode criteria in

133 patients presenting for panic disorder treatment. Of these, “29.3% met lifetime ISP episode

criteria, 20.3% met the authors' lifetime FISP episode criteria, and 12.8% met their recurrent

FISP criteria.” (Sharpless, B., McCarthy, K., Chambless, D., Milrod, B., Khalsa, S., & Barber, J.

1). This means that the percent decreases as each lifetime test is taken.

Tested Mental Effects

The levels of severity Severe Sleep Paralysis can cause episodes of Sleep Paralysis

occurring at least once per week. Also, moderate Sleep Paralysis can cause episodes of Sleep

Paralysis occurring at least once a month but less than once a week and mild Sleep Paralysis is
MULTIPLE CASES OF SLEEP PARALYSIS 3

having one or more episodes less than once a month or occurrence of the last episode more than

one year earlier. If you have no Sleep Paralysis, then no symptoms of Sleep Paralysis can be

achieved. This causes the brain to play games with you and make you see things and feel

helpless and scared. Therefore, most people say they see demons when they experience sleep

paralysis. The second way you can experience sleep paralysis is when you are starting to wake

up from already having slept. This occurs when your body is switching from rapid eye

movement sleep and no eye movement sleep and in those transitions if you suddenly gain

awareness for any reason then you experience sleep paralysis because your muscles are still

asleep and resting so you feel helpless for that moment of time.

Compared Tested Physical Effects. Sleep paralysis is a common phenomenon found all

around the world and can happen in two ways. The first way someone can be affected by it is

when first going to sleep and your body starts to relax as it is getting ready for bed without you

knowing that your relaxed and then you gain partial awareness, but your body is in sleep mode

so you cannot move or talk because the muscles are resting and it takes anywhere from ten

seconds to two minutes to snap out of. When you are conscious, but unable to move your body, it

is the most scared feeling someone can ever experience. I have personally experienced this many

times and can agree that it is not enjoyable or just a mere phenomenon that does not matter.

Different Causes and Terms. Keywords that are influencers include

Hypnagogic which is the feeling drowsiness and Hypnopompic which is the

prior state if full awareness with a semi-conscious active and Hallucinations

which are visions of things that are not actually real or are happening and

Serotonin 2A which is a certain drug agent and Hallucinogenic drugs which

make you hallucinate and or could help you and Mystical experiences which
MULTIPLE CASES OF SLEEP PARALYSIS 4

can describe what is occurring in the moment and the Ketanserin Treatment

which can reverse pulmonary hypertension caused by protamine and help

deal with Sleep Paralysis. The crazy part is that there is no known cure and

only predictions of what causes it and certain treatments available. This is

what needs to be discussed in the medical community in order for change to

occur and to help the people who suffer from sleep paralysis in any degree.

Conclusions and Future Study

When you are conscious, but unable to move your body, it is the most scared feeling

someone can ever experience. I have personally experienced this many times and can agree that

it is not enjoyable or just a mere phenomenon that does not matter. The crazy part is that there is

no known cure and only predictions of what causes it. The prediction of causes is fairly accurate

in that if you do not get enough sleep that the average human is supposed to get then you are

more likely to get experience sleep paralysis. The interesting thing is that in times of crisis this

never occurs because you just wake up immediately and start assessing the crisis and start

thinking of what to do. People do not have sleep paralysis for instance if someone breaks into

their home and there is no explanation for this and why it does not occur, but only occurs in other

circumstances. Most people do not believe that sleep paralysis exists, yet so many people are

affected by sleep paralysis. This can lead to anxiety and an increase in stress level by a wide

margin.
MULTIPLE CASES OF SLEEP PARALYSIS 5

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Jalal, B., & Hinton, D. (2016). Lifetime presence and rates of sleep paralysis in Denmark of

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Sawant, N., Parkar, S., & Tambe, R. (2005). Isolated sleep paralysis. Indian Journal of

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