Letzte Nacht hatte ich den erschreckendsten Traum meines Lebens. Es war nicht wie ein üblicher Alptraum. Es war Schlafparalyse! Erfahren Sie hier mehr!
ALLES ÜBER SCHLAFPARALYSE
Letzte Nacht hatte ich den erschreckendsten Traum meines Lebens. Es war nicht wie ein üblicher Alptraum. Es fühlte sich an als ob ein Dämon in meinem Körper lebe, als wäre ich besessen. Das einzige, was ich sah, war etwas Rotes und Schwarzes. Ich konnte nicht reden, mich nicht bewegen und nicht einmal meine Augen öffnen. Ich wollte schreiben, aber es kam einfach kein Ton aus meinem Mund. Ich hab mich so hilflos und verängstigt gefühlt und wollte den Traum nur noch beenden.
Plötzlich habe ich einen Schock gespürt, so als ob der Dämon explodiert wäre oder meinen Körper verlassen hat. Ich bin schweißgebadet aufgewacht und habe mich einige Minuten lang gefragt ob ich wirklich besessen bin. Ich musste unbedingt erfahren, was es war, dass ich da erlebt habe. Ich musste wissen ob andere schon mal genau das Gleiche durchgemacht haben. Glücklicherweise hat meine Internetrecherche ergeben, dass dieser Zustand als Schlafparalyse bekannt ist.
SCHLAFPARALYSE
Schlafparalyse ist eine Schlafstörung, die jeden im Leben treffen kann. Sie tritt auf wenn Sie sich zwischen den Phasen von Wachheit und Schlaf befinden. Kurzzeitig ist es Ihnen nicht möglich zu sprechen oder sich zu bewegen obwohl Sie bei vollkommenem Bewusstsein sind. Oft gehören Halluzinationen zu den Nebeneffekten. Schlafparalyse kann vorkommen wenn Sie einschlafen (hypnagog) oder wenn Sie erwachen (hypnopomp). Außerdem kann Schlafparalyse als Symptom von anderen Schlafstörungen wie Narkolepsie oder Schlafapnoe auftreten.
URSACHEN
Es ist vollkommen normal, dass Ihr Körper im REM-Schlaf gelähmt ist. Lediglich Ihre Augen, Ihr Herz und Ihre Lunge sind noch aktiv. So wird Ihr Körper geschützt und es wird vermieden, dass Sie sich im Schlaf bewegen und nicht tatsächlich Ihre Träume ausführen. Bei einer Episode von Schlafparalyse jedoch nehme Sie bewusst wahr, dass Sie nicht sprechen oder sich nicht bewegen können. Das kann durchaus erschreckend sein, besonders wenn dazu noch Halluzinationen auftreten.
Wie schon vorher beschrieben kann die Paralyse im Schlafd als ein Symptom anderer Schlafstörungen wie Narkolepsie auftreten. Das ist allerdings nicht immer der Fall. Zu den weiteren Ursachen für Schlafparalyse zählen Schlafmangel, unregelmäßige Schlafgewohnheiten, Alter (Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene), Stress, bestimmte Medikamente und das Schlafen auf dem Rücken.
SYMPTOME
Instinktiv
Auditiv
- Schritte
- Stimmen
- Schreien
- Stampfen
Physisch
- Das Gefühl angepackt zu werden
- Stechender Schmerz
- Kopfschmerz
- Gelenkschmerzen
Visuell
- Die Präsenz einer anderen Person, ein schwarzer Schatten
- Sich öffnende Türen
- Sich nicht (vollständig) bewegen können mit Ausnahme der Augen
- Das Atmen nicht kontrollieren können
- Das Gefühl, das sich etwas Böses im Raum befindet
- Druck auf der Brust
- Angst- und Panikgefühle
- Das Gefühl man würde Fallen, angehoben werden oder umgedreht werden
BEHANDLUNGEN
Der beste Weg sich aus einer Episode der Schlafparalyse zu lösen ist ruhig zu bleiben und sich auf einen Teil Ihres Körpers zu konzentrieren. Versuchen Sie es sich auf einen Teil Ihres Körpers zu fokussieren um die Lähmung zu brechen. Menschen, die an Schlafparalyse leiden, bekommen häufig nicht genügend Schlaf. Versuchen Sie einen regelmäßigen Schlafplan einzurichten und achten Sie darauf, dass Sie acht Stunden Schlaf bekommen. Versuchen Sie sich zu entspannen und Stress abzubauen, besonders vor dem Zubettgehen. Wenn Sie es gewohnt sind auf dem Rücken zu schlafen, hilft es außerdem eine andere Schlafposition auszuprobieren.
Antidepressiva können ebenfalls helfen bei Schlafparalyse. Dennoch ist es wichtig eine Behandlung für Schlafstörungen wie Narkolepsie oder Schlafapnoe zu machen um die Symptome zu bekämpfen. Außerdem unterstützt die Behandlungen von mentalen Gesundheitsposition dabei Schlafparalyse zu heilen.
Creepy Figures
Many who have experienced sleep paralysis have also reported seeing malevolent figures. Fortunately, whatever you may have seen was not real. Since you are technically still under a REM state, it is likely that your dreams have turned into hallucinations.
It turns out that the brain is pretty adept at pulling tricks on ourselves, one of its favorite pastimes is actually making up information. A basic example of this can be found in “uniformity illusion”.
The Fascinating Stories, Folklore, And Myths Of Sleep Paralysis
Here is a little something you may not know about: In Scandinavian folklore, a Mare is an evil spirit which rides on sleeping people’s chests, giving them bad dreams. Thus, the word “nightmare” was born.
In the spirit of Halloween, we have decided to share some more fun facts from related to sleep paralysis. Although the symptoms are similar globally, it is fascinating to see how different cultures around the world interpret it. Have you heard of…
The Old Hag, Newfoundland – Canada
Remember the lady? She is quite the legend in Newfoundland. Did you know that sleep paralysis is unusually common in this region? If you happen to be on a visit, take the time to ask the locals about her, and pray she does not come and visit you.
Fun fact: “Ag rog” means to be “hagridden”, referring to the sensation of being sat on or “ridden” by a hag. The phrase is now commonly used to refer to poor sleep.
Kanashibari, Japan.
The Japanese know sleep paralysis as kanashibari, which translates to being bound. In Japanese folklore, kanashibari is a state between dreams and reality where you are awake yet stuck in an immobile body. It is most commonly caused by possessing spirits and ghosts known as yokai. To release yourself from a kanashibari, a Buddhist priest must recite certain sutras.
Though the phenomenon is as old as the country itself, it is not gone. A 1987 study administered a questionnaire to over 600 people. 40% of them reported to have had this experience, at least once in their lifetime. Half of them also reported being under stress or having their sleep cycle disturbed right before the episode.
Japan today is still one of the most hardworking countries in the world, where 4 out of 10 people get less than 6 hours of sleep.
Uqumaniqig, The Inuits.
The Inuit hold that sleep is essential for staying healthy, giving the body time to heal, and for replenishing one’s energy for hunting. The Inuit notion of tarniq, or spiritual essence, is essential to their experience of sleep as it is said to partially leave the body while a person is asleep.
The tarniq is particularly vulnerable in a state of sleep, leaving the body open to the experience of uqumangirnig, or sleep paralysis. During an ugumangirnig, people believe that the tarniq may even entirely leave the body.
The person is left conscious yet incapable of moving while being confronted with having to fend off an evil presence. He or she may also report an “out of body” experience, in which they describe having seen their own paralyzed body from above. This frightening state of sleep paralysis can only be escaped by the person trying to move their toes or their middle finger.
The Pandafeche/Pantafa, Italy
The Pandafeche is known in the regions of Marche and Abruzzo. Here as well do people describe symptoms of sleep paralysis: A sense of suffocation accompanied with the vision of a spectral figure standing next to the bed.
The Pandafeche is an old woman clothed in white, and has an unusually long, protruding “snout”. She will get on your bed, crouching on as you lay helplessly in bed. Finally, she puts her hand on your mouth as she glares at you with her demonic eyes. According to popular belief, she amuses herself by making braids out of the hair of horses.
How does one avoid getting caught by her?
The answer is to put a bottle of wine near the bed so that the witch happily helps herself without waking you up. Alternatively, you can also put a bag of vegetables. Do not, however, leave a knife planted in the wood…
There is a fun story about the origins of the Pandafeche which may have its roots in the dialectic word “pantafc”. The mid 800’s was a time when working in the fields was hard and tiring work. Consequently, the peasants would come home exhausted to the bone.
At night, however, they would be welcomed with a rich meal made of leftovers, condiments, super-seasoned peppers, beef, bread, and wine. They would then go to bed with their full bellies up and no energy left to spare, not even to turn around. The heavy, slowly digested food would weigh on the organs of the elder peasants, impeding their regular function. They would thus be hit by “pantafc”.
Sleep Paralysis Diagnosis
In the majority of cases, there is no need to treat this condition as it should happen in very rare cases.
However, if you have any concerns or experience any of the symptoms below, we highly recommend you to check with your local doctor!
- Fear or nervousness about your symptoms
- Your sleep quality drops, making you feel tired throughout the day
- You are unable to either fall or stay asleep during the night
What Can I Expect From Visiting a Doctor About My Sleep Paralysis?
The doctor will mainly try to find out more about your sleep health and sleep hygiene.
Usually, they will begin by asking you to describe your symptoms in as much detail as you can. In many cases, you will also be asked to keep a sleep diary for up to a month.
They will also take a deeper look at your medical history. This is because sleep disorders may be running in your family. Another reason could also be that you may have suffered an injury which could be linked to the condition.
In the more severe cases, you might also have to stay overnight to do a sleep study. This is also to ensure that you don’t have any additional sleep disorders.
How To Stop Sleep Paralysis
As mentioned earlier, the majority of us won’t need to go through sleep paralysis treatment.
However, if you are suffering from other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, you should have them treated. That’s because the different sleep disorders are often connected with each other.
Treating one may even fully get rid of the other!
In addition, try one or more of the following:
- Improve sleep hygiene and habits
- Only use antidepressants if it is prescribed by your doctor to aid regulate your sleep cycles
- Treat any mental health issues you may have
- Treat any other sleep disorders you may have
Sleep Hygiene Tips
There are no specific treatments you can undergo to fully get rid of sleep paralysis.
However, what you can do is implement better sleep hygiene and habits into your daily routine.
As we know, prevention is better than cure – and the same applies in this case!
- Nap smart – don’t nap too late and no longer than 90 minutes
- Do not use any electronic devices in bed
- Exercise regularly and leave at least 2 hours of room before going to bed
- Create a good sleep environment – it has to be dark, quiet and comfortable
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before going to bed
- Eat healthy and at the right times
- Add mindfulness techniques to your routine
- Use muscle relaxation and breathing techniques before going to bed
Finally, it is also important to have the right mattress, topper or pillow to sleep on.
Vita Talalay latex for example is soft yet supportive, meaning that it will be deliciously soft and comfy while always giving the support your body needs and deserves.
If you haven’t tried one before, we invite you to do so in one of our many retailers around the world!
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