Sleep paralysis: causes, symptoms, risks, treatments

While it primarily affects people with narcolepsy, sleep paralysis can occasionally affect the general population. Although frightening, it is not dangerous. Focus on sleep paralysis.

The article was corrected and validated by Dr. Anne-Christine Della Valle.

Sleep paralysis: Definition
According to figures from the sleep report submitted to the Ministry of Health in 2006, between 25 and 60% of French people are affected by sleep paralysis at least once in their lives. It is estimated that sleep paralysis is recurrent in only 0.3 to 6.2% of the general population. Sleep paralysis is extremely distressing when it occurs, as it is sometimes accompanied by hallucinations, and can be a symptom of an underlying pathology or a serious sleep disorder. Knowing how to recognize it allows for early treatment.

As the name suggests, sleep paralysis is characterized by the complete inability to speak, move, or react during sleep. However, the term "sleep paralysis" can be misleading. In fact, sleep paralysis does not occur during a phase of deep sleep, but rather during a phase of REM sleep, either when falling asleep or, conversely, when waking up. Depending on when it occurs, sleep paralysis is referred to as:

Hypnogomic paralysis occurs when the person falls asleep;
hypnopompic paralysis occurs when the person wakes up

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