What is the meaning of sleep paralysis in medical terms?

In medical terms, sleep paralysis is a type of REM parasomnia. A REM parasomnia involves undesired events that happen during transition in or out of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Sleep paralysis is the experience of being awake but unable to move or talk, either when falling asleep or waking up. An episode of sleep paralysis can last a few seconds to a few minutes and can feel very scary. During sleep paralysis, some people might feel like there is a presence in the room and/or see, hear, or feel things that are not there. Sleep paralysis can be a sign of a sleeping disorder like narcolepsy but it can also be "isolated" (which means the sleep paralysis episodes occur without any other sign of a sleeping disorder).

Some Features of Sleep Paralysis:

• Transition between sleep stages: Sleep paralysis occurs during transitions between wakefulness and sleep.
• Out-of-body experiences: Some people report feeling like they are floating outside of their body.
• Feeling of being trapped: The inability to move can feel like being trapped.
• Hallucinations: Sometimes, people might see or hear things that aren't real, like a person or creature in the room.

Additional Information:

• When to seek medical advice: If sleep paralysis is causing distress or you're experiencing other concerning symptoms, try our free AI symptom checker to understand what might be happening and get personalized guidance on next steps.
• More online sleep education: More information about sleep paralysis is available at https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/sleep-paralysis/.