Rest assured: you’re not losing your mind, and no supernatural presence is involved ( even if some urban legends still suggest otherwise !). Sleep paralysis is explained by perfectly normal bodily mechanisms. During REM sleep—the phase in which we dream—our brain temporarily blocks our muscles to prevent us from acting out our dreams. During an episode of paralysis, the mind awakens while the body remains under the influence of this inhibition. The result: you’re awake… in a sleeping body.
This temporary disruption is often triggered by certain factors: intense stress , lack of sleep, anxiety, irregular hours, or extreme fatigue. In short, anything that disrupts the quality and regularity of our sleep cycles.
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Some tips to limit episodes of sleep paralysis
Good news: there are simple steps you can take to reduce, or even eliminate, these very alarming moments . The key is to adopt a healthy and regular sleep routine. Here are our most effective suggestions :
