Where does this curious phenomenon come from?
Rest assured: you’re not losing your mind, and there’s no supernatural power involved (even if some urban legends still suggest so!) Sleep paralysis can be explained by completely normal bodily mechanisms. During REM sleep—the phase in which we dream—the brain temporarily blocks muscles to prevent us from imitating dreams. During paralysis, the mind awakens, while the body remains under this inhibition. The result: you’re awake… in a sleeping body.
This temporary change is often caused by certain triggers: severe stress, lack of sleep, anxiety, shifted schedules, or extreme fatigue. In short, anything that disrupts the quality and regularity of our sleep cycles. This temporary change is often caused by certain triggers: severe stress, lack of sleep, anxiety, shifted schedules, or extreme fatigue. In short, anything that disrupts the quality and regularity of our sleep cycles. Some tips to reduce the occurrence of sleep paralysis
