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6A HealthThe Kerrviile Daily Times O Weekend, January 20-21,2007Researchers say we’re reluctant to discuss episodes, even though they’re fairly common£ s ' It’s terrifying the first time it happens.... With sleep paralysis, the paralysis that is normal during REM sleep intrudes into the waking state for one reason or another.Dr. Barbara Phillips, director of the Samariuu Sleep Centert iiSILEXINGTON, Ky. (MCT) — Imagine waking up in the night and being unable to move.You lie there for what seems like hours, trying to wiggle your fingers or toes, but you are paralyzed. You want to call out for help, but you can't draw a deep enough breath to make a loud sound.Eventually, you’re able to move a little, and then your whole body begins to respond again.Scary, huh? Weird, too. But it happens to people all the time.It’s called sleep paralysis, and it typically occurs at the very beginning or end of sleep. The experience lasts only a few minutes at the most, and there’s no harm done — aside from the fright.It’s terrifying die first time it happens, said Dr. Barbara Phillips, director of the Samaritan Sleep Center and chairwoman of the board of the' National Sleep Foundation.Phillips said sleep paralysis happens as die body is coming out of REM — or rapid-eye-movement — sleep.“During non-REM sleep, our brains are 'turned off but our bodies can be active,” she said.This is when people experience sleep disturbances such as tooth-grinding or sleepwalking.“In contrast, our brains are very active (probably as active as when we are awake) during REM sleep, but we are actually paralyzed,” she said.Researchers think that's what keeps us from acting out our dreams.“With sleep paralysis, the paralysis that is normal during REM sleep intrudes into the waking state for one reason or another,” she said.Kathryn Hansen, director of tire St. Joseph Hospital Sleep Wellness Center, put it this way; ‘The brain wakes up before the body wakes up.”Sometimes, sleep paralysis is accompanied by hypnagogic hallucinations, or waking dreams/' Phillips said.In many.such cases, people think they see a dark or menacing figure in the room with them, or they hear a strange sound but can't pinpoint the source. Some researchers have hypothesized that people who report alien abductions are experiencing sleep paralysis in conjunction with such a hallucination.The experience of sleep paralysis combined with a hallucination “can be very intense,” said Dr. Kevin Nelson, a University of Kentucky neurologist who has studied the correlation between sleep paralysis and near-death experiences.“They may feel like there's a pressure on their chest, that they can't breathe. They may feel like they’re dying.”Nelson said episodes of sleep paralysis are “a very common thing,” but it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how common.“The striking thing is, people don’t talk about them,” he said.In some cultures, there are myths to explain the experience, or words used to describe it. In those places, Nelson said, it is more frequently reported.The Japanese have a linguistic term, kanashibari, for the experience; in Newfoundland, it is described as a visit from “the old hag.”“In some cultures it’s very well recognized,” he said.Phillips said as many as 25 percent of people might be affected by sleep paralysis at some point in their lives, and investigators at Stanford University have suggested thatas many as half of college students experience it.Nelson and other medical professionals who deal with sleep disorders said they sometimes see patients who are disturbed by the paralysis but have not talked to anyone about it because it seems so strange.“They’re not alone,” Nelson said. ‘They're not weird because they have it.”People are more likely to experience sleep paralysis, the experts said, if they are undergoing sleep deprivation, work odd shifts or have erratic sleep schedules. Hansen said it also can come with stress or anxiety.People who are in withdrawal from alcohol or drugs that can suppress REM sleep, such as antidepressants, also can be predisposed to the experience. For example, Phillips said, a person who misses a dose of antidepressant medication might be at risk.l1•“It really just kind of correlates to I lifestyles,” she said. ZSleep paralysis and hypnagogic: hallucinations are generally harm-: less, but the sleep experts said they;! can sometimes be associated with ■ narcolepsy.In most cases, though, Hansen said they are a sign that the person needs “to develop some good sleep I habits,” such as decreasing caffeine-* intake before bedtime, getting reg-L ular exercise and going to bed and', rising at the same time each day. ' “If sleep paralysis and extreme J daytime sleepiness persist even with adequate, appropriate sleep, it’s * time to see a doctor,” Phillips said, j Hansen said that once, when she-knew she hadn't gotten enough: rest, there was a moment when: she couldn’t move or speak as she was waking up from a dream. tSleep paralysis wasn't frightening-to her, though. i“I laughed,” she said. “Now I * know how to describe it. ’’STOP LEG CRAMPSBEFORE THEY STOP YOU.tnpif r.viicium lormula ■$ designed to help '.top low catewm fcglt;:«amps. A,slt; ask your pharmacist^Mission*luiPHARMACALtAioanlain (/Mia•JfiZh \lt;/tup ^^Type B Facility License #1i7ai82201 Junction Hwy. Kerrviile, TX 78028 , NPhone: 830-792-4001 Fax: 830-792-4999 X**^» Reduced rates available to those who qualify «Events of interest Free Lunch Wednesday c«iavreMrvaucnMonthly foot leg massage clinic Monthly Healthy Lifestyle Cooking Class Parkinson's DfRfiflSO filinnnH ftr/Vi tr\ i - - -Now Offering;Four Levels of Assisted Care Adult Day Respite Overnight/Weekly RespiteBasic Services:Three balanced and nutritious meals a day with choice menu * 24 hour assisted care • Snacks served between meals ■ Daily planned activity program and recreation - Educational classes with physical, mental and spiritual health • Housekeeping, bed linen and oersnnal launrfrv
Newspaper Details
Kerrville Times
Kerrville, Texas, US
Sat, Jan 20, 2007
Page 3
Full Page
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Los A.
CA, USA 03 Feb 2025
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