In Sleep’s Twilight Zone

In a recent interview, actress Sonakshi Sinha shared a borderline spooky experience. She said that though she had never believed in ghosts, a strange experience while she was asleep made her question her belief. She could not say whether she was dreaming or not, but she suddenly felt some pressure, and that someone was waking her up. She felt irrational fear and could not open her eyes. Her body froze right there.

Sonakshi’s experience sounds scary with a hint of the paranormal activity, but psychologists say that there is a name for it. What Sonakshi experienced could be sleep paralysis.

Explaining the term,

Dr Manjula Rao, clinical psychologist at Apollo Hospitals, says: “What Sonakshi Sinha experienced isn’t uncommon, and psychology has a name for it: Sleep Paralysis. It occurs when the body is in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a phase where dreams are vivid and the body remains temporarily paralyzed but the brain wakes up before the body does. This disconnect can leave a person conscious but frozen, often accompanied by hallucinations such as a feeling of pressure, a dark presence in the room, or even sounds.”

Mind-body disconnect

Elaborating on this phenomenon, Dr Johnsey Thomas, psychologist and wellbeing evangelist, says: “In the course of REM sleep, your body undergoes temporary paralysis while your mind is fully engaged. This is the most vivid dreaming stage. This is natural and quite healthy. It prevents self-harm during dream action. Now here’s the part where hallucinations and sleep paralysis intersect: right when you are about to ‘turn off for the day’ or fall asleep, your body spools up to rest before your mind does. You try to wake up and become aware of your space while being stuck in REM fortification. In this state, a frozen feeling overwhelms you where talking or moving is impossible. Pressure or a significant weight on the chest could be felt. Your mind, being in slumber, will conjure up something imaginary like a shadow, a figure or some strange noises, which could be terrifying, yet attempting to get a grip on reality. This is sleep paralysis, and when it is accompanied by dream-like imagery or sensations, we refer to it as hypnagogic (falling asleep) or hypnopompic (waking up) hallucinations.” “During an attack: keep calm, breathe deeply, and try to move a finger or toe, he adds.

Sleep paralysis symptoms

· Inability to move or speak upon waking

· Sensation of being watched or touched

· Hallucinations (visual, auditory or tactile)

· Fear, choking sensation, or heaviness in the chest

Causes

· Sleep deprivation/irregular sleep

· Stress and anxiety

· Sleeping on the back

· Very occasionally, a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy

Treatment

· Maintain a regular sleep schedule of 7–9 hours;

· Wind down with a relaxing, steady bedtime routine and sleep on your side

· Incorporate stress reduction through mindfulness or therapy

· If frequent, consult a sleep specialist.

Vicky Kaushal

In an interaction on Instagram, the Chhavaa actor had revealed how he experienced sleep paralysis a couple of times, and that it was “scary”.

Tom Holland

The actor has spoken about his experiences with sleep paralysis during which he is awake, but cannot move. He said that it led him to develop a nightmare where he wakes up in sleep paralysis and finds paparazzi there clicking his photos.

Kate Beckinsale

The actress once talked about a scary episode when she thought she was having a stroke. She experienced auditory hallucination too and felt that she “was dying”.