Imagine waking up in the middle of the night, being fully conscious, then realizing you can’t move a muscle.
试想你在午夜时分突然睁开眼，发现自己头脑清醒，但是身子动弹不了。
Your chest tightens and it gets hard to breathe.
你感到胸口紧缩，无法呼吸。
You start hallucinating and a dark figure begins moving towards you.
你开始产生幻觉，看到一个黑影慢慢向你走近。
You try to scream for help, but you can’t. Are you dying? Are you dreaming? Then, all of a sudden, you can move again. 你想大喊救命，但是叫不出声。你是要死了吗？还是在做梦？突然，你身体又可以移动了。
That terrifying apparition is gone and you can breathe normally.
那个可怕的幽灵消失了，你能够正常呼吸。
Believe it or not, experiences like this are fairly common.
不管你信不信，这种经历其实再平常不过了。
This is a medical condition called sleep paralysis and about 8% of the population has experienced some variation of it in their lives.
医学上把这种症状称为睡眠麻痹症，世界上大约有百分之八的人会经历这种类似症状。
While this can be absolutely terrifying, scientists say it isn’t dangerous.
听着确实可怕，但是科学家证实它并没有生命危险。
People used to think that this paralysis was caused by supernatural beings like demons holding people down while they sleep.
人们过去常常认为，这种症状是由于睡觉的人被鬼魂等超自然存在压在床上而引起的。
Since hallucinations are fairly common with this condition, it’s understandable that people would think the thing they saw was what was stopping them from moving, but there’s actually a very scientific, not-so-supernatural explanation for why some people wake up and can’t move.
因为这种幻觉常常伴随产生，所以人们认为就是他们看到的东西让他们动弹不了，这自然也是可以理解。实际上，科学上对人醒来突然不能动这个症状已经做了一个非超验主义的科学解释。
When we sleep, we experience cycles of REM sleep and non-REM sleep.
当我们醒来时，我们会经历快速眼动睡眠和非快速眼动睡眠两种睡眠周期。
Rapid-eye-movement sleep is when your eyes move quickly from one side to the other.
快速眼动睡眠发生在你的眼睛左右上下快速移动时。
This is the time of night when parts of your brain like the thalamus and the amygdala are most active.
晚上这个时候，人的丘脑和扁桃腺等脑部位表现最为活跃。
Usually, people wake up when their brains are in the non-REM phase, but sometimes you wake up when you’re still in REM sleep.
通常，人们在人脑的非快速眼动睡眠段醒来 ，但是偶尔也可能也在快速眼动睡眠期间醒来。This is what prompts sleep paralysis.
那么这就会导致睡眠麻痹症。
During REM sleep, neurotransmitters like GABA and glycine basically turn off your muscles to make sure you don’t act out your dreams. So if you wake up before a REM cycle is over, your muscles are still sleeping, so you can’t move, even if you’re fully awake. Your chest muscles are turned off, too, with the exception of your diaphragm. That’s why people experience shortness of breath or feel pressure on their chest. When your brain is in REM mode, your dreams are the most vivid. In sleep paralysis, your mind is still partially dreaming, leading you to hallucinations that can feel super real. People experience visual, sensory and auditory hallucinations, but they disappear once the paralysis is over – usually after a couple of minutes.
Sleep paralysis is thought to be caused by sleep deprivation, certain medications, sleep disorders like sleep apnea and narcolepsy, stress, and altered sleep patterns, like working night shifts. If you’re between the ages of 10 and 25, you’re more likely to experience it. And people with mental disorders like PTSD, anxiety, and depression are also at higher risk of having the condition. But, while all of this sounds really scary, researchers recently found that 20% of people who experience sleep paralysis on a regular basis actually find it pleasant! Since it’s not dangerous, they relax and just let it happen.
Scientists are also investigating whether there’s a genetic link to this condition. Twin studies have pointed towards ‘yes’, but there’s still more research to be done. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for this, but doctors suggest regulating your sleep schedule and avoiding drugs and alcohol before bed. Sleeping on your back also contributes to the problem, so maybe try a different position. In serious cases, an antidepressant may be prescribed, but this condition isn’t permanent or dangerous.
Curious to know why it’s sometimes so difficult to fall asleep? Check out this video!
Well, aside from worrying about that one thing you did in middle school several years ago, it might have something to do with what you’re eating. Drinks and food with caffeine can cause sleep disturbances, especially when you have them close to bedtime!
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