Sleeping is good for the human body and mind and even so for the animals as well because, it allows one to 'take time of living at full speed to rest for a bit.'
Many have been known to die from lack of sleep and many more have died through sleep, make you wonder what would have happened had they not slept.
Is sleep good or bad?
Is sleep the first death a man dies daily?
Is sleep responsible for when a man is unable to wake up from his slumber?
The whole idea of sleep is still unclear to me because, in as much as it serves a very good purpose, it leaves the man without a will or understanding of what he needs to do for himself at that particular time. Man is dead to the world!
So what is Sleep Paralysis and why does it happen?
To understand what this means, I will have to first define both words and then try merging them so we are able to see what it means.
Sleep is defined as 'a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings.' I think, It is that moment when you lay down and forget about whatever it is and means to be alive.
You just let it go and stay semi-unconscious for some minutes or hours.
Paralysis is defined as 'a loss of muscle function for one or more muscles or a loss of feeling in the affected area.' It is that time when a man cannot function properly following muscle or sensory loss. This occurrence can lead to death and has many times lead to death.
From the above definitions, you can see they are somewhat not 'normal' occurrences as they both affect the consciousness of a man and for that time being renders him incomplete.
Now, imagine Sleep and Paralysis in one sentence and working together, what are the chances of survival?
Sleep Paralysis.
Sleep paralysis is when an individual in a conscious state is unable to move or speak during waking up or falling asleep. It is more like a nightmarish and hallucinatory experience that happens even to the a healthy or sick man.
It comes with hallucinatory feelings which then propels fear that leaves the mind completely incapable of being able to fight for itself. During sleep paralysis, the individual is aware of what is happening, but for some weird reason, he is in between consciousness and unconsciousness and cannot function as if for a brief minutes.
What causes it?
The first thing that comes to mind when you ask what causes Sleep Paralysis is, irregular and unhealthy sleeping patterns. When you are not used to getting your sleep when you should and when you sleep in the wrong positions.
While irregular and unhealthy sleeping patterns are said to be responsible for sleep paralysis, there are also "narcolepsy," "tiredness (due to jet lag or shift work)" and "a family history of sleep paralysis."
Some people are unable to allow themselves sleep for as long as they should because they have stuffs to do and in the process of pursuing their goals, relegate sleep to the background and focus on harming themselves unknowingly.
Does Sleep Paralysis kill?
Okay, the good news is that, there is no known report of sleep paralysis killing anyone and it hasn't been proven by science yet. The episode itself is said to last for some seconds or minutes and just invokes fear in the individual while it lasts.
We cannot know for sure 'if someone who died, experienced it right before he transitioned to the great beyond.'
I however searched to see if there are results that will say it does, but there are inconclusive answers as more research needs to be done to ascertain if it truly results to death.
How do I manage Sleep paralysis?
As is everything else that happens to one's health, sleep paralysis can be managed by you.
You are in charge of your head and how you use it to think and it is up to you to manage your sleep time well.
To manage sleep paralysis if you have it from time to time or frequently, you can do the following:
- Avoid going to bed stressed up. Do what you can to relieve any kind of stress before bedtime.
- Try new sleeping positions. If you are someone who sleeps on their back, you should try not sleeping in that position.
- First start by making sure you get enough sleep. Pick your sleep time and make sure you get the adequate rest for that allotted time.
In conclusion, Sleep Paralysis is harmless and happens for some seconds or minutes. It can be self managed by the individual who experiences it.
We must be willing to have the best sleep time so we are well set for the days ahead. Your day can be defined by how well rested you are.