Written by Shreya Sharma
Meditation-Relaxation Therapy for Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis can be a terrifying experience, and nearly 20% of people worldwide experience it. Not only can a person find themselves mentally alert and unable to control any of their muscles, but they can also experience a variety of hypnagogic hallucinations, which are sensations that feel incredibly realistic. The resulting fear can cause people to dread going to bed, an experience that should ordinarily be relaxing. A study conducted by Banand Jalal explored meditation-relaxation therapy’s effectiveness as a treatment for individuals experiencing sleep paralysis with narcolepsy. The results were encouraging - participants reported a 50% decrease in the number of days that sleep paralysis was experienced.
Under normal circumstances, the voluntary muscles are immobilized during sleep to prevent injuring oneself in real life while dreaming of physical activity. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurs approximately every 90 minutes, alternating with non-REM sleep. While dreams occur and the eyes move behind closed eyelids during REM sleep, the rest of the body remains relaxed in both stages. Sleep paralysis can occur if REM sleep is interrupted, but the underlying causes are not fully understood. According to Jalal’s study, sleep disruption is the most prominent cause and a major side effect of narcolepsy. It is also common in those with post-traumatic stress disorder and similar psychiatric conditions. There are three broad groups of hallucinations that occur with sleep paralysis. These include the feeling of a dangerous or ominous presence nearby, difficulty breathing (for example, due to perceived assault), or sensations such as falling, flying, or otherwise leaving the body. There are also many accounts of sleep paralysis involving supernatural interpretations, such as an alien abduction or visits from demons and ghosts. These tend to reflect the cultural background of the population experiencing them.
There are several actions advised as part of meditation-relaxation therapy. The first is to reframe the situation and remind oneself that the perceived hallucinations are a temporary dream that does not pose any real danger. Next is to create emotional and psychological distance through reassuring that there is no reason to be afraid and that emotions such as fear are more likely to extend the experience. Inward-focused-attention meditation is also suggested to change one’s focus on a positive experience to create a distraction that invokes happiness or calm. Consciously trying to control the breathing and relax the muscles without trying to move can also help ease the discomfort caused by the disconnect between the mind and the body during a sleep paralysis episode.
The study consisted of 10 participants, four females and six males, with an average age of 27.8. All of the participants had narcolepsy and had sleep paralysis episodes a minimum of four times in the four weeks leading up to the study. Each was asked to keep a journal recording their sleep paralysis events, including the duration and emotions they felt during each one. The results indicated that 51% of the time, the episodes occurred as people were falling asleep, while only 14% of the time as they were waking up. Mood and anxiety questionnaires were also completed at the end of the study period. The participants were taught the meditation-relaxation techniques and practised them twice a week for eight weeks. Each session was 15 minutes long. In the first month following the study, the participants reported hallucinations that were an average of 7.3 on a 10-point scale, and episodes occurred 14 times over 11 days. However, during the second month, the number of sleep paralysis occurrences dropped by 50%, and the intensity lowered to 4.8 from the previous 7.3 rating. Comparatively, a control group was told to practice deep breathing only, and their results indicated no improvement throughout the trial.
Despite the small scale of Jalal’s study, the success brought along careful optimism. Along with medication and regular visits with a sleep therapist, meditation-relaxation therapy has had undeniably encouraging benefits on individuals with narcolepsy.
References
New therapy may 'dramatically' reduce sleep paralysis events. (n.d.). Retrieved August 29, 2020,
from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/new-therapy-may-dramatically-reduce-sleep
-paralysis-events
Sleep Paralysis. (2019, December 3). Retrieved August 29, 2020, from
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-paralysis/
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