SLEEP issues can be highly frustrating, but they can also be downright scary, with new research in the UK showing that sleep paralysis is on the rise.
The condition describes a temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up, usually accompanied by vivid hallucinations that are often frightening in nature.
It is not uncommon to sense an intruder, see shadowy or even demonic figures, or feel pressure on one's chest.
According to a study commissioned by blinds firm Hillarys, searches for sleep paralysis have increased 31% in the past week.
"During REM sleep the brain is highly active, almost as active as when we're awake, and vivid dreaming occurs," Tom Coleman, a sleep scientist at Hillarys, explained.
"At the same time, most voluntary muscles are switched off in a protective mechanism called REM atonia.
"Sleep paralysis happens when this process becomes uncoupled: the brain wakes, but the body remains in REM paralysis.
"Dream imagery can spill into waking awareness, causing hallucinations," he added.
People can lessen their chance of sleep paralysis by reducing stress before bed and avoiding heavy meals, alcohol and caffeine in the evening.
It is estimated that around eight in every 100 Aussies will experience the chilling phenomenon at some stage.
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