'Missing' during sleep? This is the Medical Explanation

Medical Video: What Happens To Your Body And Brain If You Don't Get Sleep | The Human Body

Imagine that in the middle of the night you suddenly wake up from sleep, but you can't move at all. You try to look around, empty, totally dark, very sure you feel something in your room - or maybe occupy your chest, making you unable to breathe.

This phenomenon is known as 'overlapping', or sleep paralysis. 'Ketindihan' is a misunderstood sleeping condition in our culture as a disturbance of spirits, ridden by supernatural entities, even witchcraft attacks.

'Abandonment' is not a dangerous medical condition, but for some people it can be a traumatic experience; the body is paralyzed, unable to scream or speak, but still able to realize the surrounding conditions make itself helpless. A recent study found the reason why this phenomenon could occur, to help people who have experienced it feel better. Believing 'oppression' as a mystical phenomenon will make people continue to be trapped in unwarranted fears.

During the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycle, the brain will send signals (glycine and GABA) to 'turn off' the muscles of the body so that we do not move during dreaming. This is an evolutionary skill that is important to prevent us from injuring ourselves or sleeping friends when we dream.

What is the cause of 'persuasion'?

As many as four out of 10 people have experienced sleep paralysis. This sleep disorder is generally experienced by people in adolescence until young adulthood. 'Indulgence' can be a genetic factor, but there are a number of other factors that might be related to this phenomenon, such as:

lack of sleep
sleep time changes
stress or bipolar disorder
sleep on your back
other sleep disorders (narcolepsy or night leg cramps)
consumption of certain drugs, such as ADHD drugs
narcotics abuse

Extreme sleep deprivation and stress cause a disordered sleep cycle. You can go through the non-REM stage (light sleep or chicken sleep) and immediately enter the dream stage (REM) once you start closing your eyes.

"I am sure to see supernatural beings when they are 'oppression', how come!"

Sleep paralysis occurs when the mechanism of the brain and body becomes overlapping, does not run in harmony during sleep, causing us to wake up in the middle of the REM cycle. When someone wakes up before the REM cycle is over, the brain is not ready to send a wake up signal so that the body is still conditioned in a dreaming state, aka half asleep consciously. Therefore, you will feel a stiff body, have difficulty breathing, and cannot speak when you 'get down'.

Often, this phenomenon is followed by hallucinations. Many reported that they saw ghosts, demons, and black shadows during their 'oppression'. Hallucinations are a common effect when the body and mind are semi-conscious, although not always the case.

The length of time that each person's "tenacity" can vary, a few seconds to a few minutes. After the symptoms of 'overlap' are over, you will be able to return to talking and move normally.

What should I do when I'm 'feeling down'?

Calm down, don't fight.

Fighting back will only worsen your condition. In addition, fighting back will only increase the intensity of fear and panic to be immediately released; which will actually trigger a brain reaction to strengthen this "half-awake, half-sleep" sensation.

Calm down and follow the sensations, your ability to control fear is very critical for dealing with this condition. If your chest feels depressed, visualize that you are pushing your body into following the force that presses you. Thus, your brain will slowly choose to take action from two choices: continue the dream, or wake up fully.

Most of the 'overlapping' occurs in the upper body. To overcome this, try to muster all your concentration to regulate your breath, move your toes, move your facial muscles (like you smell something strange), or fist your hand several times. Generally, this will make you able to move again.

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