by Ebey Soman

Created on: July 20, 2007

kanashibari or Sleep paralysis is a condition characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up and/or before falling asleep. This normally occurs as a natural part of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep but bodily paralysis persists when waking up. The patient will be fully aware of his or her surroundings during this time but will be unable to move. However, for some, hallucinations will occur and most patients pass it off as a dream.

No one is completely sure as to why this happens but researchers say that sleep paralysis occurs to stop the body from acting out the action that the person is dreaming about. Some scientists say that post-synaptic inhibition of motor neurons in the pons region of the brain may play a role in this condition. Various studies and on-going research suggests that most people will experience this phenomena once or twice in their lifetime.

During paralysis attacks, patients may be advised to try moving the facial muscles, moving eyes from one side to the other or moving their hands or finger tips . This may hasten the termination of the attack. Artificial sleeping aids, sleep medications and other drugs can serve as triggers for these attacks. If a patient is experiencing these attacks, then Clonazepam is the most effective treatment for this condition. Doctors advise seeking professional medical care in order to find the most effective way in combating this condition with medication as well as lifestyle and diet changes.

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