Sleep paralysis happens when your brain wakes before your body during REM sleep, leaving you conscious but temporarily unable to move. Episodes, affecting about 30% of people at least once, can last seconds to minutes and include chest pressure, hallucinations, and fear. Triggers include stress, poor sleep, exhaustion, or sleeping on your back. To cope, maintain regular sleep, manage stress, and focus on small movements if it occurs.
Across history and cultures, this experience was often explained through supernatural beliefs: Europe had the “night hag,” the Middle East blamed jinn, Japan spoke of kanashibari, and Italy warned of the pandafeche. The biology remains the same, but interpretation varies—beliefs shape how people experience and remember it. Today, science explains it, yet modern myths of shadow figures or intruders persist, showing how sleep paralysis intertwines the brain’s mechanics with culture, fear, and imagination.
