If you’ve ever woken up and realized you couldn’t move or speak, even though you were fully conscious, you’ve likely experienced a rather strange and mysterious phenomenon known as sleep paralysis.Contrary to the common belief, sleep paralysis is actually more common than many believe. However, since it is an experience that feels surreal, many hesitate to talk about it.My Cleveland Clinic states that sleep paralysis happens “when your body is in between stages of sleep and wakefulness. An episode is temporary and only lasts for a few seconds to a couple of minutes. It’s a type of parasomnia.”

Although an episode of this phenomenon can cause nervousness and anxiety, leaving those who experienced it scared and puzzled, it is actually harmless.Some of this episodes are related to sleep disorders, so if they happen often, it would be best to consult a doctor and avoid the emotional stress that comes with them.You can experience it either right before falling asleep or as you’re waking up. Some of the symptoms include: inability to move your arms and legs, inability to speak, sensations of pressure against your chest (suffocation) or moving out of your own body, hallucination, and daytime sleepiness. It can least from a few seconds to up to 20 minutes and is accompanied with feelings of fear, panic, and helplessness.Sleep paralysis is actually the result of normal biological processes. During REM sleep, which is the stage when most dreaming occurs, our brain switches off our muscles so we don’t physically act out what we see in our dreams. A paralysis episode happens when the mind wakes up before the body does. The outcome is that you’re conscious, but your body is still “asleep.”