Sleep Paralysis

A common condition characterized by transient partial or total paralysis of skeletal muscles and areflexia that occurs upon awakening from sleep or less often while falling asleep. Stimuli such as touch or sound may terminate the episode, which usually has a duration of seconds to minutes. This condition may occur in normal subjects or be associated with NARCOLEPSY; CATAPLEXY; and hypnagogic HALLUCINATIONS. The pathophysiology of this condition is closely related to the normal hypotonia that occur during REM sleep. (From Adv Neurol 1995;67:245-271)

Also Known As:

Networked: 40 relevant articles (2 outcomes, 4 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Cataplexy
2.	Hallucinations (Hallucination)
3.	Narcolepsy
4.	Parkinsonian Disorders (Parkinsonism)
5.	Sleep Disorders

Experts

1.	Dauvilliers, Yves: 4 articles (12/2014 - 05/2010)
2.	Plazzi, Giuseppe: 2 articles (09/2012 - 05/2010)
3.	Kanbayashi, Takashi: 2 articles (09/2012 - 03/2002)
4.	Bayard, Sophie: 2 articles (09/2011 - 05/2010)
5.	Arnulf, Isabelle: 2 articles (09/2009 - 06/2009)
6.	Vernet, Cyrille: 2 articles (09/2009 - 06/2009)
7.	Jacob, Louis: 1 article (12/2014)
8.	McGlynn, Michael: 1 article (09/2014)
9.	Blecher, Gregory: 1 article (09/2014)
10.	Teng, Arthur: 1 article (09/2014)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Sleep Paralysis:

1.	Imipramine (Janimine)FDA LinkGeneric 07/01/1995 - "Peroral pemoline suppressed excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination with dramatic relief of cataplectic attacks by the addition of imipramine. " 02/01/1998 - "Some tricyclic antidepressant such as clomipramine and imipramine are effective in controlling cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination." 11/01/1975 - "Imipramine or clomipramine had ben given in combination with amphetamines to 33 patients for periods of up to 6 years with considerable improvement in both cataplexy and sleep paralysis, and few side effects. "
2.	Clomipramine (Anafranil)FDA LinkGeneric 01/01/1980 - "In a case reported here, clomipramine produced relief of cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hallucinations with considerable subjective improvement. " 02/01/1998 - "Some tricyclic antidepressant such as clomipramine and imipramine are effective in controlling cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination." 11/01/1975 - "Imipramine or clomipramine had ben given in combination with amphetamines to 33 patients for periods of up to 6 years with considerable improvement in both cataplexy and sleep paralysis, and few side effects. "
3.	AmphetaminesIBA 11/01/1975 - "Imipramine or clomipramine had ben given in combination with amphetamines to 33 patients for periods of up to 6 years with considerable improvement in both cataplexy and sleep paralysis, and few side effects. "
4.	orexins (orexin)IBA 09/01/2012 - "Patients with low concentrations of hypocretin-1 only differed subjectively from other groups by a higher Epworth Sleepiness Scale score and more frequent sleep paralysis. " 03/01/2002 - "[Nacrolepsy manifesting initially as cataplexy and sleep paralysis: usefulness of CSF hypocretin-1 examination for early diagnosis]." 09/01/2012 - "Objective (HLA typing, MSLT, and sleep studies) more than subjective (sleepiness and sleep paralysis) features predicted low concentration of CSF hypocretin-1 in patients with narcolepsy without cataplexy." 09/01/2011 - "We also failed to find any association between MCH level and hypocretin level, the severity of daytime sleepiness, the number of SOREMPs, the frequency of cataplexy, and the presence of hypnagogic hallucinations or sleep paralysis. " 08/01/2007 - "Hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis occurred more frequently in patients with cataplexy than in the other patient groups, but with no correlation to hypocretin-1 levels. "
5.	Antidepressive Agents (Antidepressants)IBA 11/01/2004 - "Hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis respond to antidepressants. " 12/01/1995 - "Antidepressants have also been used for some time in the treatment of parasomnia related to slow deep sleep (night terrors and sleepwalking), but the antidepressants may also be used in enuresis and in parasomnia related to REM sleep : nightmares, sleep paralysis, behavioral problems associated with REM sleep. " 09/01/2010 - "Antidepressants and hypnotics are used to treat hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis." 05/01/1997 - "The main clinical features of narcolepsy, excessive daytime sleepiness and symptoms of abnormal REM sleep (cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations) are currently treated using amphetamine-like compounds or modafinil and antidepressants. " 06/01/2008 - "For cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations, new antidepressants tend to replace tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in spite of a lack of randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of these compounds; 2) The conventional treatment of narcolepsy is now challenged by sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gammahydroxybutyrate, based on a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and a long-term open label study. "
6.	Sodium Oxybate (gamma Hydroxybutyrate)FDA Link 01/01/2012 - "Sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and fragmented sleep may be treated with sodium oxybate. " 01/01/2011 - "Sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and fragmented sleep may be treated with benzodiazepine hypnotics or sodium oxybate. " 06/01/2008 - "For cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations, new antidepressants tend to replace tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in spite of a lack of randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of these compounds; 2) The conventional treatment of narcolepsy is now challenged by sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gammahydroxybutyrate, based on a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and a long-term open label study. " 12/01/2007 - "Modafinil, sodium oxybate, amphetamine, methamphetamine, dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, and selegiline are effective treatments for excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, while tricyclic antidepressants and fluoxetine are effective treatments for cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations; but the quality of published clinical evidence supporting them varies. "
7.	Tricyclic Antidepressive Agents (Tricyclic Antidepressants)IBA 06/01/2008 - "For cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations, new antidepressants tend to replace tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in spite of a lack of randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of these compounds; 2) The conventional treatment of narcolepsy is now challenged by sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gammahydroxybutyrate, based on a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and a long-term open label study. " 12/01/2007 - "Modafinil, sodium oxybate, amphetamine, methamphetamine, dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, and selegiline are effective treatments for excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, while tricyclic antidepressants and fluoxetine are effective treatments for cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations; but the quality of published clinical evidence supporting them varies. "
8.	Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors (Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)IBA 06/01/2008 - "For cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations, new antidepressants tend to replace tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in spite of a lack of randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of these compounds; 2) The conventional treatment of narcolepsy is now challenged by sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gammahydroxybutyrate, based on a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and a long-term open label study. "
9.	CytokinesIBA 05/01/2013 - "Recent studies point to the important role of proinflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, cataplexy and sleep paralysis. "
10.	SodiumIBA 06/01/2008 - "For cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations, new antidepressants tend to replace tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in spite of a lack of randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of these compounds; 2) The conventional treatment of narcolepsy is now challenged by sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gammahydroxybutyrate, based on a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and a long-term open label study. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Hypnosis (Mesmerism) 10/01/1981 - "Treating sleep paralysis with hypnosis."
2.	Anesthesia 04/01/1977 - "Anesthesia, sleep paralysis, and physostigmine."