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: 81 relevant articles (7 outcomes, 6 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Cataplexy
2.	Hallucinations (Hallucination)
3.	Disorders of Excessive Somnolence (Hypersomnia)
4.	Narcolepsy
5.	Sleepiness

Experts

1.	Jalal, Baland: 5 articles (03/2021 - 01/2016)
2.	Plazzi, Giuseppe: 5 articles (01/2020 - 05/2010)
3.	Dauvilliers, Yves: 5 articles (10/2019 - 05/2010)
4.	Pizza, Fabio: 3 articles (01/2020 - 06/2017)
5.	Arnulf, Isabelle: 3 articles (10/2019 - 06/2009)
6.	Antelmi, Elena: 3 articles (01/2018 - 05/2010)
7.	Kanbayashi, Takashi: 3 articles (01/2018 - 03/2002)
8.	Filardi, Marco: 2 articles (01/2020 - 06/2017)
9.	Franceschini, Christian: 2 articles (01/2020 - 05/2010)
10.	Shimizu, Tetsuo: 2 articles (01/2018 - 03/2002)

Drugs and Biologics

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

1.	Imipramine (Janimine)FDA LinkGeneric 09/01/1999 - "Cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations may be ameliorated by compounds, including clomipramine and imipramine, that suppress rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. " 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. " 10/01/1975 - "A new antodepressant drug, clomipramine hydrochloride, closely related to imipramine hydrochloride, was used to treat four patients suffering from cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations. " 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. " 02/01/1998 - "Some tricyclic antidepressant such as clomipramine and imipramine are effective in controlling cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination."
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. " 09/01/1999 - "Cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations may be ameliorated by compounds, including clomipramine and imipramine, that suppress rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. " 10/01/1975 - "A new antodepressant drug, clomipramine hydrochloride, closely related to imipramine hydrochloride, was used to treat four patients suffering from cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations. " 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. " 02/01/1998 - "Some tricyclic antidepressant such as clomipramine and imipramine are effective in controlling cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination."
3.	Sodium Oxybate (gamma Hydroxybutyrate)FDA Link 10/24/2012 - "Sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and fragmented sleep may be treated with sodium oxybate. " 01/01/2020 - "sodium oxybate, venlafaxine), and treating the symptoms of disturbed nocturnal sleep, sleep paralysis and sleep-related hallucinations (e.g. " 01/01/2011 - "Sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and fragmented sleep may be treated with benzodiazepine hypnotics or sodium oxybate. " 01/01/2017 - "Sodium oxybate (SXB), a sodium salt of γ hydroxybutyric acid, is a first-line agent for cataplexy and EDS and may help sleep disruption, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. " 01/01/2018 - "Sodium oxybate (SO) is a sodium salt of γ-hydroxybutyric (GHB) acid and is greatly effective in treating cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness in NT1 and it can be helpful also for sleep disruption, hypnagogic hallucination and sleep paralysis in these patients. "
4.	N-(4-aminophenethyl)spiroperidol (NAPS)IBA 01/01/2023 - "In the anamnesis we were surprised by the presence of sleep paralysis immediately after the start of the naps and, in the directed anamnesis, these sudden movements caused by emotions were compatible with cataplexies, so we performed a nocturnal polysomnographic study and a multiple sleep latency test. " 01/01/2023 - "A 16-year-old male who consulted after visiting different specialists for presenting sleep paralysis during naps, which cause him fear and occasional objects falling from his hands (diagnosed as possible myoclonus). " 06/01/1985 - "The clinical symptoms of cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations, daily naps, and sleep attacks all showed significant improvements. " 12/01/2019 - "GHB was found to improve cataplexy attacks (P = 0.001), subjective daytime sleepiness (P < 0.0001), daytime sleep latency (P < 0.0001), inadvertent naps/sleep attacks (P < 0.00001), effective rates (Clinical Global Impression of change) (P < 0.00001), hypnagogic hallucinations (P = 0.004), sleep paralysis (P = 0.004), stage 1 sleep (P = 0.04), slow wave sleep (P = 0.003), REM sleep (P = 0.0006), sleep shifts (P = 0.005), nocturnal awakenings (P = 0.004), quality of nocturnal sleep (P < 0.00001), chin muscle activity, and quality of life, but had no effect on stage 2 sleep (P = 0.88). " 01/01/2022 - "The clinical endpoints of interest were: excessive daytime sleepiness, dissociative REM sleep manifestations: cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, and early REM sleep (REM sleep naps, SOREMP). "
5.	SodiumIBA 01/01/2017 - "Sodium oxybate (SXB), a sodium salt of γ hydroxybutyric acid, is a first-line agent for cataplexy and EDS and may help sleep disruption, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. " 01/01/2018 - "Sodium oxybate (SO) is a sodium salt of γ-hydroxybutyric (GHB) acid and is greatly effective in treating cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness in NT1 and it can be helpful also for sleep disruption, hypnagogic hallucination and sleep paralysis in these patients. " 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.	SaltsIBA 01/01/2017 - "Sodium oxybate (SXB), a sodium salt of γ hydroxybutyric acid, is a first-line agent for cataplexy and EDS and may help sleep disruption, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. " 01/01/2018 - "Sodium oxybate (SO) is a sodium salt of γ-hydroxybutyric (GHB) acid and is greatly effective in treating cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness in NT1 and it can be helpful also for sleep disruption, hypnagogic hallucination and sleep paralysis in these patients. " 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. "
7.	Tricyclic Antidepressive Agents (Tricyclic Antidepressants)IBA 02/01/1998 - "Some tricyclic antidepressant such as clomipramine and imipramine are effective in controlling cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination." 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.	AcidsIBA 01/01/2017 - "Sodium oxybate (SXB), a sodium salt of γ hydroxybutyric acid, is a first-line agent for cataplexy and EDS and may help sleep disruption, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. " 01/01/2018 - "Sodium oxybate (SO) is a sodium salt of γ-hydroxybutyric (GHB) acid and is greatly effective in treating cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness in NT1 and it can be helpful also for sleep disruption, hypnagogic hallucination and sleep paralysis in these patients. "
9.	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. "
10.	pitolisantIBA 10/21/2019 - "Long-term safety and efficacy of pitolisant on daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis is confirmed."

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Continuous Positive Airway Pressure 03/01/2023 - "Sometimes, simply addressing the underlying medical condition cures the recurrent sleep paralysis as in this case where continuous positive airway pressure for OSA cured the recurrent sleep paralysis. "
2.	Operative Surgical Procedures 01/01/2008 - "In response to a new psychological study of persons who believe they have been abducted by space aliens that found that sleep paralysis, a history of being hypnotized, and preoccupation with the paranormal and extraterrestrial were predisposing experiences, I noted that many of the frequently reported particulars of the abduction experience bear more than a passing resemblance to medical-surgical procedures and propose that experience with these may also be contributory. "
3.	Therapeutics 08/01/1997 - "Since the introduction of magnetic therapy episodes of sleep paralysis gradually diminished and abated completely over the past 3 years. " 01/01/2017 - "Focused-Attention Meditation Combined with Muscle Relaxation (MR Therapy)-A Direct Treatment Intervention for Sleep Paralysis." 01/01/2017 - "Focused-Attention Meditation Combined with Muscle Relaxation (MR Therapy)-A Direct Treatment Intervention for Sleep Paralysis." 01/01/2016 - "Focused-Attention Meditation Combined with Muscle Relaxation (MR Therapy)-A Direct Treatment Intervention for Sleep Paralysis." 01/01/2016 - "Focused-Attention Meditation Combined with Muscle Relaxation (MR Therapy)-A Direct Treatment Intervention for Sleep Paralysis."
4.	Meditation 01/01/2017 - "Focused-Attention Meditation Combined with Muscle Relaxation (MR Therapy)-A Direct Treatment Intervention for Sleep Paralysis." 01/01/2017 - "Focused-Attention Meditation Combined with Muscle Relaxation (MR Therapy)-A Direct Treatment Intervention for Sleep Paralysis." 01/01/2016 - "Focused-Attention Meditation Combined with Muscle Relaxation (MR Therapy)-A Direct Treatment Intervention for Sleep Paralysis." 01/01/2016 - "Focused-Attention Meditation Combined with Muscle Relaxation (MR Therapy)-A Direct Treatment Intervention for Sleep Paralysis." 01/01/2020 - "Meditation-Relaxation (MR Therapy) for Sleep Paralysis: A Pilot Study in Patients With Narcolepsy."
5.	Hypnosis (Mesmerism) 10/01/1981 - "Treating sleep paralysis with hypnosis." 04/01/1977 - "Sleep paralysis and microsomatognosia with special reference to hypnotherapy."