 My mum always talks
about a very scary incident that happens to her most night when she is
asleep. It's somewhat a kind of a sleep disorder that she had been experiencing almost
every night. In the Hausa tradition is known as "Dannau" and it's
believed that it caused by the jinn’s. It’s an unimaginable and
confusing situation to those that experienced it. It feels like someone
you can't see is strangling and pressing your neck down at
night/day during your sleeping hours. Although you cannot see or feel the
person presence but you feel the weight and you sometimes struggle to
wake up but difficult, it goes after minutes or seconds of struggle. It
always leaves you confused as to what just happened to you! It kind of
wired feeling! Being that my mum is
half Igbo and Edo, my siblings and I were always making jests of her that is
the demons in her village that have come to visit her at night.
What started as a joke, overtime, started to make sense to her after
the continues attack in her sleep. She started to believe that
some demons are really after her life. She began to pray seriously
about it but the attack like feeling continues - She often feels
when sleeping as if someone is choking her neck at night. Whenever that happened,
she won’t be able to move, shout, and speak during that period until
someone touch her. The touch usually brings her back from the dark journey.  As time goes by without much
solution to my mum's problem, one day I stumbled upon a documentary that
narrates exactly what my mum was experiencing and I was so marveled and I
needed to know more about it so that I can share the knowledge with my
mum. I couldn't wait to tell her that her night /sleep experience had
nothing to do with any demons or bad dreams, rather it is called
"Sleep Paralysis" Sleep paralysis is a
feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes
between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be
unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people
may also feel pressure or a sense of choking. Sleep paralysis may accompany
other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is an overpowering need
to sleep caused by a problem with the brain’s ability to regulate sleep. Sleep paralysis
usually occurs at one of two times. If it occurs while you are falling
asleep, it’s called hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis. If it happens
as you are waking up, it’s called hypnopompic or postdormital sleep
paralysis. As you fall asleep, your body slowly relaxes. Usually you become
less aware, so you do not notice the change. However, if you remain or become
aware while falling asleep, you may notice that you cannot move or speak. Hypnopompic Sleep
Paralysis is when your body alternates between REM (rapid eye movement) and
NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. One cycle of REM and NREM sleep lasts
about 90 minutes. NREM sleep occurs first and takes up to 75% of your overall
sleep time. During NREM sleep, your body relaxes and restores itself. At the
end of NREM, your sleep shifts to REM. Your eyes move quickly and dreams
occur, but the rest of your body remains very relaxed. Your muscles are
“turned off” during REM sleep. If you become aware before the REM cycle has
finished, you may notice that you cannot move or speak.  Up to as many as
four out of every ten people may have develop sleep paralysis. This common condition
is often first noticed in the teen years. But men and women of any age can
have it. Sleep paralysis may run in families. Other factors that
may be linked to sleep paralysis include the following: •
Lack of sleep •
Sleep schedule that changes •
Mental conditions such as stress or bipolar disorder •
Sleeping on the back •
Other sleep problems such as narcolepsy or nighttime leg cramps •
Use of certain medications such as those for ADHD •
Substance abuse If you find yourself
unable to move or speak for a few seconds or minutes when falling asleep or
waking up, then it is likely that you have isolated recurrent sleep
paralysis. Often there is no need to treat this condition. Check with your
doctor if you have any of these concerns: •
You feel anxious about your symptoms •
Your symptoms leave you very tired during the day •
Your symptoms keep you up during the night Your doctor may want
to gather more information about your sleep health by doing any of the
following: •
Ask you to describe your symptoms and keep a sleep diary for a
few weeks •
Discuss your health history, including any known sleep disorders
or any family history of sleep disorders •
Refer you to a sleep specialist for further evaluation •
Conduct overnight sleep studies or daytime nap studies to make
sure you do not have another sleep disorder It is important to
note that most people need no treatment for sleep paralysis. Treating any
underlying conditions such as narcolepsy may help if you are anxious or
unable to sleep well. To help control
sleep paralysis, start by making sure you get enough sleep and always do what
you can to relieve stress in your life especially just before bedtime. Try
new sleeping positions if you sleep on your back. And be sure to see your
doctor if sleep paralysis routinely prevents you from getting a good night’s
sleep. BY MAIMUNA BAGUDU
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