Sleep Paralysis

Nikki Khoshnevis

Professor Murray

Psych 1

29 March 2016

Sleep Paralysis

Introduction:

Sleep paralysis is the least understood form of a “nightmare.” Also known as the Hag effect, Incubus effect, and Witch riding, sleep paralysis still remains unexplainable similar to an unknown dark figure or shadow in the bedroom. To better understand the actualities of sleep paralysis, we must recognize its origin. Sleep paralysis is an interference of dream imagery into the waking world, experienced by roughly half the population of narcoleptics and millions of healthy ordinary sleepers. Generally in REM sleep, our muscles are paralyzed. According to evolutionary researchers, this is a feature designed to keep us from living out our dreams so we do not hurt our sleeping partner, but sometimes, we “wake up” while still in REM paralysis. What comes next is a confusing assortment of waking world perception and visualizing imagination.

Hypothesis:

        In order to test the causes and effects of sleep paralysis, it is crucial to understand the neurological factors that affect a person during their REM sleep stage and causes them to experience a case of sleep paralysis. Classic studies have shown that skeletal motoneurons are hyperpolarized by glycine-mediated IPSP’s during REM sleep, which led to the fundamental hypothesis that REM paralysis is single-handedly triggered by the glycinergic inhibition of motoneurons. However, recent studies found that REM paralysis remained even after glycine receptors were blocked on motoneurons. Consequently, it was hypothesized that REM paralysis is caused by loss of serotonergic and noradrenergic ex-citation of motoneurons but the direct chemical spur of motoneurons could not override motor paralysis. These outcomes indicate that REM paralysis is generated by a powerful, yet unknown, inhibitory mechanism.

Methods:

        Scientists chose animals to research and test on in order to find a study that proves the functions behind sleep paralysis. It took two days to complete these studies starting with animals that were placed in a round recording chamber and given about one hour to habituate before being connected to the recorder. Researchers inserted a micro dialysis probe into the animals the night before the experiment because previous studies demonstrated that probe insertion stimulates spontaneous neurotransmitter release and local neuronal activation. On the second day, candid drug treatments were given in a random order because baseline and drug treatment timelines were overlapping and it is important that the potential effects of the candidate drugs on REM sleep could be compared and determined.