dread which filled my mind, and longed, with insufferable ardour, for someone to open the door, and dissolve the spell which bound me in its fetters. The fit did not continue above five minutes: by degrees I recovered the use of sense of motion; and, as soon as they were so far restored as to enable me to call out and move my limbs, it wore insensibly away. Episodes of sleep paralysis are often accompanied by hypnogogic hallucinations (Mendelson 223). These are commonly mistaken for an evil presence, or having a pressing weight on your chest. At the turn of the century this presence was known as the Old Hag, or The witch (Larkin).Sleep paralysis is a common condition with a prevalence of 5-62%, although most affected people have single or infrequent episodes (Dahlitz). Occasionally sleep paralysis is found to run in a family, and it can be associated with other disorders of hypersomnia, such as sleep apnea (Becker 81). Narcolepsy has also been linked with sleep paralysis; both are thought to be REM sleep disorders (Siegel). Gender and race do not seem to be a factor of risk for this disorder. The episodes of sleep paralysis seem to range from ages 5-35 (Dahlitz). The use of anxiolytic medicines, psychiatric disorders and high anxiety can also contribute to sleep paralysis (Larkin).The treatment for sleep paralysis is limited, because so little is known about REM sleep. Most treatments are focused not on sleep paralysis but on the disorders linked to it. Treatment for sleep apnea or narcolepsy will usually help with sleep paralysis (Siegel). Once in the grip of sleep paralysis something as simple as a touch from another person can end the ordeal. Most of the time one simply waits for it to pass (Becker). As with most aspects of sleep, sleep disorders, and REM dreams, science does not have many answers. There is so much unknown about why our bodies need to sleep and dream, and the disorders that are caused when we do not sleep properly...
