In Aotearoa New Zealand, 12 people who experience isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) described frightening multisensory perceptions during episodes of temporary immobility between wakefulness and sleep. Participants interpreted ISP through either spiritual or biomedical lenses, and these frameworks shaped how they understood, explained, and coped with the experience. Many were reluctant to disclose ISP for fear of being labeled mentally ill, while others felt judged for their spiritual beliefs. The phenomenological features of ISP in this sample matched global findings. A larger quantitative study is needed to test generalizability to the wider New Zealand population.
People who have had near-death experiences often report sleep changes, but objective measurements have been lacking. In a 14-day actigraphy study with 57 participants—26 who had an NDE, 12 who had a near-death event without an NDE, and 19 who had never come close to death—no significant differences in objective sleep measures were found between groups. However, comparisons of subjective and objective measures revealed significant differences in sleep onset latency, sleep duration, and sleep efficiency, particularly among the NDE group. These results suggest sleep state misperception, where perceived sleep quality differs from objective measures, which may have clinical relevance for understanding NDEs and sleep perception.