Characteristics of Sleep Paralysis and Its Association With PTSD, Stress, and Other Lifestyle Variables Among the Population of Pakistan, a Cross-Sectional Study.
Alishba Javaid, Rabi Jan, Afifa Khan, Kanza Farhan, Thierry Nasibu Ntumba, Christian Tague, Aymar Akilimali
Public health challenges June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/puh2.70292 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 412 |
| Population | Participants in Pakistan |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Keywords | Caffeine intake Pakistan Sleep paralysis sp Smoking |
| Key findings | Sleep paralysis episodes are significantly associated with stress, PTSD, caffeine intake, and smoking. |
Abstract
Sleep paralysis (SP) is a parasomnia disorder connected to being unable to move your body though the experiencing person remains conscious. Factors involving this disorder are stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), lifestyle factors including the amount of sleep, and the amount of caffeine consumed. Our study aim is to assess the symptoms, duration, time of occurrence, and body position during SP episodes and frequency of SP episodes with these variables. A total of 412 participants took part in this quantitative cross-sectional study. Data were collected through online questionnaire. Ethical consideration was taken into account. A significant correlation with a p value of less than 0.001 was discovered between the quantity of SP episodes and SP symptoms with inability to move the body has the highest frequency (44.7%) among people who experience SP (48.1%). Significant association was found between frequency of SP episodes with duration, that is, fewer seconds (20.9%), occurrence of SP upon falling asleep (23.8%), and body position during SP, that is, on back (26.5%) having p value of less than 0.001, respectively. A noteworthy correlation was discovered between the frequency of SP episodes, PTSD, and stress having a p value of 0.009. Significant association was also found between frequency of SP episodes with caffeine intake (38.1%) and smoking (2.9%) having a p value of <0.001. This study suggests a relationship between SP and lifestyle and psychological factors.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessing the quality of publicly available videos on MDMA‐assisted psychotherapy for PTSD Videos on YouTube about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD | 2022 | Cross-sectional study | n = 100 |
| Perceptions of psychedelic-assisted therapy among Black Americans. Black and White American adults | 2023 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 294 |
| Coping motives mediate the relationship between PTSD and MDMA use in adolescents with substance use disorders German adolescent SUD patients aged 13–18 years at an outpatient clinic | 2022 | Cross-sectional study | n = 111 |
| Risk factors of sleep paralysis in a population of Polish students. Polish university students under 35 | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 2,553 |
| Expert opinions on implementation of MDMA-assisted therapy in Europe: critical appraisal towards training, clinical practice, and regulation. Researchers and clinicians involved in MDMA-AT clinical trials and contributors to the... | 2024 | Survey | n = 68 |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- A systematic review of variables associated with sleep paralysis Sleep Medicine Reviews June 8, 2017
- Terror and bliss? Commonalities and distinctions between sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and their associations with waking life experiences Journal of Sleep Research July 27, 2016
- Sleep Paralysis and Lucid Dreaming-Between Waking and Dreaming: A Review about Two Extraordinary States. Journal of Clinical Medicine May 12, 2023
- Sleep paralysis in college students. Journal of American College Health July 1, 2022
- Characteristics of Sleep Paralysis and Its Association with Anxiety Symptoms, Perceived Stress, PTSD, and Other Variables Related to Lifestyle in Selected High Stress Exposed Professions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health June 25, 2022
and 10 more in the library