Recurrent fearful isolated sleep paralysis - A distressing co-morbid condition of obstructive sleep apnea.
Amrit Sharma, Sateesh Sakhamuri, Stanley Giddings
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care March 1, 2023 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1127_22 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 52-year-old Indo-Caribbean man with obstructive sleep apnea experienced recurrent fearful isolated sleep paralysis. Recurrent sleep paralysis is often under-reported but can cause significant distress, including bedtime anxiety, bedroom avoidance, and poor sleep quality, leading to a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation. In this case, the patient's sleep paralysis was cured by continuous positive airway pressure treatment for his obstructive sleep apnea. The authors aim to raise awareness so patients seek help and researchers can better understand the condition.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 52-year-old male of Indo-Caribbean ethnicity with obstructive sleep apnea |
| Intervention | Continuous positive airway pressure |
| Keywords | Obstructive sleep apnea Sleep paralysis Sleep quality |
| Key finding | Continuous positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea cured the patient's recurrent isolated sleep paralysis. |
Abstract
We present a case of recurrent fearful isolated sleep paralysis in a 52-year-old male of Indo-Caribbean ethnicity with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Recurrent sleep paralysis is a widely under-reported yet worrisome symptom of various sleep disorders. Although a benign condition in most cases, sleep paralysis in a minority of patients causes great distress. Some patients exhibit bedroom avoidance behavior, whereas others experience bedtime anxiety, making it difficult to fall asleep. This leads to poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation, which can greatly impact a person's overall health. As in our case, this led to a vicious "lack of sleep" cycle where a patient who had bedtime anxiety and could not fall asleep, owing to his recurrent isolated sleep paralysis, also had poor quality sleep secondary to his OSA. This increases morbidity and has many potential consequences, which may include cardiovascular events, cognitive decline, and motor vehicular accidents. Sometimes, simply addressing the underlying medical condition cures the recurrent sleep paralysis as in this case where continuous positive airway pressure for OSA cured the recurrent sleep paralysis. One of our goals is to raise awareness of recurrent sleep paralysis so that patients can seek medical help and would not have to live with the anguish of the condition. Coming forward will also assist medical researchers in furthering their understanding of sleep paralysis.