Prevalence and Clinical Picture of Sleep Paralysis in a Polish Student Sample.
Paulina Wróbel-knybel, Hanna Karakuła-juchnowicz, Michał Flis, Joanna Róg, Devon E Hinton, Piotr Boguta, Baland Jalal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health May 18, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17103529 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSleep paralysis affects about 7.6% of the general population, but among Polish university students in Lublin the rate is 32%, higher than the 28.3% average for other student populations. Somatic symptoms dominate: 94% of those reporting sleep paralysis experienced physical sensations, most commonly rapid heartbeat (76%); 93% reported fear, especially fear of death (46%); and 66% had hallucinations, mostly visual (37%). More frequent episodes were linked to shorter sleep and sleeping on the back. Severity of physical symptoms correlated with lifestyle factors and anxiety. A substantial number of students experience recurrent sleep paralysis accompanied by fear and physical distress.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 439 |
| Population | Polish students in Lublin |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Keywords | Ptsd6 Fear Parasomnia Psychopathologic symptoms |
| Key finding | 32% of Polish students reported sleep paralysis, with somatic symptoms, fear, and hallucinations being common. |
Abstract
Sleep paralysis (SP) is a psychobiological phenomenon caused by temporary desynchrony in the architecture of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It affects approximately 7.6% of the general population during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to assess (1) the prevalence of SP among Polish students in Lublin (n = 439) using self-reported online surveys, (2) the frequency of SP-related somatic and psychopathologic symptoms, and (3) the factors potentially affecting the occurrence of symptoms among people experiencing SP. We found that the incidence of SP in the Polish student population was slightly higher (32%) than the average prevalence found in other student populations (28.3%). The SP clinical picture was dominated by somatic symptomatology: 94% of respondents reported somatic symptoms (most commonly tachycardia, 76%), 93% reported fear (most commonly fear of death, 46%), and 66% reported hallucinations (most commonly visual hallucinations, 37%). The number of SP episodes was related to sleep duration and supine position during sleep. The severity of somatic symptoms correlated with lifestyle variables and anxiety symptomatology. Our study shows that a significant proportion of students experience recurrent SP and that this phenomenon is associated with fear and physical discomfort. The scale of the phenomenon requires a deeper analysis.