0699 Frequency of Sleep Paralysis as Related to Lifestyle Variables in a Nationwide Student Sample: Preliminary Findings

Sleep paralysis (SP) frequency among university students is linked to napping and alcohol use. In a survey of 158 students, those who experienced SP daily napped 4–7 times per week, while those who experienced SP once napped only 1–3 times per month. Most non-SP experiencers napped rarely or never. Daily SP experiencers also reported drinking alcohol more often than one-time experiencers. No differences were found for caffeine or nicotine use. The direction of causation between frequent napping and SP remains unknown. The study suggests drinking frequency may moderately predict SP, and more research is needed on phone and social media use.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Sleep Paralysis (SP) is a sleep-disturbing experience of muscle atonia while conscious, creating an in-between sensation of wakefulness and dissociation during REM sleep. During SP, one can experience hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations, which may cause feelings of terror and fear. These feelings affect the overall well-being of the experiencers and may impact other aspects of their lives. We investigated factors that may influence the frequency of SP in university students. Methods Participants (N=158, 65.19% female, 5.7% non-binary/third gender, 64% white) completed a mixed method, retrospective nationwide survey including items querying demographic variables, lifestyle (i.e., substance use, technology use, social media use), sleeping behaviors (i.e., napping, habitual bedtime, sleep interruption), sleep quality, and frequency of SP. Results For questions relating to SP frequency among the 7 categories, most respondents experienced SP “Several” times (36%, N=45, while 14.4% (N=18) experienced SP “Once” and 3.2% (N=4) experienced SP “Daily.” When comparing daily SP experiencers (DSP) to one-time SP experiencers (OSP), 75% (N=3) of DSP napped 4-7 times per week, while half of the OSP (N=9) napped only 1-3 times per month. In our qualitative analysis, many respondents stated they experienced SP most during “napping.” Additionally, the majority of non-SP experiencers (N=18) answered “Never” or “Less than once a month” for napping. For alcohol use, 75% of DSP (N=3) answered “Yes” to “Do you drink alcohol?” while only 55% of OSP (N=10) answered “Yes.” This study could not find differences in caffeine or nicotine use. Conclusion Our results suggest that there is a difference in sleeping and lifestyle behaviors between students who experience SP frequently and students who experience SP once or not at all. The most significant difference in the sleeping behaviors is the frequency of napping. The direction of causation between the frequent napping behavior and the SP remains to be determined. Among lifestyle behaviors, SP frequency data suggests that drinking frequency may moderately predict SP. More research is needed regarding whether phone use and/or social media may influence SP frequency, as such behaviors have been shown to influence sleep timing, time duration, and quality. Support (if any) None