RECURRENT SLEEP PARALYSIS - FEAR OF SLEEPING
Daniela Figueiredo Ramos, Joana Magalhães, Paulo Santos, Jorge Vale, Maria Inês Santos
Revista Paulista de Pediatria December 14, 2021 DOI: 10.1590/1984-0462/2020/38/2018226 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Sixteen-year-old girl with recurrent isolated sleep paralysis |
| Intervention | selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Keywords | Sleep paralysis Hallucinations Parasomnia |
| Key findings | A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor led to complete resolution of recurrent isolated sleep paralysis and associated hallucinations in a sixteen-year-old girl. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: To report a case of recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP), a benign parasomnia with worrisome and frightening sleep paralysis episodes. Case description: We describe a case of RISP in a sixteen-year-old girl who seeks medical attention for anxiety symptoms. The sleep paralysis and associated auditory and tactile hallucinations began three years before with worsening in the last year, causing fear of sleeping. The episodes were intensely frightening causing negative impact in patient’s sleep, school performance and social function. Medical conditions were excluded, and she started treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor with complete resolution of symptoms. Comments: Sleep complaints are often devalued. Therefore, clinicians should actively ask their patients about their sleep during health assessment.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent Palinopsia Following Ingestion of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Patients who developed persistent palinopsia after LSD ingestion | 1996 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Cannabis‐induced Koro in Americans American men aged 22-26 with years of cannabis experience who reported negative... | 2001 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
| LSD-Like Panic From Risperidone in Post-LSD Visual Disorder Patients with hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD) | 1996 | Case study | n = 3 |
| Ketamine-Enhanced Psychotherapy: Preliminary Clinical Observations on its Effects in Treating Death Anxiety Terminally-ill people suffering death anxiety | 2007 | Review and case study | n = 2 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Sleeping Paralysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cureus 2024
- A incidência de Paralisia do Sono nos estudantes do curso de medicina do Centro Universitário Assis Gurgacz (FAG) e sua relação com a qualidade do sono E-Acadêmica February 19, 2023
- Parasomnias April 1, 2025
- Sleep Paralysis: Pathogenesis, Clinical Manifestations, and Treatment Strategies. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience August 25, 2025
- Overcoming Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis: A Case Report of Integrative Management With Yoga, Meditation, and Vitamin D3 Supplementation. Cureus December 30, 2024
and 2 more in the library
Cites 5
- A systematic review of variables associated with sleep paralysis Sleep Medicine Reviews June 8, 2017
- A clinician’s guide to recurrent isolated sleep paralysis Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment July 19, 2016
- Isolated sleep paralysis and fearful isolated sleep paralysis in outpatients with panic attacksb Journal of Clinical Psychology December 1, 2010
- Sensed presence as a correlate of sleep paralysis distress, social anxiety and waking state social imagery. Consciousness and Cognition June 15, 2007
- Situational factors affecting sleep paralysis and associated hallucinations: position and timing effects Journal of Sleep Research June 1, 2002