Sleep paralysis is a very unpleasant set of experiences that has the potential to affect people of all ages. Although most people associate this set of issues with teenagers and adults, it’s also quite possible for children to be affected. When this happens, it’s good to have trusted adults who can help with some of the distress this might cause. Below, we cover coping with sleep paralysis in children.
Coping with Sleep Paralysis in Children
If you have a child who you suspect might be suffering from sleep paralysis, take a look at this guide to sleep paralysis treatment to help your loved one deal with this irritating issue.
What Is Sleep Paralysis?
A person with sleep paralysis regains a restricted awareness of their surroundings when they are in a sleep state. This results in their experiencing cognitive awareness but being unable to move their own sleeping body. For the most part, this is an extremely unpleasant experience. Furthermore, a lot of people who suffer sleep paralysis also report having a wide variety of strange sensations during this time.
Seeing apparitions and phantoms, out-of-body experiences, and sensing evil “presences” are a few examples. Although science has produced explanations regarding these experiences, they are still mostly unexplained at this time. Due to this, many cultures have historically given the experience of sleep paralysis a supernatural connotation.
Sleep Paralysis in Children
Sleep paralysis is quite possibly more common in teens and children than it is in adults. Teens, in particular, are vulnerable to experiencing this strange phenomenon. Some studies have indicated that up to 40% of individuals may experience some type of sleep paralysis at some point in their lives. While the overall exact rates of sleep paralysis in children can’t always be specifically determined, it’s likely to be comparable to those of adults.
The Causes of Sleep Paralysis in Children
There are several possible sources for the sleep paralysis phenomenon in children. Some of the following are commonly reported:
- Stress and Anxiety: Children who are prone to experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety are more prone to developing some kind of sleep paralysis.
- General Sleep Disorders: Children who suffer from any of the many types of general sleep disorders are also vulnerable to developing sleep paralysis.
- Sleep Deprivation: Consistent sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on someone who is already prone to sleep paralysis.
- Family: If you have a relative or a parent who suffers from sleep paralysis, the chance that you will also be affected is higher.
Strategies for Lessening the Impact of Sleep Paralysis
There are several strategies that one can try out to lessen the impact of sleep paralysis in a child. Some of the most popular include the following:
Get consistent sleep:
Ensure that your child at least tries to keep a healthy and consistent sleep schedule throughout their week. This should help to lessen the chance of sleep paralysis occurring.
Create a relaxing environment:
Another strategy worth trying out is creating a calm, sanctuary-like environment in a child’s sleeping space to attempt to prevent disruptive events from occurring in their sleep. Things like relaxing lighting and comfortable bedding can go a long way in this regard.
Encourage stress reduction:
More stress never helps an already stressful situation. There are certain stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and gentle stretching that can help to reduce stress and create a harmonious atmosphere before sleeping.
Provide emotional support:
Sleep paralysis can be upsetting, so it’s important to offer emotional support when episodes occur. Full-processing sleep paralysis episodes, when they occur, have the potential to lower the chance of further episodes from occurring.
Encourage good sleep hygiene:
Set limits around things like TV and smartphone usage before bed. The light and information from these devices has the potential to interfere with sleep. In addition, your child may interact with information on the internet that can provoke a sleep paralysis episode.
Most individuals who experience sleep paralysis will do so at such a low rate that it won’t impact their overall lifestyle. However, if your child is experiencing these episodes at such a high rate that it impacts their overall sleep, then you might want to seek out a professional sleep doctor to help to deal with the situation.
The Sleep Doctor of New York
Dr. Mayank Shukla and the rest of the team at Sleep MD New York are one of the big apple’s most trusted resources for attending to the various sleep needs of patients. If you or your child is suffering from sleep paralysis, contact us today in order to schedule an appointment w
