Sleep science explains sleep paralysis and the effects of forced sleep

Medical experts are providing scientific explanations for common sleep disturbances, such as sleep paralysis and the difficulties of returning to sleep after waking up during the night.

Specialists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) explain that sleep paralysis, colloquially known in some regions as “se me subió el muerto,” is a physiological phenomenon rather than a supernatural event. It occurs during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, where the brain naturally inhibits voluntary muscle movement to prevent the physical enactment of dreams. Sleep paralysis happens when a person regains consciousness while the body remains in this state of muscular immobility.

Additionally, Dr. Francisco Díaz García, a specialist in Clinical Neurophysiology and Sleep Disorders, notes that attempting to force sleep after waking up in the middle of the night can be counterproductive. He explains that the brain may interpret the intense effort to fall asleep as a pending task, which activates alert systems instead of allowing the brain to relax. Experts suggest that the bed should not become a place of anxiety, and sometimes it is better to get up briefly rather than struggling to sleep.