What is sleep paralysis?

What Does Sleep Paralysis Feel Like?

The fundamental symptom of sleep paralysis is atonia or the inability to move the body. It occurs shortly after falling asleep or waking up, and during an episode, a person feels awake and is aware of this loss of muscle control.An estimated 75% of sleep paralysis episodes involve hallucinations that are distinct from typical dreams. As with atonia, these can occur when falling asleep (hypnagogic hallucinations) or waking up (hypnopompic hallucinations).Hallucinations during sleep paralysis fall into three categories: