Old Hag' Syndrome is a terrifying sleep disorder that many people suffer from. Also known as 'sleep paralysis', sufferers often wake up in the middle of the night, unable to move or scream, but able to see, hear, feel and smell. It is often accompanied by strange smells, frightening sounds, apparitions of shadows or people, and a weight on the chest, making breathing difficult if not impossible.
It is caused by the hormones, which keep us paralysed while we sleep and thus preventing us from acting out our dreams, not ceasing function immediately when you wake up. It usually only lasts up to a minute.
I've had this happen twice in my life and it is honestly the most horrifying thing that I have ever experienced. If you've experienced this, please share your experience!
Dr. Max Hirshkowitz, director of the Sleep Disorders Center
says that sleep paralysis occurs when the brain is in the transition state between deep, dreaming sleep (known as REM sleep for its rapid eye movement) and waking up. During REM dreaming sleep, the brain has turned off most of the body's muscle function so we cannot act out our dreams - we are temporarily paralyzed.
"Sometimes your brain doesn't fully switch off those dreams - or the paralysis - when you wake up," Hirshkowitz told ABC News. "That would explain the 'frozen' feeling and hallucinations associated with sleep paralysis." According to his research, the effect only really lasts from a few seconds to as long as a minute, but in this half-dream half-awake state, to the victim it can seem much longer.
