# @science on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DWuH-voki1u
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/62624405-science-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/8e7f06b0be.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-04-04T19:00:21.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Science 🧬 (@science) — https://gondola.cc/science

## Caption

Sleep paralysis is a condition identified by a brief loss of muscle control, known as atonia, that happens just after falling asleep or waking up. In addition to atonia, people often have hallucinations during episodes of sleep paralysis.⁠
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Sleep paralysis is categorized as a type of parasomnia. Parasomnias are abnormal behaviors during sleep. Because it is connected to the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of the sleep cycle, sleep paralysis is considered to be a REM parasomnia.⁠
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Standard REM sleep involves vivid dreaming as well as atonia, which helps prevent acting out dreams. However, under normal circumstances, atonia ends upon waking up, so a person never becomes conscious of this inability to move.⁠
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As a result, researchers believe that sleep paralysis involves a mixed state of consciousness that blends both wakefulness and REM sleep. In effect, the atonia and mental imagery of REM sleep seem to persist even into a state of being aware and awake.⁠
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#sleep #sleeping #sleepparalysis #biology #science

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## Tags

sleep, sleepparalysis, science, sleeping, biology

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