state when body muscles do not move (although eye muscles could, similar to REM atonia), yet the person is aware. Usually occurs when falling asleep or when awakening. The paralysis can last from several seconds to several minutes, with some rare cases being hours, accompanied by panic symptoms. Contributing factors include sleeping in a face upwards position (supine), increased stress, sudden environmental or lifestyle changes (including diet and activities such as socializing), lucid dreams (awareness during dreaming), lack of sleep, irregular sleeping patterns, age (it's more common in teenagers and young adults), excessive alcohol or drugs. People with narcolepsy, dyssomnias or other sleep disorders and those prone to cataplexy - sudden fatigue brought on by strong emotions - are more likely to experience sleep paralysis.
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