▲Sleep paralysis may happen when a person wakes up and regains consciousness before they have total control of the body's motor functions.

▲The brain works as if it's still in a deep sleep, but you're able to open your eyes - which means you're part awake, and it usually creates a sense of panic.

▲People who suffered from sleep paralysis have claimed to feel a great pressure on their body. Some even claim to see ghosts, monsters, or scary creatures.

▲The fact that the brain is still in 'rest mode' means that you hallucinate, and you can't tell what's real and what isn't.

▲What happens in most cases is that the victims of sleep paralysis aren't able to speak, which increases the feeling of panic.

▲Sleep paralysis can also create a feeling of body dissociation, which makes you feel like you're floating above you're own body.

▲This condition affects both males and females, but is more frequent in men.

▲Most episodes tend to start during adolescence, with the possibility of developing into a more recurrent condition between the ages of 20 and 30.

▲People who suffer from depression, anxiety and other types of mental illness are more prone to experiencing sleep paralysis, according to a study by the Pennsylvania State University.

▲If you ever experience sleep paralysis, the most important thing to remember is that you must remain calm. Panicking will only make it worse.

▲It's extremely important that you recognize you're in fact having a sleep paralysis episode so you can regain control of your body.

▲People who suffer from this condition regularly start by trying to move their toes first so they can regain full motor coordination little by little.

▲A calm and controlled breathing pattern is also important in order to awaken the muscles.

▲In some cases, trying to cough can also help wake up the body.

▲Ryan Hurd, a regular sleep paralysis patient, sharedon Deams Studies what he thinks is the best way to wake up from an SP episode: 'Scrunch up your face. In other words, make a face like you just smelled something bad.'

▲Remember to get out of bed when the episode is over so you don't slip right back into another one. Get up, turn on the light and wash your face.

▲As with any health condition, if the episodes become too frequent, you must seek medical help.

▲One of the medications that are said to help fight sleep paralysis efficiently is clonazepam.

▲There is a reddit thread dedicated to sleep paralysis sufferers who want to share their experiences.

▲There aren't any registered cases of people who died because of sleep paralysis - the problem affects people psychologically more than physically.

▲People who take anxiolytics are five times more prone to experiencing sleep paralysis.

▲Hopefully this information will help you if you ever go through a SP episode.

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Sleep paralysis episodes can happen once or become more recurrent.

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This condition doesn't have a specific treatment, but a sleeping between seven to eight hours a night, having a healthy diet, and working out are all habits that can help prevent it.

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Even though the hallucinations are specific to each person's subconscious, they tend to follow a pattern and manifest in the shape of a figure or shadow standing next to the bed.

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Have you ever woken up and found that you weren't able to move any part of your body? Then it's likely that you may have experienced sleep paralysis. This condition is actually more common than we think, but it doesn't have a known cure yet.

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