Sleep Paralysis Causes, Risk Factors, and Associated Health Outcomes: A Review & Synthesis

Sleep is a basic necessity that is important to general health, and in some cases can be accompanied by sleep disorders such as sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is relatively common among the general population, but there are still many factors of this disorder that remain unknown. In this review, a brief overview of sleep, risk factors of sleep paralysis, multiple methods for measuring sleep paralysis, and the associated health outcomes will be examined to provide an in-depth synthetic review of sleep paralysis. In addition, upon comprehensive review, a substantial amount of variables appear to be related to sleep paralysis; this includes body position, sleep hygiene, sex, ethnicity, culture, prevailing psychological and sleep disorders, and early life traumas. Sleep paralysis seems to be the most prevalent in those who are already experiencing a mental or sleep disorder. Limitations and future considerations for several specific areas are discussed to provide implications for later research.