Mpendaga Karla dey lie for bed like person wey don freeze; she full conscious but she no fit move or shout.

Something inside her dey take control, e dey mix like dream and reality. When she finally comot from the spell, Karla dey tire, dey anxious and dey vex.

This woman wey near 40 and wey get business for Libreville, Gabon, sabi this kind experience well well.

“For we, na mystical attacks dem be, nothing else,” Karla talk. “E dey happen when person dey attack you for the astral world. You no suppose take am play-play. When e happen to me, I no fit move, even though I dey conscious for my sleep. E be like bad dream wey dem dey chase me or tey dem dey physically attack me.”

Wetin Karla dey describe na sleep paralysis.

Sleep paralysis

Na condition wey mental health specialists dey estimate say e dey affect at least 30% of people for the world.

The other 70% don likely see am for film—characters wey trap inside their bad dreams and nobody fit defend them or wake them up.

How people dey interpret am

For Africa, like for many other parts of the world, plenty people dey interpret sleep paralysis as supernatural or mystical. Karla first run go traditional talismans from healers before she begin to pray as her remedy.

“I dey pray every night before I sleep so that sorcerers no go fit attack me for my sleep again. E dey work,” she tell TRT Afrika. “I dey pray because I no want die by hand of sorcerer wey come attack me for dream.”

Beninese clinical psychologist Kouassi Comlan wey don treat plenty couples with sleep paralysis, dey mix scientific way with cultural sensitivity to help dem.

“Sleep paralysis na parasomnia wey be like temporary mismatch between the brain systems wey dey wake people up and the physical muscle atonia wey dey happen for REM (rapid eye movement) sleep,” Dr Comlan explain.

“During that dream phase, the brain go naturally switch on motor inhibitory mechanism to stop the body from doing the things wey the dream show. If that motor inhibition still dey when person consciousness don begin wake, you go get the feeling of temporary paralysis, and many times hallucinations go join.”

Dr Comlan say him cultural background dey help am understand how patients dey view sleep paralysis and make him use inclusive approach for treatment.

“As clinical psychologist wey train for humanistic methods and positive psychology, I believe say e essential to understand sleep paralysis from integrative side, to recognise the neurophysiological part and the cultural, spiritual and meaning part too.”

Physical sensations

Dr Comlan explain say sleep paralysis dey happen because the mechanisms wey dey regulate consciousness and muscle tone no dey synchronised during the waka-between wakefulness and sleep. The muscle atonia wey dey REM fit still dey even though the brain wake system don start, and na that one dey create the temporary dissociative state.

Even though medically e usually no danger, the thing fit cause serious psychological stress.

“Complete body immobility dey very common. Person no fit move voluntarily or talk, and e go give impression say the body don lock up,” he talk.

There dey also hallucinations where dream things go enter waking mind, and these be hypnopompic hallucinations (as person dey wake) or hypnagogic hallucinations (as person dey fall asleep).

“People fit feel presence wey dey threaten them, chest tightness or like dem dey suffocate,” Dr Comlan tell TRT Afrika.

Spiritual protection

Like Karla, people wey get sleep paralysis dey often look for way to break the cycle. Tradition get charms and amulets, religion dey give comfort through prayer, and clinical therapies dey treat am scientifically.

Koranic scholar Assane Gaye say the spiritual side important just like the scientific approach when person dey try cure sleep paralysis.

“Plenty believers dey interpret the experience as some force wey dey try influence or scare person,” the Senegalese scholar talk. “But Islam teach say nothing fit harm believer if Allah no allow am. I dey quote, ‘And if Allah touches you with harm, no one but Him can remove it’ (Surah Al-An'am 6:17). The Prophet say, ‘Know that if the entire community united to harm you, dem no go fit harm you beyond wetin Allah don decree for you.’”

To keep sleep paralysis comot, Gaye recommend make people dey recite invocations before sleep. “The Prophet dey recite Ayat al-Kursî (Surah 2:255) before e go sleep. Anybody wey recite am before sleep go dey under Allah protection. No devil go fit approach am until morning.”

Sleep paralysis fit mean different things to different people depending on their culture and traditions. Experts advise make person use the tools or practices wey work for them—whether na prayer, amulets or medical treatment. Also, make you prioritise good sleep so mind go get enough time to rest and heal.