Most of us are probably familiar with the idea that every night we sleep we are immersed in our dream world. Knowing that we dream every day, but that we cannot remember the elements in dreams, produces uncertainty. We are curious about everything that can navigate in our unconscious, but that we cannot articulate it without these visual elements present, which even in their amorphous and confused presentation carry signifiers into the underlying way, which can operate as associations and per se guarantee a reliable interpretation. by means of techniques, especially that of psychoanalysis.
Have you dreamed that you cannot speak and want to know the meaning of this dream? Have you dreamed that you ask for help and your voice does not come out? That you can’t speak or move? In this Psychology-Online article we explain what it means to dream that you cannot speak .
You may also be interested in: When to talk to a psychologist?
Index
- What does it mean to dream that I cannot speak and move
- Dreaming that I ask for help and my voice does not come out
- Causes of sleep paralysis
- How to avoid sleep paralysis
What does it mean to dream that I cannot speak and move
The awakening and unable to move a muscle (sluggishness ) or release a cry, and sometimes notice dark presences close to us or experience feelings of pressure in the chest (as if breathing becomes difficult), is a very common experience And there is also a neurological explanation for this type of experience, it is known as sleep paralysis , one of the variants of parasomnia.
When we are in the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase of our sleep, our brain consciousness is very active and it is precisely this moment that we begin to dream. At this moment two neurotransmitters come into play: Glycine and GABA, their function is to work together to stop the movement of most of our muscles and thus prevent us from trying to represent dreams and injure ourselves in the process. What happens in sleep paralysis is that our mind wakes up but our body does not . As our muscles continue to be paralyzed by these two neurotransmitters, we will not be able to move or make any sound, and hallucinations can sometimes arise during these types of episodes (known ashypnopompic hallucinations , when they occur before waking up and hypnagogic when they occur before the onset of sleep). These cases often occur due to isolated events caused by stress, lack of sleep or the well-known Jet Lag, so that adequate sleep (poor sleep hygiene) can contribute to the disappearance of this problem.
However, they can occur very frequently in people with some type of diagnosis of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or narcolepsy .
We understand then that sleep paralysis occurs when the dreamer wakes up at the wrong time (the REM sleep period has not yet ended) and, as a result, the muscles are still asleep, including the pectoral muscles – except for the diaphragm – being This is the reason why the dreamer has difficulty breathing or you feel and see that something heavy is resting on your chest.
Dreaming that I ask for help and my voice does not come out
Another detail about these dreams or sleep paralysis is the inability to ask for help, and this makes a lot of sense since the muscles that control the mouth do not work either , for this reason when you try to ask for help it turns out that you cannot even pronounce a single word. single word.
Even, as detailed above, nightmares can occur that have a hallucinatory characteristic (shadows, people …) from which you cannot run away, or scream for help. This occurs because a nightmare is occurring while being partially awake, the eyes open but the rest of the muscles do not work and for this reason we can only see the environment but not move any part of the body.
Some people report that part of the attempt to ask for help, they try to move their fingers, head or feet either to run or fight or just to wake up themselves or the one next to us. There are also occasions in which the dreamer refers that he has only been able to wake up from these dream experiences if something happens to him, such as hurting himself or being attacked (hanged, suffocated or being lacerated by a sharp object).
This experience can be even more unpleasant because the subject also exhibits false arousals, that is, waking up within sleep repeatedly. Although he has already been injured (which functions as a wake-up totem), the subject reports that he tries to get out of bed again and cannot move or ask for help .
Causes of sleep paralysis
Why do you give sleep paralysis? What can cause sleep paralysis? Here are some of the most common causes of sleep paralysis:
- Sleep deprivation.
- Chronic lack of sleep
- Disturbed sleep patterns.
- Chronic stress.
- Heavy or sugary meals before going to bed.
- Some say that the cause can be very simple, such as sleeping on the back.
- Mental disorders.
- Consumption of some recreational and pharmacological substances (tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs, beta blockers).
- Narcolepsy, where there is a deficit or alteration of hypocretin (a hormone that helps the body to stay alert and in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle).
How to avoid sleep paralysis
Here are some tips you can follow to avoid the experiences of sleep paralysis that can become unpleasant:
- Getting enough hoursof sleep (7 to 8 hours per day). Here are 15 tips to get a good night’s sleep .
- Try to establish a schedulefor going to bed every day.
- Sleeping on your side or stomach.
- Avoid very strong meals and in large quantities at night. That is, have a light dinner.
- Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol.
- Practicing meditationfor at least 5 minutes can help you relax and reduce anxiety symptoms that can lead to nightmares. In this article you can find meditation techniques for beginners .
- If there are mental pathologies, it is recommended that you go to a therapist.
- Ensure sleep hygiene.
- Do not usemobile devices for at least an hour before going to bed.
- Avoid watching videos that may cause fear.
