Health
PT Health Watch: Why sleep paralysis feels like a spiritual attack — Expert
Many Nigerians who wake up unable to move, speak or call for help often describe the experience as a spiritual attack, saying “something pressed me” or “a witch held me down.”
However, health experts say the frightening phenomenon, known as sleep paralysis, has a medical explanation rooted in the brain’s sleep cycle and is often linked to stress, sleep deprivation and irregular sleeping patterns.
Speaking with PT Health Watch, Joshua Nnatus, a senior manager at Lagos MiND and a public health professional, explained that while the experience can feel terrifyingly real, it is a recognised sleep condition with a well-understood neurological basis.
When the brain wakes before the body
Mr Nnatus described sleep paralysis as a temporary inability to move or speak that occurs either while falling asleep or, more commonly, while waking up.
“It is classified as a parasomnia, one of the sleep-related experiences recognised in the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 and the International Classification of Sleep Disorders,” he said.
He explained that the condition is closely tied to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage of sleep associated with vivid dreaming, which typically accounts for about 20 to 25 per cent of an adult’s sleep cycle.
During REM sleep, the brain activates a protective mechanism called REM atonia, which temporarily switches off voluntary muscles to prevent people from physically acting out their dreams.
Normally, this muscle “off-switch” ends immediately upon waking. However, in sleep paralysis, the transition between sleep and wakefulness becomes misaligned.
“The mind becomes awake and aware before the muscle switch has been turned back on,” Mr Nnatus said.
As a result, the person is conscious, aware of their environment, but unable to move or speak. Breathing and eye movements remain unaffected, which is why people can still look around and breathe normally despite feeling completely “frozen”.
Episodes typically last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes and resolve on their own.
A common but misunderstood experience
Although many people are reluctant to discuss it, sleep paralysis is relatively common.
Research suggests that a significant proportion of people experience at least one episode during their lifetime, particularly adolescents, university students and young adults who are exposed to high levels of stress, sleep deprivation or irregular sleeping schedules.
Because the experience is often sudden and frightening, it is frequently misunderstood and interpreted through cultural or spiritual beliefs.
Why it feels like a spiritual attack
Mr Nnatus said the experience is often interpreted as supernatural because several frightening sensations occur at the same time.
The first is the sudden loss of control, which triggers intense fear. Second is the persistence of dream-like activity in the brain, which produces vivid hallucinations.
These may include sensing a presence in the room, seeing a figure, feeling pressure on the chest, or believing something is sitting on or holding the body down.
He added that the brain’s fear-processing centres remain highly active during REM sleep, which amplifies panic and makes the experience feel extremely real.
“The result feels absolutely real because, in a neurological sense, it is real to the person experiencing it. It is not imagination, and it is not a sign of madness,” he said.
Across cultures, similar experiences have been explained through spiritual beliefs.
In parts of Europe, it has been described as the “Old Hag” phenomenon. In some Middle Eastern traditions, it is linked to Jinn. In parts of China, it is associated with ghost oppression.
In south-west Nigeria, it is widely referred to as ogun oru, interpreted by many as nocturnal spiritual attack, while others describe it as a witch “pressing” the body during sleep.
Mr Nnatus said these interpretations reflect cultural frameworks, but the underlying process remains the same across populations.
Stress, disrupted sleep and lifestyle factors
According to Mr Nnatus, the strongest trigger for sleep paralysis is disrupted sleep.
Common risk factors include sleep deprivation, irregular sleep schedules, late-night studying, shift work, and constantly changing sleep routines.
He noted that stress and anxiety, particularly among students and young professionals, significantly increase vulnerability.
Other triggers include sleeping on the back, caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime, jet lag, and prolonged screen use at night, which delays sleep onset.
Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder may also increase the likelihood of episodes.
In some cases, sleep paralysis occurs alongside narcolepsy, a neurological sleep disorder characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.
He added that research suggests a possible genetic component in some individuals.
When it becomes a concern
Mr Nnatus stressed that sleep paralysis is not physically dangerous.
He, however, said repeated episodes can lead to significant distress, including fear of sleeping, anxiety and poor-quality rest.
He advised medical attention if episodes become frequent or are accompanied by excessive daytime sleepiness, or sudden uncontrollable sleep episodes during the day, symptoms that may suggest narcolepsy.
“That pattern is a core warning sign and should be properly evaluated,” he said.
Managing and reducing episodes
Mr Nnatus recommended maintaining consistent sleep and wake times, ensuring adequate sleep duration, and reducing stress levels.
Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake in the evening, reducing screen exposure before bedtime, and improving sleep environment can also help.
According to sleep health guidance from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults require at least seven hours of sleep per night for optimal health.
He also noted that sleeping on one’s side may reduce the likelihood of episodes in people who are prone to them.
For people experiencing frequent or distressing episodes, Mr Nnatus said support and referral services are available through Lagos MiND’s Lagos Lifeline on 070 0000 6463, 020 1410 6463, or via WhatsApp on 090 9000 6463.
The federal government has inaugurated a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness as part of efforts to sustain Nigeria’s zero-case status and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to potential outbreaks.
Speaking at the inauguration on Thursday at the State House, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who chairs the task force, said there were currently no reported cases of Ebola in Nigeria.
Mr Gbajabiamila said the government was intensifying preventive measures to ensure the country remains free of the disease while positioning itself to take a leading role in epidemic preparedness and response across Africa.
“We inaugurated the committee today on Nigeria’s preparedness for the Ebola Virus Disease. We have covered a lot of ground, and there are presently no reported cases in the country, which is good news,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s approach is centred on prevention rather than cure, noting that lessons from previous outbreaks, particularly the 2014 Ebola outbreak, have informed the development of stronger surveillance and response systems.
Focus on prevention
Mr Gbajabiamila said the government was determined to avoid a repeat of the events of 2014, when an infected traveller brought the virus into Nigeria, triggering an emergency public health response.
According to him, the task force has established structures and subcommittees to address critical areas of preparedness and response.
“We do not want a repeat of what happened during the last outbreak when a carrier entered the country, and everyone was scrambling to respond,” he said.
He added that the government was building permanent systems that would remain effective even years after the current threat had passed.
“We want to put in place permanent arrangements and structures so that in two or three years, if another outbreak occurs, we will not be running from pillar to post trying to establish response mechanisms,” he said.
Surveillance, coordination
Mr Gbajabiamila said special attention was being given to international airports and land borders because of the high volume of cross-border movements.
He noted that the federal government was working closely with states hosting international airports, including Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory, to strengthen monitoring and rapid-response mechanisms.
Mr Gbajabiamila said agencies responsible for border management and immigration, as well as border communities, had been incorporated into the preparedness framework.
He explained that the task force includes committees on border management, immigration control and disease surveillance, while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) will provide overall technical leadership and coordination.
Key stakeholders
The inauguration brought together senior government officials and public health experts, including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; and the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris.
Others in attendance included representatives of state health ministries, the World Health Organisation (WHO), airport authorities, epidemiologists and public health organisations.
Background
The inauguration comes about a week after President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of the Task Force and authorised the release of N10 billion in emergency intervention funding to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against a possible outbreak.
As PREMIUM TIMES previously reported, the fund is intended to bolster the operational capacity of the NCDC and support critical public health emergency response activities across the country.
The Task Force, chaired by Mr Gbajabiamila, was created following a high-level stakeholder meeting that reviewed Nigeria’s preparedness and developed strategies to prevent the importation of Ebola into the country.
The federal government’s actions followed renewed Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, prompting concerns about the risk of cross-border transmission.
Authorities subsequently announced plans to strengthen surveillance at airports and land borders, activate isolation and referral facilities, and improve coordination among health, aviation and security agencies.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it intercepted tankers of suspected smuggled vegetable oil and a truckload of soap that entered the country illegally.
NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, disclosed this during a news conference held in Lagos on Friday.
Mr Iluyomade said the smuggled products were brought in through illegal land borders.
He said the seizures were part of ongoing efforts to curb economic sabotage and protect consumers and the nation’s overall health.
He said the three 66,000-litre capacity tankers were smuggled into the country from Ghana with altered plate numbers, adding that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the content of the purported oil and street value.
The director added that the truckload of soap contained 40,000 cartons with an estimated street value of N500 million.
He said: “Smugglers have adopted various tactics to evade detection, including changing vehicle registration numbers and disguising prohibited imports as legitimate cargo.
“We have observed increasing smuggling activities along the land border corridors.
“Some of these trucks claim to be carrying vegetable oil, but investigations revealed that the products are imported through prohibited channels.
“NAFDAC is concerned about the health risks associated with smuggled goods because they often bypass regulatory inspections and certification processes,” he said.
According to him, imported vegetable oil and certain other products are on the federal government’s list of restricted items designed to encourage local production and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.
Mr Iluyomade disclosed that five individuals arrested in connection with the seizures are currently in custody and undergoing further investigation.
He said the agency would continue to work with security agencies to intensify surveillance along land borders to prevent the illegal importation of prohibited goods into the country.
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The director reiterated the government’s directive that trucks transporting edible oils be clearly marked and dedicated solely to that purpose.
He said enforcement of the directive had commenced, warning that any truck found violating the regulation would be impounded.
(NAN)
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