What to know about sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis occurs when a person’s consciousness is awake, but their body is still in a paralysed sleep state.

A person may be unable to speak and may feel pressure on their chest. It can be a symptom of medical problems.

During sleep paralysis, a person’s senses and awareness are active and awake, but their body cannot move.

It occurs just as a person is falling asleep or waking up and is the result of the body and mind being out of sync.