Why Can't We Get Up Or Speak Immediately On Waking Up From Sleep?

 

We might have faced this situation on multiple occasions in our life. When we wake up from sleep, we want to get up but we just can't. Next thing we wanna do is call for help but you can't open your mouth either. Hence, all you can do is lie there like a dead person until the phenomenon ends. 

This is known as what we call, "Sleep Paralysis". Even though, sleep paralysis exists only for a minute or so, it really is a dangerous and scary phase to go through, perhaps a very perilous one minute of your life! 

If we were to put it in simple words, sleep paralysis can be defined as, "A state where the body is still in sleep mode, but the brain is awake". Now, why does it exactly occur? Here's the answer :

During the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage, you are likely to have dreams. In such a stage, the brain prevents muscles in your limbs from moving to protect yourself from acting dreams out and hurting yourself. 

Hence, sleep paralysis happens when you are getting in or just getting out of the REM stage.