I. Sleep Paralysis: Office Worker Experiences "Ghost Pressing the Bed"
"After being woken up in the middle of the night, I drifted back into a hazy sleep. When I tried to roll over, I found my body wouldn't respond. It felt like something was forcibly pressing down on my hands and shoulders, immobilizing me. I couldn't speak, though my eyes were wide open. My mouth was dry, and my chest felt tight. No matter how much I struggled or strained to move even a muscle, it was all in vain..."Ms. Liu Xin, who works in a high-end office building in Futian District, Shenzhen, shared her experience of sleep paralysis with us.
Medically speaking, the phenomenon Ms. Liu Xinyan encountered is classified as a sleep disorder, formally known as "sleep paralysis." Generally, individuals who are sleep-deprived, suffer from poor sleep quality, experience breathing obstructions, or have narcolepsy are prone to sleep paralysis, where the eyes open but the entire body remains immobilized. How can we address poor sleep quality that impacts health?
"Sleep paralysis" typically occurs during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, also known as the brain's active sleep phase. During this period, skeletal muscle strength is temporarily lost, causing paralysis of all body parts except the eyes. This state usually lasts only a few seconds to minutes, and symptoms disappear once muscle strength returns. Generally, sleep paralysis does not pose a threat to physical health.
To reduce frequent episodes, establish consistent sleep habits and avoid late nights and late mornings. Sleeping on your back may also lower occurrence rates. If episodes persist, consider medication.
II. Irritability in the Middle of the Night
A female executive in her thirties, whose demanding job required early mornings, reluctantly rose at 4 a.m. when her alarm rang. After washing up and downing a cup of coffee, she felt marginally more alert but still groggy and unsteady.
Pushing through to work, she noticed her temper was unusually short that day—everything seemed to irritate her. Her emotional instability led her to yell at colleagues or harshly reprimand subordinates. Worse still, this typically diligent employee made a childish mistake. When a coworker pointed it out, she flew into a rage.
Forcing the brain into high-tension work mode while sleep-deprived often backfires. Lack of sleep impairs cognitive function—researchers once conducted an experiment: dividing students into three groups, the first allowed ample sleep, the second deprived of sleep entirely, and the third given only half a night's rest. The next day's test results revealed that those who slept half as much performed worse than those who slept not at all.
For clear thinking and quick reactions, the brain requires sufficient sleep. Insufficient sleep or sleep disruptions prevent the brain from resting adequately, impairing creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. How to address shallow sleep and frequent waking?




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(Editor: Wu Renfei)

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