Omicron keeps running. In Italy the 200 thousand almost and the South African variant is becoming more and more prevalent. At the moment, Omicron appears to be much more contagious, but less aggressive than its predecessors. With less ability to affect the lungs. But there is a symptom that has been spreading in recent times and that «it can be scary». This is the sleep paralysis. Let’s go into detail.
Omicron, sleep paralysis
Among the new symptoms associated with the variante Omicron also appears «sleep paralysis», a disorder that prevents you from moving and talking when you wake up or just before falling asleep. To sound the alarm, the British National Health System (Nhs) who describes this experience as “frightening“. However, underlining that it is a harmless symptom: “Most people will only experience it once or twice in their life».
In fact, with the outbreak of the pandemic from Covid-19, i sleep disturbances they have multiplied due to lockdown, quarantine, social distancing, anxiety, depression and in some cases a real post traumatic stress syndrome. But there has been a significant increase in these disorders in recent weeks. Simultaneously with the dissemination of the variante Omicron.
As reported by the Express newspaper and other British newspapers, many complain on social networks significant sleep disturbances, including the dreaded paralysis.
The sleep paralysis it seems to have been more prevalent since the Omicron variant began to spread. However there is no confirmation that this is a direct consequence of the virus, it could only be linked to a increased stress caused by the new wave of the virus. Even in the United Kingdom, as in Italy, 200 thousand daily infections have been exceeded. The highest peak since the beginning of the pandemic.
«It could be the virus infection itself that is impacting sleep regulation in the brain, as neurological effects from Covid have been reported.He told Mail Online Cat Lederly, a sleep therapy expert. However, she believes it is more likely that the increase in cases of sleep paralysis “is due to the stress deriving from adults changes the way we are living our lives right now, the uncertainty and anxiety we are facing and impacting our sleep system».
According to some experts, sleep paralysis could be caused by the binomio virus-stress. «Once our sleep pattern is disrupted due to health problems or anxiety, then we get stuck in a cycle where we begin to associate bed with wakefulness.Dr. Kathryn Pinkham, NHS consultant and founder of the Insomnia Clinic, told Express.
The expert continues: “For example, the more time we spend in bed tossing and turning unable to sleep, the more we begin to relate our bed to being awake. Likewise, the more hyper-alert and anxious we are about sleep, the worse the cycle becomes. Sleep paralysis is associated with sleep deprivation, so this would somewhat explain why Covid and sleep paralysis are linked.».
Symptoms of sleep paralysis
With the sleep paralysis you are awake but unable to move, speak or open your eyes. It’s like the REM phase has gone haywire. The NHS explained that one can experience the sensation of a presence in the room, with someone pushing us down. It is an experience that can be frightening, with feelings that can last «up to several minutes».
Only further studies will determine whether the sleep paralysis either triggered by the Omicron variant, a psychological distress generated by the pandemic or a combination of both.
In any case, it is currently believed that the variante Omicron can be on average less aggressive than previous strains, causing symptoms similar to those of a cold. As reported by the Zoe Covid Symptom Study, among the most frequent symptoms: runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, muscle aches, headache, back pain and fatigue.