The enigma of nocturnal immobility: when the body refuses to obey

even if some urban legends still suggest otherwise  !). Sleep paralysis is explained by perfectly normal bodily mechanisms. During REM sleep—the phase in which we dream—our brain temporarily blocks our muscles to prevent us from acting out our dreams. During an episode of paralysis, the mind awakens while the body remains under the influence of this inhibition. The result: you’re awake… in a sleeping body.