Health guru doctor Michael Mosley has issued advice to people who 'see ghosts' in their sleep as the result of a phenomenon called 'sleep paralysis'. The doctor has explained how his wife recently claimed to see ghosts which were moving all around their bedroom.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Dr Mosley claimed his wife said: "I can see them moving around at the end of the bed. 'They don't have faces and they don't look threatening, but they are definitely there."
"She turned the lights on and insisted that we get out of bed and have a look behind the curtains, and then under the bed. Reassured that the ghosts had gone, she went back to bed and swiftly fell asleep."
Neither Dr Mosley or his wife Dr Clare believe in ghosts when awake, but while experiencing sleep paralysis, Clare swears she had seen them.
Dr Mosley explained: "What she experienced isn't a conventional nightmare, nor is it a sign that she's going crazy. Instead, it's caused by something called sleep paralysis."
According to research, around 20 percent of people experience sleep paralysis, which occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This is the same period of sleep when most nightmares happen.
Dr Mosley says: "While we are in REM sleep, our limbs become temporarily paralysed to prevent us thrashing around and hurting ourselves or others; you continue to breathe, and your eyes flicker from side to side, but you can't move."
This, combined with nightmares, can result in many people believing they are in danger from supernatural beings. The phenomenon is experienced throughout the world, with 38 percent of people in Italy who reported experiencing sleep paralysis believing a supernatural being called the Pandafeche, a cat-like creature, had visited them.
Advice to people who see 'ghosts'
If you're suffering from sleep paralysis, Dr Mosley says to avoid eating late at night and don't drink alcohol a couple of hours before bed, as these disrupt sleep. You should also avoid sleeping on your back, as this increases your chance of experiencing sleep paralysis.
He advises some rather bizarre methods to help with this, explaining: "You can also reduce your likelihood of sleeping on your back by sewing a tennis ball into your pyjamas, or by wearing a device round your neck that detects when you are on your back and gives you a little shock to force you to change positions."
