This Omicron Covid symptom can cause a ‘scary’ impact on your sleep – here’s what you need to know

However, a recent study – one which identified a marked rise in sleep disturbances among those in quarantine – suggests that the sleep paralysis might actually be a side effect of the stress of the pandemic itself, rather than a symptom of the virus. 

“The recent reports of an increase in an omnicrom symptom of sleep paralysis are not necessarily specific to omnicrom. Anything that causes stress, or makes us fearful can disrupt sleep and increase the experience of sleep paralysis,” Heather Darwall-Smith, the sleep psychotherapist at The London Sleep Centre, tells Glamour UK. 

“During REM sleep sleep paralysis is normal but we are not normally aware of it. It normally happens as you fall asleep or wake up from REM sleep. It can last a few seconds or few minutes. It’s scary when you wake and feel that you cannot move or speak. Some people feel like something is sitting on their chest (look up incubus) some people experience hallucinations (around 75%).”

She explains: “It is linked to a range of conditions including stress, sleep deprivation, excessive alcohol consumption, REM sleep disorder and narcolepsy.

“Having Covid – whether is is omnicrom related or not, is stressful and will disrupt sleep. This could well be why more people are experiencing it. Sleep disruption means that the regular sleep cycles are disrupted causing the body to jump in and out of REM sleep – you wake up while your body is still under the paralysis that occurs in REM sleep.”

In short, you don’t need to have actually contracted Covid to experience sleep paralysis, you just need to have felt the stress of the pandemic – which, less face it, we all have. 

If you do feel that your sleep has been impacted by the stress and angst brought on by the pandemic, mental health charities such as Mind.org (0300 123 3393) are on hand to help support you. If you are unsure how to go about doing finding support, Mind have put together a guide for anyone seeking help for a mental health problem that will take you through the process step-by-step. You can also contact your GP for advice and referrals to therapists and experts who will be able to help you. 

Of course, although each person experience is different, it is also useful to know that, according  to the NHS, the mains symptoms of Covid-19 are: 

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

For information and advice related to Covid-19, visit NHS.uk, the World Health Organisation’s website, or speak to your GP.