SynthesisJournal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine2026
Association between sleep paralysis and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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8 authors.
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Abstract
purposeSleep paralysis is a REM-sleep parasomnia which manifests as a temporary inability to perform voluntary muscle movements during the sleep-wake transition. Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive fear, anxiety, and related behavioral disturbances. Notably, lifetime prevalence of sleep paralysis is elevated among psychiatric populations. The purpose of this review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between sleep paralysis and anxiety, encompassing both anxiety symptoms and formally diagnosed anxiety disorders.
methodsThis systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024579831). PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched. Risk ratios (RR) and standardized mean differences (SMD) were pooled using random-effects models estimated with restricted maximum likelihood (REML). Heterogeneity was quantified using I
resultsEleven eligible studies involving 5568 participants were included. Sleep paralysis was associated with significantly higher anxiety scores compared to controls (SMD 0.35; 95% CI 0.27-0.44; p < 0.01) with zero heterogeneity (I
conclusionSleep paralysis appears to be associated with elevated anxiety levels and may occur more frequently among individuals with anxiety-related conditions.
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