Q: Since about 10 months I have been experiencing a weird problem. Sometimes when I wake up, my mind is fully awake but my body isn't. In most cases I can open my eyes but I cannot move a muscle. It’s pretty terrifying. When I try to get up, I actually feel that I am up but soon realise that I am still in bed. It usually takes a strong surge of energy or a loud noise to get me fully awake. This started when I was hospitalised for jaundice some 10 months back. I checked the Internet and found something called Sleep Paralysis. Although I am not sure if it is the case, but the symptoms do match. I sometimes do indulge in Marijuana; could this be the cause? Please help.

A:Sleep is a complex physiological state characterised by specific changes in brain activity, which occur periodically. Falling to sleep and awakening phases are vulnerable to many changes related to the perception as well as motor activity. For example, visual hallucinations, jerks and apparent loss of power are well known accompaniments of such states. These may also get accentuated by systemic diseases like infections, liver and kidney problems, many neurological conditions and drugs. You may get yourself evaluated by a neurologist with interest in sleep disorders. Needless to say that indulging in drugs may not be a good idea as it can lead to addiction and subsequent complications.