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It is not an uncommon occurrence with 30 to 40 percent of people suffering from it at least once in their lives. However, it can be a sign of other problems such as narcolepsy or temporal lobe epilepsy.
It is thought to happen when a person wakes from REM ( rapid eye movement) sleep too quickly. During REM the brain blocks the signals that allow the limbs to move to ensure that we do not act out our dreams. However, when suffering from hypnopompia, the individual regains consciousness to their surroundings but the signal block has not been removed.
One method of getting out of this state is to stimulate a sensory nerve. Depending on the level of paralysis this can prove to be difficult. However, the eyes are still able to move and simply rolling them around can help.
A disrupted sleep pattern or sleep deprivation is thought to be a primary cause of hypnopompia.
See also: Sleep disorder, Lucid dreaming, Sleep paralysis, Hypnogogia
Sleep disorders