Perceived awareness of sleep paralysis phenomenon (old hag syndrome) and its most common risk factors among people from Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: To assess prevalence and perception of sleep paralysis and its relationship with socioeconomic determinants, and risk factors in a cross-sectional sample of Saudi general population from Al-Ahsa city. METHODS: A cross-sectional sampling survey was conducted during 2020 to 2021. The targets were aged above 18 and belonged to Al-Ahsa. Patients were sent self-reported anonymous questionnaires to complete. RESULTS: A total of 524 participants, whose ages ranged from 18 to 60 years, were analyzed. Among 85.7% of participants aged 55 years and over, compared to 65.8% of those who were aged under 35, 379 (72.3%) respondents were females. Moreover, 438 (83.6%) participants were university graduates, 271 (51.7%) were students and 40.8% had psychological disorders including anxiety (25.2%) and depression (5.7%). Family history of sleep paralysis was reported by 369 (70.4%) participants. A total of 97.5% study participants were aware of sleep paralysis. CONCLUSION: Sleep paralysis is a common occurrence in people residing in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. A considerable number of the society held wrong beliefs regarding sleep paralysis. Therefore, raising public of identity of sleep paralysis is crucial. We recommend applying the study in other cities within Saudi Arabia to identify common risk factors and perceptions among the society.