3. Your muscles are paralyzed
This is yet another transitional state that takes place as you are drifting off to sleep or about to wake up. When falling asleep it is known as hypnagogic or preterminal form and while waking up from sleep it is called hypnopompic or postorbital form. During this sensation, your body feels numb for a couple of seconds or maximum for a minute amid the progression of falling asleep and wakefulness. The reason behind this is pretty simple. As you fall asleep your brain and muscles relax and slowly loses consciousness. However, if your brain gains cognizance before the body does, that is while waking up, you might feel a sort of stiffness in your body which is just because your muscles are yet to attain consciousness. Likewise, one might feel the same kind of sensation while snoozing off. 4 out 10 people go through sleep paralysis once in a while; there’s nothing to be alarmed about.