Eating and sleep disorders: isolated sleep paralysis: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Psychiatry · Eating and sleep disorders: isolated sleep paralysis

Sample item

A healthy 21-year-old student wakes in the early morning fully aware but unable to move or speak for about a minute. There is no daytime sleepiness or cataplexy. What best explains the episode?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. REM-related muscle atonia persisting after waking

In isolated sleep paralysis the normal REM atonia persists briefly after awakening, so the person is conscious but cannot move. It is common in healthy people, linked to sleep deprivation and irregular schedules, and needs reassurance.

Option by option

  • A. A focal epileptic seizure from the temporal lobe

    A seizure would involve altered awareness or motor activity, not preserved awareness with immobility.

  • B. REM-related muscle atonia persisting after waking (correct)

    Correct. Atonia of REM sleep carries over into wakefulness.

  • C. An NREM arousal disorder

    NREM arousal disorders involve complex movements with confusion, not immobility.

  • D. Emotion-triggered cataplexy

    Cataplexy is triggered by emotion during wakefulness and not on awakening from sleep.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Psychiatry questions

Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is B, REM-related muscle atonia persisting after waking. In isolated sleep paralysis the normal REM atonia persists briefly after awakening, so the person is conscious but cannot move.

Why is "A focal epileptic seizure from the temporal lobe" not the answer?

A seizure would involve altered awareness or motor activity, not preserved awareness with immobility.

Why is "An NREM arousal disorder" not the answer?

NREM arousal disorders involve complex movements with confusion, not immobility.

Why is "Emotion-triggered cataplexy" not the answer?

Cataplexy is triggered by emotion during wakefulness and not on awakening from sleep.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Eating and sleep disorders: isolated sleep paralysis in Psychiatry. It is common in healthy people, linked to sleep deprivation and irregular schedules, and needs reassurance.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Eating and sleep disorders: isolated sleep paralysis?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.