Difference between REM atonia and Sleep paralysis?

[gilianzz]

Are there any differences or are these synonyms?

[Kaan]

Rem atonia is normal (healthy) muscular atonia during the Rem sleep to prevent us from moving our real body the same way we move our dream body during the dream. Sleep paralysis is when you are still paralysed when you wake up, this is not normal, it's a sleep disorder. So rem atonia is simply being conscious of the body during rem sleep. But real sp is a disorder than can not be achieve with a special technique and it's very rare.

[dolphin]

Sleep Paralysis is what REM atonia is called when it occurs outside of REM.

[gilianzz]

So saying something like "I reached SP" is incorrect and should be called "I had REM atonia"? Also: is it possible for someone that has the actual SP medical condition to transform these into lucid dreams? Or does it depend on the stage from which one awakes, since this isn't always REM?

[Kaan]

If you are in real sp, by definition you are not anymore in Rem sleep, so I don't see how you could turn it into lucid dream unless you stay paralised until another Rem stage kicks in. Sp is very rare and among actual sp very few are hypnagogic, most are hypnopompic.