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Sleep paralysis in medieval Persia â the Hidayat of Akhawayni (?â983 AD)
Among the first three manuscripts written in Persian, Akhawayniâs Hidayat al-mutaâallemin fi al-tibb was the most significant work compiled in the 10th century. Along with the hundreds of chapters on hygiene, anatomy, physiology, symptoms and treatments of the diseases of various organs, there is a chapter on sleep paralysis (night-mare) prior to description and treatment of epilepsy. The present article is a review of the Akhawayniâs teachings on sleep paralysis and of descriptions and treatments of sleep paralysis by the Greek, medieval, and Renaissance scholars. Akhawayniâs descriptions along with other early writings provide insight into sleep paralysis during the Middle Ages in general and in Persia in particular