Ephialtes (illness)

Ephialtes is not an illness, it is a Greek mythological creature that causes nightmares. Nightmares are scary dreams that make you feel really frightened and sometimes wake you up at night. Some people believe that when you have a nightmare, it feels like a creature is sitting on your chest, making it hard for you to breathe. The creature is called Ephialtes because it is like a devil that haunts you while you sleep.

However, there is a real medical condition called sleep paralysis that some people might think is caused by Ephialtes. Sleep paralysis happens when you are in between being asleep and awake, and your body cannot move or speak. It can be scary because you might feel like something is holding you down, but it is not real. This is because when you sleep, your body becomes relaxed, and your brain sends signals to stop your body from moving so that you do not act out your dreams.

So, in summary, Ephialtes is not an illness, but a mythological creature that causes nightmares. Sleep paralysis is a real condition that some people might mistake for being visited by Ephialtes.