Sleep Paralysis Stories: Demons Or Hallucinations?

image of a classical painting representing sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis stories typically involve unusual and frightening experiences. Perhaps you have one or two of these disturbing tales of your own to tell.

If not, I’ll first share one of mine to give you an understanding of what it can be like.

Then we’ll take a closer look at whether sleep paralysis demons or ghosts really exist. Or if science can provide a logical and comforting explanation.

My sleep paralysis experience

Imagine the following scenario: it’s been a long day, you go to bed later than usual and fall asleep quickly through sheer exhaustion.

But instead of waking up peacefully in the morning, you half wake in the middle of the night. And in the darkness of your bedroom, it slowly dawns on you that you can’t move your body…and that someone, or something, is watching you.

A weight pushing on your chest

You feel a weight on your chest, pressing you down and preventing you from sitting up. And not only is your whole body paralyzed, but you can’t so much as move your lips to call out for help.

You’re not sure who or what is pushing on your chest. Even though you seem to be able to move your eyes just a little, it’s too dark to see anyway. Regardless, you just feel that there’s a presence there. Something strange. Something frightening.

This happened to me last year and was a very unsettling experience. Fortunately, there was no demon, ghost or burglar in my bedroom.

After a minute’s panic, the feeling passed. And I was then able to stumble to the bathroom to make sure my face wasn’t decorated with demonic symbols. It was a classic case of sleep paralysis.

What is sleep paralysis?

Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis is classified as a parasomnia, which is a group of sleep disorders involving unwanted behaviors that accompany sleep.

The main symptom is being awake and unable to move your body. It might also be accompanied by hallucinations or dreams/nightmares whilst still awake.

It typically lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes before movement is regained. And although it may feel like it at the time, it’s not believed by medical organizations to be harmful.

What causes it?

The exact reason for why it happens to some people and only on some nights isn’t known. However, scientists do have a theory about what goes on during sleep paralysis.

During the night, you cycle through different sleep stages. When you enter the REM stage of sleep, your brain stops your muscles from moving – known as REM atonia. One explanation for this atonia is that it prevents injury from acting out your dreams in bed.

During sleep paralysis, the atonia starts, or continues, while you’re awake. And during this time, you might also experience what’s known as sleep hallucinations, or dreams while you’re awake.

So your body and brain are temporarily out of sync while transitioning between sleep stages, potentially creating a frightening experience.

As Dr. Michael J. Breus neatly explains:

Sleep scientists believe that sleep paralysis may occur when the transitions in and out of REM sleep and other sleep stages don’t go smoothly.

How many people experience sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis stories like mine are surprisingly common. In 2011, researchers aggregated 35 sleep paralysis studies to find out how many people had experienced it at least once in the past year, finding:

  • 7.6% of the general population
  • 28.3% of students
  • 31.9% of psychiatric patients

And according to the handbook of sleep disorders, it will happen at least once in a lifetime of 40% to 50% of normal subjects, but is “far less common as a chronic complaint”.

Who is more at risk of having sleep paralysis?

Scientists might not know the precise reason only some people have sleep paralysis yet, but there are a growing number of risk factors becoming apparent.

For example, researchers who analyzed 42 studies found several risk factors and associated conditions:

  • Sleep problems, changing sleep patterns and shift work.
  • Sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia and nocturnal leg cramps.
  • Stress.
  • Some psychiatric groups, particularly those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and panic disorders.
  • Substance and medication use.
  • Physical illness.
  • Personality and anomalous beliefs.

Is there a genetic component to sleep paralysis?

In 2015, British researchers published a study of 862 twins and siblings aged between 22 and 32. They did find some evidence of a genetic role, but only a small one:

In this sample of young adults, sleep paralysis was moderately heritable

Interestingly, they also found other independent risk factors, including:

  • Disrupted sleep cycles
  • General sleep quality
  • Anxiety symptoms
  • Exposure to threatening events

Polls – readers’ experience of sleep paralysis

I polled readers of this article for a year to find out what kind of sleep paralysis episodes they had.

Note that it’s likely that many people who search online about it will have had the more frightening episodes, skewing the results.

But they still provide a fascinating insight into what people experience and how they cope.

Poll 1

In poll 1, the most common episode was thinking there was a demon or other being in the room.

chart showing the results of my poll about the type of sleep paralysis experiences people have

Poll 2

Poll 2 shows that many readers find sleep paralysis terrifying. Again, those who search online for it are likely to have found it particularly disturbing.

chart of poll results for how scared people are during sleep paralysis

Poll 3

Poll 3 shows that many readers first experienced sleep paralysis during adolescence.

chart with poll results about the age people first have sleep paralysis

Poll 4

Poll 4 shows that most readers don’t experience sleep paralysis on a regular basis. 

chart showing poll results about how often people have sleep paralysis

Poll 5

Poll 5 shows some of the ways readers deal with episodes. You’ll find more coping mechanisms below.

chart showing the results of the poll about techniques for stopping sleep paralysis

The not so scientific explanations for sleep paralysis

image of a woman floating above the bed

Since first writing this article several years ago, there has been an extraordinary number of comments. And the comments show that not everyone accepts the scientific explanation.

Interestingly, some people struggle to accept it even though they consider themselves to be scientifically minded generally. I think these cases highlight just how realistic the experience of sleep paralysis can be; how it can linger in your memory and makes you question what happened for a long time afterward.

The possibility of demons, ghosts, spiritual beings, and aliens all crop up from time to time in the comments too. And while many people accept their experiences as hallucinations or dreams, some people choose to believe another explanation – that those entities are real.

Despite these beliefs, there’s one clear theme: nothing bad ever actually happens, other than being frightened and perhaps losing some sleep after an episode.

Around the world

Cultural beliefs also appear to play a role in how sleep paralysis is perceived by some people.

In Fiji, for example, the demon is sometimes seen as a deceased relative coming back to discuss an important or unfinished matter.

In Chinese folklore, it’s also seen as a ghost rather than a demon or intruder.

Some people in Iran and Pakistan interpret it as demons or spirits taking over your body. This could be due to black magic performed by an enemy.

The common theme is that the entity is usually something to be feared. I’m yet to find a culture which believes it’s a friendly creature!

Sleep paralysis treatment

When to see a doctor

Fortunately, most people don’t experience sleep paralysis very often, and no treatment is usually required.

However, if the following apply to you, it’s a good idea to speak to your doctor:

  • It happens regularly.
  • You’re anxious about sleep paralysis and going to sleep.
  • You don’t get enough sleep.
  • You feel very sleepy during the day, sometimes fall asleep suddenly or lose control of your muscles.

What medical treatment is available?

If you see a doctor, they might take the following action:

  • Refer you to a sleep specialist to assess if you have another sleep disorder, like narcolepsy.
  • Treat any underlying psychiatric condition.
  • Discuss any medication or substance use that might be a factor.
  • Explain the biological processes involved in sleep paralysis to reassure you.
  • Talk to you about developing good sleep habits. This is thought to help reduce the frequency of sleep paralysis.

Readers’ techniques for coping with sleep paralysis

Over the years, many readers have described how they cope with sleep paralysis, and I’ve created a list of the most frequent ideas below.

The first seven in the list are also suggested by sleep experts. The rest are a mix of personal opinions. Please bear in mind that none are guaranteed to work:

  • Don’t let yourself become too sleep-deprived.
  • Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
  • Try to reduce stress and anxiety in your life.
  • Try to vigorously flutter your eyelids or move your eyes, as this tends to be an area of the body that’s less affected by the paralysis.
  • Focus on wiggling just one finger or a toe.
  • Don’t take recreational drugs or drink alcohol in the evening.
  • Don’t sleep on your back.
  • Stay calm.
  • Tell yourself that you’re in control. You can order the experience to stop.
  • If you feel a weight on your chest, imagine there’s something friendly causing it.
  • Film yourself sleeping so you can see there was nothing in the room.
  • Don’t think about what it could be. Your imagination will probably make up something scary in the darkness.
  • Organize your bedroom in a way that makes you feel safe and secure.
  • Don’t hang dressing gowns, coats, or hats in places that make them look like figures in the dark.
  • Sleep with a night light, music, or radio on.
  • Remind yourself that nothing bad will happen.
  • Imagine your body rolling from side to side in your mind and count each roll. Focus on this and try to grow the capacity for movement from there.
  • Count numbers to focus your mind on something else.
  • Don’t sleep with a high pillow.
  • Keep your eyes shut and try to clear your mind.
  • Squeeze your eyes tightly shut if you can control the muscles.
  • Keep well hydrated – drink water before going to bed.
  • Talk about it to family or friends – they may have experienced it too.
  • If you have it once, get out of bed for a while to reset the brain.
  • Many people say prayer helps. Some also say that calling on their religious beliefs and commanding what they see to leave helps them.
  • Check if any sleeping pills or herbal remedies you’re taking are causing it.
  • Use sleep paralysis to lucid dream by relaxing and going with the experience instead of fighting it.
  • Once the episode has passed, tell yourself that you overcame it, are not afraid and will always overcome it.

How I recently stopped an episode of sleep paralysis

I successfully used two of the above techniques to stop a recent episode of sleep paralysis.

I woke to find myself in a strange position with my arms crossed on top of my body. And I could literally feel strong hands pinning my wrists to my chest.

I have to admit I was immediately petrified. The whole event was blurry, and I think I was having some dream overlap, but can’t remember exactly what now.

Stay calm and wiggle a finger

Two things sprung to mind after a moment of panic: stay calm and try to wiggle a finger.

The calmness I only managed with moderate success. But I did manage to focus my efforts on moving a finger. It felt quite odd – like my fingers were wiggling in different directions!

Eventually, I felt my arms loosen as well, and soon afterward I was able to shake the whole sensation away as I regained full control.

I then spent a few minutes doing some breathing exercises to ground myself and calm down, and then fell asleep again.

I think just knowing about the finger wiggling technique was enough for me to remember it when the sleep paralysis occurred.

Share your story of sleep paralysis

Have you had sleep paralysis? What happened, and do you have any suggestions to help others deal with it?

Please feel free to share your experience in the comments below.

3,365 Comments

  1. Sleeping paralysis has happened to me several, times especially after taking a nap. However in my sleeping paralysis I had never seen something demonic or someone else visually, It just feels like there are some presence in my room which I cannot see. I still feel terrified tho because it feels like something dangerous is happening and that presence I feel feels so threatening. Only one time I experienced a weird hallucination, I was waking up from a nap to see many children playing around jumping and running in my room laughing and talking so loudly. I couldn’t move and I keep trying moving my body until I succeed and being fully awake to nothing but a silence in my room.

  2. I had this and I saw things that I have never seen I saw a tall black man without any hair and elf like ears and very long arms just looking out my window it then faded into the air after I jumped out of bed before that I seen a small like man about 3 feet looking at me with his eye brow raised and a design on his face. It happened very quickly, I have heard things move in the room woke up and couldn’t breath only to hear it move towards my bed, I woke up as if drugged felt something get of me as soon as I open my eyes. You see how suspicious this is and you the expert think its merely hallucinations.

  3. Ive been researching lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis since i had an incident last night. I realised I naturally have been experiencing these nightmares since i was very very young, as far back as i can remember being frozen stuck in my bed, terrified and staring at that thing thats followed me everywhere in the shadows.. I always believe there was something in the dark, demons are real and supernatural things happen if your willing to see. I used to wet the bed untill i was quite old the doctor said it was me needing to grow into my bladder but i know i did it on purpose sometimes, because i was so scared of what i saw and the pressure on my chest and legs made it impossible to go to the bathroom down the hall. I saw dark demonic looking things and have never slept through the night without either a night light, tv, or music playing. Ive never been able to just sleep once its dark. So much i slept with my twin sister untill i was 13 years old after begging her to let me sleep with her, this was after i outgrew my bed wetting. My most important memory is one of me being a young girl playing in a room with a full body mirror. I was alone and playing with barbie dolls but for some reason i looked at them in the mirror and began only playing with them as i watched in the mirror im not sure what exactly happened next but i know there was someone playing with me in the mirror. I couldnt see them and wasnt scared because the voice was portraying a barbie untill I noticed something move in the mirror I suddenly got scared never played in that room alone again. I had long since forgotten about it untill yesterday. I remembered other times ive had these sleep paralysis moments with hallucinations that were scary but trippy and fun but also my own way of dealing with the dreams after a few years i would close my eyes pretend i saw a bunch of tv screens all around me like a scene selection menu for a movie with firey gold as the backround of the screens. when i got scared id close my eyes and swipe through them to find a happy magical safe place and suddenly somehow id dream in that scene. And wake up fully rested and okay. Sometimes the screens wouldnt let me see what else was there to jump into, and as i got older darker ones emerged. And i never again tried to control my dreams. I have forced myself to stay awake to the point of passing out as i am watching movies since i had the ability to i do whatever it takes to not think about dreaming before i fall asleep without even intentionally doing it anymore. Its like my mind made me forget but reminds me to stay away. So now that you know about my past id like to talk about what happened lastnight. Im laying down in my bed my son just fell asleep in his crib next to me and im watching and paying attention to this show on Netflix waiting to fall asleep. Suddenly his stupid play toy drumb starts singing its song “play the drumb everyone play the drumb” ironically its batteries are dead and while facetiming my twin a few hours earlier it had turned on randomly and she and i joked about it and she said “oh thats great i hope it doesnt turn on while your sleeping tonight i know that wont help you with your silly paranoia of the creepy corners in the dark” well it didnt because it totally happened. I know it was a lucid dream that happened after but i had to get up and shut it off, oddly the drumb is pressure sencored and was in an empty corner. Anywho i got up turned it off went to get a glass of water and take some lorazepam to sleep. I layed back down and was starting to fall asleep and turned my head it almost felt pulled over then bamn! I heard the loudest piercing ear ringing in my life in both ears but mostly my right then it slightly lulled and i heard and felt the wind of a horifing whispering voice in a different language as if its lips were milimeters away drom my ear!!! Thats when i realised i couldnt move. I was forced to be facing this edge of my bed so this thing could whisper into my ear and another must have been ontop of me holding me there. Crushing my body numb. I knew what to do immediately. I knew i could tell it to stop. I though the words get out of my head i dont want to hear you
    And with my whole heart pulled myself while saying outloud NO STOP and the pressure released and i had my hands over my face. Terrified and curious where this different language came from, for i can only speak english, and this sounded ancient and unlike anything ive ever heard: it scared me so much…i turned to the Netflix and got lost in the show and fell asleep about ten minutes later. Im really just looking for answers, i dont know whats wrong with me, why i can only control some things and why these voices are following me everywhere i go. I know i need to start sleeping more but im terrified of these events. Can anyone help me, tell me if i might have a disorder or if an mri could help? Im worried my son will have this, my father used to sleepwalk and even called 911 in a lucid dream n theres me and even my twin has had conversations with someone else outloud in her dreams and accidentally punched my sister in her sleep. My son is 15 months and talks in his sleep everynight..but its not just that he stairs into the darkness like i did, he wakes up so frightened in his own room alone at 3 am exactly almost every night and even after moving his room still woke up screaming for me at 3am when he normally can sleep 12 hour nights straight through. I dont know this thing is genetic scientific or not i need an explanation and a cure i never want my son to know the fear i know. To feel something always in the room with him then feel them whisper evil sounding words while paralysis keeps you from even speaking. Can anyone help?

    • I had an episode last night where i woke up and felt slight vibrations. it was weird. It wasn’t an earth quake or cell phone or plumbing. It was like my mattress was vibrating for about 10 seconds. I felt that before at a different home. And I live in Missouri. In the City. So no earth quakes here. (that I know of). weeks ago, I kept haring whispers. I assumed it was the tv or someone outside until I looked outside and muted the TV, and I heard it a little clearly. It scared me, because my kids were asleep and both incidents were at night. I do not smoke or drink or take any psych meds or anything. But i was trying to go to sleep. The whisper sounded female and was speaking another language(it sounded similar to spanish). It really freaked me out

  4. I used to have this in my 20s. It always started with this electric sort of feeling. Then, that uncomfortable weight. Then, hallucinations.

    I only opened my eyes a couple of times. When I did, I saw black shadowy figures.

    Then, I decided not to open my eyes anymore. So, I would just hear things. Terrible things. Yelling, screams – an unearthly growling voice that would say things like “let me in” and “I’m going to kill you” and “I am real.” The last statement was made while I was telling myself I’m my mind to remember not to be scared because these were only temporary hallucinations. It was so creepy because I had my eyes tightly closed shut but I could hear the thing near me. Then it got on the bed as close as possible to my face because I could feel it’s breath. Then, it said in a whisper growl: “I’ll am real.” So freaky! Anyway, the episodes ended shortly after my son was born.

  5. I have NEVER been so frightened in my life!
    I have experienced sleep paralysis a few times before but only ever felt trapped in my body, the first time it happened I genuinely thought I had had a stroke, as scary as that was nothing could prepare me for last night….I felt something run into my room and pull my hair, when I say felt I literally mean felt it, I’m sure my head even jerked back at the force of it. I looked up to see this huge shadow figure standing over me, I knew it was an alien and I don’t know why as it’s not something I even believe in. It was talking to me in words I could not understand, it was pushing something into my head and I could hear a loud vibrating noise in my head. I tried to move, I tried to scream for help, I don’t know how long this went on for but all of a sudden it ran away and I still was unable to move for a while. i was too frightened to go back to sleep and I’m now worried about sleeping tonight, it was all so real and has frightened me so much.

  6. I experience sleep parlysis a couple of times a month. Since I was around five years old. Last night was a classic case. I woke up in what I thought was my childhood bedroom, feeling something was trying to pull me out of bed. That’s the worst feeling. I was conscious (and irrational) enough to worry that if I was indeed pulled onto the floor, my husband would not be able to find me. No problem there – my thrashing and moaning wakes him up every time.

  7. Last night I expieienced this chilling paralysis, I can recall what I was thinking about just before my eyes suddenly opened wide. I had the thought of my grandmother who had passed and then waking up…my hands felt pinned and and body heavy unable to move it with any effort I gave, you could easily say I was Terrified at this point. Thought my head or mouth felt like it was having spasms! My eyes were 100% open thought…and I could also see some red figure and the STRONG presence of someone very very evil around me. I didn’t know who, but my first and automatic thought was a demon, and thinking of this I was shocked. When I was finally able to move from what seemed like possibly 5 minutes or shorter…I quickly turned over in my side and hid under my sheets shaking from the entire experience. And I was breathing heavily and my heart was racing by thinking someone who wants to kill me could be lying right next to me, or even be on the end of my bed. I managed to fall asleep at some point, I just wanted to see the daylight and make this eerie unpredictable darkness around me go away. Overall this isn’t the only expirience I’ve had of sleep paralysis, I got it a few times when I was younger, and it’s seemed to come back to bite me. I am now 16 going on 17, and I do hope this won’t become persistent. This is not a feeling I’d wish on my worse enemy…

  8. I was 12 when I had my first experience. I had a nightmare so I opened my eyes into reality to be greeted with a Middle Aged man in a suit at the other side of my room. His face was wrinkled as far as I could make out without my glasses. We locked eyes for a bit and he faded. Tonight was the second time, hence why I reached out for this article. I had a nightmare and I pulled myself out to be greeted with a small being, presumably a child, standing over me. His face was covered by a pillow case of my favorite pillow as a child. He walked backwards and sat in a chair and disappeared. I cleaned my room earlier and I don’t have a chair in that side of my room. The strange thing is I never felt pressure of any kind. I am always too terrified to try moving or screaming. Am I having sleep paralysis?

  9. Through the times I remember sleep paralysis there’s always a figure. The first dream it was far away, I watched it come into my room. I couldn’t move or make a sound, no chest pressure though. The second time it was closer and reached its arm out and continued getting closer. I remember not being able to move and trying to scream but to no avail. I actually ended up rolling out of bed which woke me up. The third time same thing. Arms stretched out creeping towards me but this dream was interrupted by my grandma as she opened the door and turned on the light. The fourth time it was at The end of my bed reaching out to grab me. I managed to snap out of it but i still flipped the lights on and looked arlund the room to make sure it was safe. The figure is always a deep dark reddish brown color with bright red eyes and two horns and I feel like if it gets too close it’ll hurt me.

  10. I’ve experienced sleep parlalysis where I was being held down. I heard my daughter come downstairs go bathroom and I hollered for her help me at least I thought I did.The next day I asked her didn’t you hear me calling you I needed help.She says no mom I didn’t hear you. It was very frightening for me and I thought I hollered for her few times.I woke up out that nightmare was afraid go back asleep I finally did. I was scared go asleep few times after that thought it was a one time thing and same exact scenario happened again. I was crying for help for my daughter help me I couldn’t move totally held down once again that’s when I told my daughter who thought I was going nuts until I looked it up and seen others had this experience as well.Had a few restless nights after those episodes but thankfully haven’t had any in awhile, scares daylights out me.It was so real. I’m in my late 50s.

  11. I used to sleep walk and have nightmares as a kid. I’ve noticed that when I sleep on my stomach I often have increased episodes of paralysis. I want to warn people that it can get worse. For me, it started as the typical feeling of being suffocated or being pushed down in the bed. It has gotten progressively worse. Last week I had an out of body experience where I was floating around my room and my apartment and I could see myself sleeping in bed but couldn’t get back into my body. Last night was the worst episode I’ve ever had. I fell asleep on my stomach and it felt like I was asleep for hours. When I woke up it was only 10 minutes but easily the worst 10 minutes of my life. I began floating around my room . I could see myself sleeping in my bed. At the foot of my bed there were 4 dark shadow figures. They were standing. All 4 were very tall. They were staring at me while I slept. I remember seeing these 4 figures before when I was young. I floated over to my bed and tried to tell myself that it was just a dream. My mother always told me that you can control nightmares and wake yourself up. Whenever I have an episode I try to wake myself up by yelling “wake up It’s just a dream” over and over again. During the episode I kept trying to reach for my
    Phone to call for help but I couldn’t move (hence the word paralysis.) but here’s where it gets horrifying. When I was looking at the shadows trying to wake myself up I felt a presence sitting on top of my shoulders behind my neck. In my dream, I knew it was the devil himself. He started whispering things into my ear. I can’t even tell you what he said I just know I was scared to death. I knew in my episode that I didn’t want to hear what he said because it would stay with me. So I began shouting over him. I come from a religious background but I have recently strayed away from those beliefs. I thought of my mother, who is a strong Christian, and tried to “rebuke” so to say the devil. I said you’re Satan. You belong in the pits of hell. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. You’re the devil. I said any religious thing I could remember to get out of that state. The creepy thing is that the entire time I was shouting he just kept whispering in my ear. He kept the same voice and the same volume of tone the entire time. I was getting louder to block him out but the whisper didn’t stop. The last thing I said was “you’re the devil.” I woke up in my room,.. laying face down with my hands under my head on my pillow. It had been 10 minutes since I had fallen asleep. Needless to say I called my mother and made her pray over my room and my apartment and even contacted the previous owner to see if the apartment was haunted. My mother scared Me by saying that I am no longer under Gods protection when I choose to not believe in him. I’m still not sure what I believe about sleep paralysis. Maybe it is scientific . Or maybe the fact that we all experience similar things point to a bigger, more spiritual-realm-like phenomenons. I really don’t know. But I do know that the more you have these episodes, and the more you fear them, the worse they get.

  12. I started having sleep paralysis when I was 14, now I’m soon to be 21. It happens very often. It’s not always the same experience either. The first time it happen, I was sleeping over at my ex’s place, but when I “woke up” I wasn’t there, I was in my own bed, my hands were held together. I had this horrifying feeling that I wasn’t alone and something was watching me. The second time was at my friend’s place, he had hands on his walls, and it was like the painted hands were trying to reach me while I had my dog and his dog beside me, I tried to reach to my dog to pet her, but I couldn’t move, it was like again, someone was watching me while the covers were becoming much heavier. An other time, I was at my mother’s house, I hallucinated that my phone told me I was going to die, while something slowly approached me and made an airplane sort of noise, and when it got really close to me I hears a high pitched noise, and then woke up. And now, the other times are at home, and it’s always the same thing, something in the corner of my room, my blanket being pulled off, my hair being pulled, and my back having pressure on it. It’s horrible, it happens all the time, on my back, on my sides, what ever position I’m in. The first few times I couldn’t breath, but now, that has been fine, it’s just the hallucinations that are driving me crazy, I know I’m awake, I can see myself, but I can’t do anything, I feel so scared from what ever is watching me or pulling me. I don’t want to sleep anymore. I feel haunted, even though I know it’s my own mind driving me crazy… I have regular sleep hours btw… No medications no nothing..

  13. I wake up face down on a hard floor and do not fall out of bed as there is no bruising or other sign of falling. I have had two episodes several months apart. The first time I was lying there 5 hours before I was able to get up and get dressed and the second time was just 30 minutes. I was not ill either time before, during or after, and there was nothing significant to my day prior to these paralyses and awakening on a hard floor with no evidence of a fall. More like gently lying down. I am 76 years old and in good health.

  14. Hi,
    In some ways, I find it very convenient to wave off the experience as nothing but a mere biological process which science can effectively provide an explanation for. Any time I had such experience, I try to examine the physical variables around my sleeping environment to see if anything in particular could be attributed to be the trigger of such phenomenon. In the process, I made two discoveries, sleeping on my back with my head resting on a hard pillow or hard surface was likely to trigger the phenomenon. Also, whenever I sleep late, the chances of me experiencing the phenomena was higher. Despite all this discoveries as it relates to my person, one thing i consider quite interesting is the fact that in some instances no matter how I try to wave the experience off as just a mere human biological process, I had instances where I usually experienced it up to 2 to 3 times in a single night. The only way I could put the experience to a halt in such instances was through prayer. That keeps my wondering, if i should stick by the scientific explanation of the phenomena, it therefore implies that adopting a conscious mental reset would have been adequate to put the issue under control. But that has never helped me resolve the issue. What had always helped was prayers. Also I noticed as I grow older the incidence occurs less frequent. For many out there experiencing this phenomenon, I would recommend prayers as the sure solution to arrest this experience.

  15. I had one last night and it was terrifying. I was like having a good dream but then everything turned dark. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t run. I couldn’t do anything. As this happened, I felt my heart pound rapidly, as if it was being pulled out of me. For some reason, I heard a harmonica play and it was frightening. I also saw like a weird figure. It looked somewhat between a ram or a dead monkey or something like that. It was really horrifying to see this. I tried screaming. I tried to move and to get out. I felt a weird chest pain that I usually don’t get. I woke up and my heart was racing and I was panting and crying- just like the way I react to my anxiety/panic attacks. I didn’t know what I was facing until I found this article. So, thanks. Now I know what I was experiencing. I’m glad this is normal for a 15 year old like me.

  16. I had seen an “angel” during my sleep paralysis about a week ago. It was holding his arms open and I clearly saw wings. That was the first time I had seen this, it had no color to it either…like a shadow figure. I also heard a voice which I thought I was actually speaking saying it was my guardian angel, and that it was here to help me survive. It didn’t say protect, it said to survive. I then woke up afther that and asked my girlfriend if she heard me talking but she was still asleep. Sorry if this sounds fake, it might have been my imagination but that’s what I’ve seen and heard.

  17. Actually, every time when the first time, I just wiggled my finger(s) REALLY hard until I could move them. Then, if I couldn’t move still, I kept wiggling it then I could move.

  18. I had an experience last night while still awake but laying on my side, I could feel some thing but when I sat up it was like it entered my body and I Hist like a cat after that I felt very tired but scared to fall asleep again can any One suggest what that could mean please

  19. I get sleeping paralysis everytime I sleep. Yesterday I was going to take a nap and I got it 4 times in 10 minutes! I felt like I’ve been sleeping for over 30 minutes but I only slept for 10 minutes. I always hear some weird vibrating sound and feel like I’m shaking but now it was different I felt like I was soaring over my bed but I felt like somebody was helding me. I felt like I was just over my bed and then I could feel my right hand on the bed but my body wasn’t. I’ve once seen some weird creature in my bed and it whispered an Icelandic song lyrics to me. I found it creepy as it was happening but when I woke up I found it kinda funny. Also one time I felt like somebody was crushing my heart and it was really heart for me to breath and I felt like I was dying. It never happened to me this often at first but now I can’t go to sleep wothout having this happening to me. I find this really scary and I use prayer to wake up.

  20. It’s been a few years since I’ve experience sleep paralysis. The first time was when I was very young, probably around 10 years old. Of course, being a little kid, I thought I was gonna die, but even then I remained pretty calm, just running to my brother’s room afterward to tell him I had almost died. Just last night, however, I experienced something that did not feel like sleep paralysis at all. It started off when I put my phone away around 3 AM, which was already bad, 3 AM being the witching hour and all, but I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep. As I was slipping away, I felt as if I was on a curved surface, like I was running on cylinders, and slipped, and fell, and woke up with a jolt. This was normal, and I had been experiencing hypnic jerks for years now, almost every other night. Thinking nothing of it, I went back to sleep, but then my whole body began to shake, giving me a weird buzzing feeling. My ears were ringing, and I couldn’t move or breathe, but there was no pressure on my chest, as people often experience in sleep paralysis. Instead, I hallucinated. I saw horror movie characters, specifically the girl from The Grudge. Her neck was twisting and turning, and her eyes were staring right at me. When the buzzing went away, I kept my eyes closed, for fear of what I would see if I opened them. However, the buzzing came back almost immediately, but then, giving me no time to start hallucinating, the buzzing went away again. Then, once again, the buzzing came back, and I wasn’t able to breathe, or move. However, this time, I didn’t hallucinate. I don’t have any idea whether or not this was a special case of sleep paralysis, or something else. Either way, it was a terrifying experience.

    • I think this just happened to me, but I didn’t close my eyes and kept hallucinating. Actually I think I was dreaming at that point because I could partly move my right arm and left leg and managed to fall out of bed and drag myself to my father’s room. I still couldn’t make noise but I managed to raise my arm and poke him to wake him up. He lifted me onto his bed (which I felt. I can still feel the pain of his fingers digging into my sides trying to move me) and he tried to help me out of the paralysis. It persisted for a long time until I could suddenly move my tongue and breath in through my mouth. I must have done this in reality too because I suddenly woke up in my bed. It was the strangest episode of SP I have ever had.

  21. I’m 17 and just had my first experience with sleep paralysis. It was around 3:20 and as I was falling asleep it felt as though my eyes were forced shut and pressure was on them (holding them closed). My head/neck kind of had some sort of spasm because I was struggling to look at what was around me (or near me idk) I couldn’t move my arms or legs, it felt like they were pinned down. I felt my heart rate quicken and I could open my right eye only slightly. I couldn’t see this shadowy entity I had imagined to the left of me. I managed to slow my breathing and cleared my mind to calm down and moved one finger, I didn’t know about those tricks but it felt right to do. And thankfully it worked. My arms and legs felt like a dull version of pins and needles. I suppose I imagined turning in my phone for light and opening a window because after that my control was regained. Not sure if this will be anything but my mirror did fall like 10 minutes before all this. I do believe in the supernatural but I am not religious. Just want to hear some thoughts on this experience

  22. Good Day, I usually experience this phenomenon. but last night was different it occurs 3 times in a row. First one occurred when I slept straight, I realized that I am conscious but I can’t move , it feels like there’s a beast in my chest. So , since I can’t move my body nor speak, I pray through my mind, confess and ask for forgiveness. then after a while, I conquered it. And I woke up, switch the light of my phone and tried to sleep side wards. And it happened again the same feelings. But different monster or shadow, she was like the same as Valak in the conjuring 2 I can’t merely recognize her face but the shadow is very clear. So I prayed again and ask myself that Am I going to die? And I think again and woke up. So I opened the light of my phone and didn’t turn it off until morning. But it happened again, same feelings but this time I feel like I was in a comma, I’m in the hospital and my relatives are there. So my last strategy is just , I didn’t mind it because I know that I’m suffering sleep paralysis. And I’m glad I survived. This is the worst nightmares happened the first week of January. These would be unforgettable.

  23. The episode I encountered last night was strange in the sense that when I woke up, I was in an entirely different room, one that I have never seen before. It was a creepy attic with a mattress on the floor where I was laying in the exact position I had reluctantly dozed off in on my actual bed. The position I was sleeping in was on my stomach with my head to the side, I picked this position strategically to avoid sleep paralysis. I woke up on this mattress looking up at a nightstand which was way higher than the mattress. Atop the nightstand was a huge old leather 1970s style duffel bag. The duffel bag began to squirm and move because there was surely something/someone evil inside of it. As soon as this movement began I became paralyzed and an overwhelmingly loud and eery vibration exploded in my ear drums as a demonic corpse baby crawled out of the top of the duffel bag and inched it’s way towards me. With every fiber of my futile existence tried to escape. When I tried to scream I had no voice. The more I tried to move my body the more impossible it became. I asked for help from Jesus Christ and finally I escaped. Hyperventilating and petrified I regained mobility and found that I was back in my bedroom. I was never asleep, I did not awaken from this nightmare I was teleported from it. I’m not crazy but sometimes I wish I was.

  24. Hi, My name is Thendo.
    I just had a SP experience a few hours ago and I’m finding it hard to sleep. This is not the first time but the experiences are way different.
    My first experience was a few weeks back when I felt heavy on my chest. I thought someone was choking me and when I tried to call out to my mom I couldn’t,my voice was gone. Tonight’s experience was more scarier. I slept at around 1am after speaking to a friend of mine on the phone. As I was on the stages of going into a deep sleep I started seeing images of people sitting around talking, I opened my eyes because of how unusual the images were. I closed my eyes again and this time around I just felt a presence in my room and I literally woke up and saw a person standing and watching me. I called out to my mother and as I was running to turn on the light I couldn’t see anything.
    I want to know more of this SP. I think it’s just the beginning for me because at the moment I’m still in so much terror.

  25. Sometimes I may be half awake and half asleep and will not open my eyes and I will situp and see my mom in the room or other people I know. I don’t actually open my eyes and I am halfway between being awake and asleep. It is realy weird but not terrifying. I know it is not real either. I have had sleep paralysis at least several times in my life where I dream about demons and I wake up and feel I can’t move my body.

  26. I recently had a sleep paralysis episode and i had one before it like this too where I fell asleep for about 40 mins and woke up to not being able to move. this time it felt like somebody or something was pulling my leg and even biting me and putting all this weight on me. these two recent episodes scared me more than any other episode I’ve had and I’ve had about 15. I usually have about 2 episodes a month and they are truly terrifying.

  27. I just experienced this for the first time. I was waking up and I couldn’t move and it felt like several hands were hitting my body over the covers and I could also hear the sound of something hitting me. It just happened twice in one morning. I would also like to mention that I’m sick and have been taking a lot of cold medicine. I have been reading a lot of comments on the web and no one has mentioned the hitting, just a pressure. Has anyone else experienced one like this?

  28. I’ve been getting sleep paralysis my entire life. It progressively became more and more terrifying as I thought I had an understanding of what it was… These episodes eventually led me down the path of experiencing multiple astral projections, which I highly suggest everyone experiencing SP check out, truly a blessing in disguise. I’ve experienced just about everything you can imagine during sleep paralysis, being dragged out of my body, having multiple hands touch me, auditory hallucinations (weird yelling and screaming from ear to ear). You think it, I’ve probably experienced it. What I’ve learned from each of my experiences is that the ability to stay calm is absolutely essential. Not just to pretend to be calm, and feel frightened underneath, but to genuinely possess a peaceful mind state and realize that no matter how terrifying it may seem, no harm can come to you. Whoever is reading this, I want you to know you are not alone. I want you to embrace sleep paralysis the next time you find yourself in it, and laugh… Realize that sleep paralysis is the gateway to other dimensions. Once you realize that your beliefs create your reality, you are free..
    Think wisely my noble paralysis endurers!

  29. There is nothing scientific or un-scientific about believing unseen things are at work. Understanding what we know about brain-body disconnect is helpful and even comforting, but it is actually as un-scientific to say spirits (which you cannot test or understand by scientific inquiry) do not exist as it is to say they don’t exist, unless you include eye-witness testimony into the process. Then, witnesses have to be judged and weighed differently than one might test physics or chemistry. One cannot relegate a living intelligence to the same kind of testing that can be conducted on non living elements.

  30. I just woke up at 2:56am, sleep paralysis has happened to me before and I get so scared every time, even thought I’ve already been through it, it never stops being scary! I talked to my family about it, like you suggested and my dad told me it happens to him too, we both have anxiety and we have kind of a depressive personality and I think maybe that’s a reason. Do you think it might be it?
    Btw, it’s so cool that you to do this, the article was really helpful to me and it helped me calm myself.

  31. I had my first experience when I was 7 years old. I was lying in my bed, I remember feeling a sense of sheer terror. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t scream and I couldn’t see. After what seemed like an eternity I felt as if something pushed down on my chest and then suddenly let go. I remember the force of the blow left my mattress shaking and my bed creaking. For years I’ve tried to rationalize and scientifically explain the experience. I am now 32 years old and it is beginning to become a more regular occurrence. It is terrifying. I recently had episodes two nights in a row. both occurred at approximately 5am. I remember lying in bed, my husband had just left for work, I woke up to the sound of footsteps walking around my room to the side of the bed where I was sleeping. I was trying to sit up, I couldn’t, I tried to move,, anything, fingers, toes,, my mouth, nothing worked. The footsteps walked closer, and closer. I finally was able to move my hand and it seemed to instantly break the paralysis. I say up, looked around the room, of course there was nothing there. I decided it was time to get out of bed and start my day early. The next morning at approximately the same time I had a similar experience, except, this time instead of the “man” walking around the room it started as a shuffling sound in my hallway. Eventually I heard my bedroom door open and I heard the footsteps in the room. I was filled with a sense of complete desperation. I was trying my hardest to react. Again my body wouldn’t respond. I heard the steps around my bed and eventually stopped on the opposite side of the bed. I was trying to speak, to tell “it” to go away. I couldn’t. I felt something sit on the side of my bed. The terror was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I finally was able to let out a single word,, NO… it was instantly afterward that all control flooded back and I sat up, looked around the room and again there was no one there. I told my husband about the experience and he called a good friend who is also a pastor. He came over prayed, and blessed the house. I’m hoping to find a way to deal with my symptoms. I am comforted to know I am not the only one who has had a similar experience.

  32. I had just moved into a new house with my dad and sister. I was watching videos on YouTube one of them was some creepy video. It was deformed puppets screaming . I brushed it off but later that night when i tried to go to bed, the video and the screams popped in my head. It wouldn’t go away so i listened to music so i would sleep. I was close to falling asleep when my song started screaming, no music, just yelling and screaming. I jumped up. I soon went to sleep. And woke up paralyzed. In the dark. I was scared and the adrenaline was pumping. I eventually woke up the next day but ill never forget it.

  33. I have seen it three times. The first was kind of like a group of burglars in my room. The second was more fearful , big bear like creature strangled me, but I couldn’t feel it’s arms. Third time seemed a group of people probably freinds , they were saying ” oh he is sleeping, he is not awake…. yeah I see” . what scares Me the most is I feel dizzy afterwards , it’s like There is an Air circulating in my head.

  34. My first sleep paralysis experience was when I was at least 11 or maybe 12 , I was trying to fall asleep with one sister beside me, one behind me, and my new born nephew in the bassinet, I started to fall asleep & I thought I just couldn’t sleep, then realized I couldn’t move, I don’t remember feeling like anything was on my chest or pinning me down, I just felt as if I couldn’t move, then I heard the creaking of the Attic opening & slowly sliding.. I knew what it sounded like because it’s the one thing in the house that scared me, I was trying to wake my sister up as I started to hear claws coming down the wall, all I wanted to do was grab my nephew & run but I couldn’t move nor could I speak or scream, I could hear this thing getting closer and closer, then I seen long black fingers wrapped around the edge of the door frame, almost like the Grinch fingers but black.. and very long, then it slowly peeked its head out from behind the wall tilted his head & ran at me… I’m not sure if this was a dream or sleep paralysis, it seemed like sleep paralysis but I never heard of anyone getting attacked like that.. is this normal?

  35. I’ve had sleep paralysis about 10 times in the space of a year. First time happened in a realatives house I was paralysed, the blankets were pulled off me and I was getting oral sex!! my arms were pinned to my chest by something sat on me…. to which when I was coming around I could see a black figure in the room…when I finally woke and was able to move I literally thought I’d been raped by a ghost I was terrified. A month after that in my own house it happened again but this time it was a famous person pulling the quilt from me an giving me oral sex and pinning me down paralysed again. 3rd time I was fighting something that resembled a demon !? …. most of my experiences are sexual sleep paralysis, it doesn’t boTher me anymore Infact sometimes i enjoy it !!!!! It’s just the paralysation and fact you are screaming but nothing is coming out…
    You can see around the room but cannot move !! Such strange experience but I’m use to it – just last night I happened again so I
    Thought I’d read up on it ha !!

  36. It is the middle of the night and I just woke from a episode bout an hour and a half ago. I’ve had a rough week with sleep paralysis. I was lying next to my girlfriend in bed ready to sleep. All of a sudden I felt it coming on. It had been the third night in a row I had experienced this phenomenon of sleep paralysis except this night was much worse and much more real. The onset of it was a very loud ringing noise, followed by my inability to move. I could see the outline of her dark bedroom but I couldn’t move my head. Sometimes I can pinch a couple fingers together which helps if I need to wake her so that she can wake me up. I felt more weak during this episode than I have ever. It seemed like a pointless struggle, I knew I wasn’t going to snap out of it. Sometimes I can with a tremendous amount of energy. I remember deciding to just accept it, keeping in mind that sleep paralysis is just a state of wakefulness between falling asleep and right after waking up, so I let it take me over. I fell into a very “life-like” dream where I immediately felt panicked. It was a room at the first college I attended, there was one kid I knew from high school there. I told him I’ve been here before and that I already took this class, I saw that it was 2013 (which is 3 years ago from where I’m at now) and it only added fear and anxiety to my already flustered state. The kid I knew replied with a smirky “okay” as if there was something wrong with me, and it made me feel absolutely insane. The emotions I experienced during this felt too real. Maybe I was lucid dreaming. I burst through a door and was somewhere foreign. I had a companion who I can’t recall, there was something eery about the setting. The girl from the grudge was not far from us, we ran into a cafeteria like area and the door burst open and flesh eating children poured into the area. Somehow I knew the only way I could survive was if I closed my eyes, so I made the decision to do so. I still had visions while my eyes were closed. I saw white men in business suits with hungry-hungry-hippo-like chomping jaws, big heads and small bodies fly by from the left to right. Politicians. They said something about busting balls. Made me feel weird about my private area. I remember opening my eyes and Thinking I had woken. I was next to my girlfriend and I felt like I was in my immovable state again. But I could actually speak, so I yelled her name. I yelled her name and I was finally able to get a couple fingers on her when I suddenly heard her soft tired voice say “don’t touch me” and something like “leave me alone”. My vision transitioned to reality and I broke through the trapped feeling and was able to say My girlfriends name and wake her. This is the worst episode I’ve had, ever. The dream was much more vivid and there are details that I can’t quite recall but the only way I can describe it is horrifying.

  37. Today I wake up with sleep paralysis. I have experienced it quite a lot of times before but this one was the scariest..there was a demon kind of green scary eyes right in front of me..I tried to call my dad…but couldn’t even move a bit..then i find myself trying to run away from the demon..still that green eyes not moving from my front..only later that i realised that i didn’t walk or run but it was just an illusion and the last resort was God ..thank god I am alive…
    PS:later I noticed a eyes kindof shadow on the wall..it exactly looks like two eyes..I don’t know if this shadow ha anything to do with my experience. :)

  38. I’v had sleep paralysis happen and I’d wake in full terror short of breath, and racing heart. My faith helped me not give into the thoughts of a demonic presence. But last night was different I awoke heart racing heavy pressure on my chest. As I opened my eyes in a very dark room. My fully awake eyes began to see what was above me a RED like fog. No figure just fog..I screamed so loud and quickly grabbed my cellphone for light. I shined it throughout the room and nothing. The fog was no longer visible. I couldn’t rid the feeling of absolute fear. I prayed and rebuked whatever had just happend but still have the unsettling thought of evil lurking. As if something bad is going to happen? Like could that have been a warning.?

  39. Hello my name is Janice and it it my younger brother that has the sleep paralysis. This has happened to him when he was much younger then a year ago. He said he couldn’t move like someone was holding him down it scared him. It happened again last night this time much different. He felt His whole bed shaking and heard his window screen rattling so loud like someone was trying to get in and he couldn’t move at all. He said he was trying to throw himself into the floor but couldn’t move after it was over he went into the living room and asked his wife if there was a earthquake. I will share your comments with him because he has thoughts of demons and aliens being after him. He said he is going to start praying more. Thank you

  40. Hello, my name is Stephanie, I am 12 years old. I think these two events occured when I was either 11 or 12 years old. I have had a sleep paralysis experience myself. Actually two. The first time it happened I was so terrified. I didn’t know what was going on. I was sleeping, and I woke up. I was trying to move my body around but I just couldn’t. I was like wtf is going on right now. Im a side sleeper and so I was sleeping on my left side facing the wall. I was feeling so scared and I felt like something evil was behind me. I had butterflies in my stomach. I was trying to turn my body around to see but I just couldn’t. I was trying to bang on the wall trying to call out for help. But, nothing came out of my mouth and none of my body parts moved. I finally woke up. Still scared. Looked around the room. Nothing of course… After that experience, I remembered about it a couple days later so I decided to put into the google search about what it meant to wake up and not be able to move at all. The, of course something pops up saying that it was sleeping paralysis. I was relieved that it was something explainable and not me going crazy or a really bad dream. I started reading an article about it, understanding that it was just because I woke up before the REM sleep ended and that their was nothing really behind me that time. The second time it had happened, I was actually more prepared than last time knowing that I knew what was happening. But the experience was still very terrifying. I woke up, facing the wall again laying on my side like always. Trying to move but nothing. As I was staring at the wall, I saw a bunch of images of scary faces. I don’t remember exactly what it was that I was looking at, but yeah, I do remember that it was of scary images. As I was trying to move my fingers around, I felt someone next to me on the bed. Like an arm or a hand. So I thought that it was just my little 6 year old niece. She always sleeps in bed with me. She wasn’t sleeping on the bed with me before I went to sleep, but her dad would always bring her upstairs into my room to go to bed in the middle of the night. So as I was saying, I felt something, So, I thought it was her, relieved. I was still very scared though, so I just closed my eyes. I remember reading a article about what to do during sleep paralysis. One of the options said to just close your eyes, try to stay calm, wait for it to end, and remember that it was going to end soon. So, I closed my eyes very tight trying not to think about what was going on, remembering, of course, that the sleep paralysis was going to end very soon. Then, I finally woke up relieved. As I woke up, I didn’t feel my little niece anymore, as so I thought. I turn around and see nothing at all, nobody next to me at all. I jump out of bed and turn on the light very quick. No sign of anyone sleeping in the spot next to where I was sleeping. I was very terrified. I told my mom about it. She said it was just a dream or that I was just messing around. I told her that the reasons for it was stress, anxiety, depression, or irregular sleep. But she just told me, you don’t have depression though. I wanted to look her in the eye and tell her that I did, because well, I do.. I have been suffering from depression since sometime in the middle of October of 2015. I had never told her about my depression, knowing that she would just tell me that I was fine and to just not care about what people thought of me.. I still have not told her to this day about my depression. And actually, I haven’t experienced the sleep paralysis ever since that second experience. I still do get scared though, afraid that it will happen every night before I go to sleep. Thankfully it hasn’t, but I know it will come again someday…

    • Hi. It’s nice to know there is someone my age who is going through this. I’m a side sleeper and I sleep facing my room and with a sleep mask. I’m usually so terrified by my assailant I can’t think clearly enough to get out of the situation. I’ve experienced SP twice now.

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