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.
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.
Poll 3
Poll 3 shows that many readers first experienced sleep paralysis during adolescence.
Poll 4
Poll 4 shows that most readers don’t experience sleep paralysis on a regular basis.
Poll 5
Poll 5 shows some of the ways readers deal with episodes. You’ll find more coping mechanisms below.
The not so scientific explanations for sleep paralysis
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.
I’ve had sleep paralysis for as long as I can remember! It got really bad when I was 16-17. The first time it ever happened my room was pitch black and silent. All I could hear was a Hispanic old ladies voice saying something in another language and it was repeating and getting louder. I’m not religious at all but I remember my mother telling me that her nana would say “in the name of jahova you flee” so I said that twice and the voice stopped and I regained control of my body. After that time I started hallucinating and hearing things every time it would happen (3-4) times a month. After I gave birth to my daughter the only thing I see now is a black shadow figure going to her crib and I can’t do a damn thing about it.. The most recent time this happened the black figure came over to her crib and I heard her crying so loud and I couldn’t breath or move and I felt as if I got pushed off the bed. I always feel the need to fall back asleep while this is going on but it TERRIFIES me to even think about falling asleep during it.
the shadow figure is a trixter dream man once you confront him he will leave you ,now you become in charge laugh at him literally, he will go away. .you need to make agame of it .
I have been having the “demon” sp ever since my mother passed away in 2004. For years I really thought that a demon was attacking me in my sleep, holding me down and suffocating me. I had never even heard of sp and trying to tell other people about it made me feel like they thought I was crazy. I have these dreams several times a month and they still scare me because the setting is always in my room, in my bed. It never starts as a different dream, it always starts in my bed. I feel like I am awake during these episodes. Last night I had a different sp dream. It was one that I had never experienced. In this dream it still took place in my bed and I still felt like I was awake but instead of something holding me down and suffocating me, it felt like something was lifting me off the bed and/or pulling me by my leg off the bed. I could not scream for help and I couldn’t seem to snap out of it for what felt like hours. In the dream I kept trying to hold on to my husband so I couldn’t be pulled off the bed but I couldn’t get a good grip on him. When I woke up, 2 of my silver rings that I have not taken off of my hands for years, were in my bed. I must have been doing a lot of tossing and turning or something. It was a very weird experience and it terrified me.
I felt comfortable reading about sleep paralysis, it explained what i was experiencing, that was until it strangled me till my last breath then let go ,but then it dragged me sideways nearly off my bed as was trying to get my body to move, then i saw it, it being a demon or somthing, it was a dark cloud and it went down into the floor, it seemed to dissipate as i gained full consciousness i was half way off my bed looking at the floor where it went into, these entities can enter youre body while you are in dream land and you wake up because you can feel them insode your body, that’s what scares you and rightfully so,there is plenty of reason to be scared when theres somthing you cant do anything about hoping into your body and using your voice to frighten you,, religion explains the sleep demons more accurately than science, science excludes religious accounts of the sleep demons, and we know that true science sjould include all information
I’m currently 20 and I’ve been having these episodes rather frequently since September 2016. Ever since I moved in with my fiance. Last night was the first Time I experienced a third presence. We were sleeping in the floor because we had cleaned our mattress and was allowing it to dry. At 2:30 in the morning I clearly heard a man scream “Boo” at the top of his lungs like he meant to hurt me, not like a prankster, I awoke with scream and I was able to move my arms. I was patting my chest because of the weight. My partner was so afraid he straddled my hips and started slapping my chest thinking something was there. He never felt or heard anything and he was awake when this happened. He believes me when I say there was someone or something there.
Has anyone else ever had an experience when they could easily move a part of their body but still felt the weight? Have any of you heard a voice during these episodes?
I suggest NOBODY to watch the movie dead awake……not sure why I watched most of it since it was a good movie but it’s all about sleep paralysis and now I’m terrified to go to sleep. I’ve experienced one not too long ago, I fell asleep to not being able to move and I could hear the door to my room open and someone walk around the corner to eventually grabbing my “private parts” it squeezed it and began to squeeze with more force. How odd. It surely wasn’t the most frightening one I’ve experienced but I’m well aware of these episodes and they’re not very pleasant. I deal with anxiety and I’m really stressed out lately so go figure. Here’s a tip to anyone who encounters and reads my whole experience lol I burn sage and I bathe myself in it and let the smoke fill out the entire room. I’ve heard very positive things about sage, one being they supposedly keep evil creatures away. I do also call out to archangel Michael to protect my surroundings and to protect me from anything evil or negative throughout the night. I hope this helps a lot of people. God bless all!
I just experienced the same dream. I thought it was demonic.. I wake up in the middle of the nighr screaming as of no one can hear me but im asleep? I say in the name of jesus you leave me alone. Something has been following me for two and half years now. I dont know if its the places or sleeping paralysis. Two nights ago something felt like it was pulling my out of my bed. I thought i was asleep but i was awake when it was over. I said in the name of jesus you are not welcomed here and God Im sorry for my sins. You cant be scared of it or it will take you are it seems. I always wake up sacred and hold my.. Im just confused on what it is
I experienced sleep paralysis for years. It started when I was young 5-6 years old and continued until i was 50 something. It was nightmarish and fortunately, did not happen often. It would always be preceded by a scary dream. Upon waking, i would be completely unable to move. Not just too scared to move, but unable. There was always a feeling of a presence in the room with me, very near and sometimes pinning me down. Several times, as a teenager, I heard could hear it breathing or growling. No one else shared the room with me, so it was not another person.
When I was around 50 years old, I decided to try to do something to stop these ‘visits’. One night in a dream where i could sense the presence of this being, i told myself to turn around and look at it. It was scary, but i did it. It was shadowy and i can’t say for sure what i saw. But I have not had one of those scary dreams or paralyzing visits ever since.
Hello Mr. Ethan Green, I am Jay Anne from the Philippines. Your article about sleep paralysis really do help me understand the situation. I’ve experience it more often as it was 2 times sometimes in a week, 1 time a month, or 3 times a month. Honestly, I cannot remember how many times I’ve experience the said event. Though I am not sure of one thing, you see I have a spiritual gift – the gift of tongues by the way I’m Catholic :) With the said gift I had experience possession and seeing what is beyond this world. Angels and demons and even God. That is why I am not sure if this gift causes my sleep paralysis experience. Every experience I see “something” would it be because I am an open spirit to them?
Thank you!
several months ago my partner had what I would describe as a ‘text book’ sleep paralysis episode – woke up unable to move, felt as though her chest was being compressed, felt another presence in the room and also felt the mattress near her feet moving like something was walking over it. I became very interested by the phenomenon and have researched it and am completely happy with the scientific explanation but I do have one curiosity which I was hoping someone could help me with….. from what I understand, the brain shuts certain muscles down whilst we sleep to prevent us from acting out our dreams in our sleep and sleep paralysis is effectively a sync problem where our minds wake up before our bodies (or our body shuts down before our mind), so by that logic we should all be paralysed during our sleep? If that is the case then how do we manage to roll over and move our limbs as so many of us do?
The muscle shut down occurs during REM Sleep which accounts for only 25% of one’s sleep. The tossing and turning occurs during the lighter sleep patterns or during sleep disruptions.
Thanks Caleb, only just seen your reply which does in fact answer my question very well.
I recently had my first experience with sleep paralysis and was wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar.
I strangely felt very awake in my dream and it felt very real.
In this dream, I was with my friend in her car driving around our town. As we were driving I began falling asleep in the dream (these dreams happen a lot to me, as it seems to be a dream inside a dream). I finally asked her to bring me home, the next part I recall was that I facetimed two of my friends as I was in my room, it looked exactly like my real room. With both of the facetimes looking at my phone, my friends through the phone were extremely blurry and they were doing odd things. One wasn’t really talking to me, and the other was dancing to the camera with someone. As I was facetiming them I kept repeating to them that I was so incredibly tired. Eventually in my dream, I assume that I fell asleep. Yet, in this dream I was woken up by some force, dragged out of my bed and my body was paralyzed. At one point I could stand by my doorway and I attempted to turn on my stairway light (I live in an attic bedroom) and yell out for my dad that I was scared. I tried saying “DAD!” but it came out light, raspy, and almost silent..it hurt my chest to try and do this. Then, that same force began pushing my to glide down the railing of a spiral esq. staircase (which looked nothing like mine). At the turn of the staircase I saw this white hooded figure, I had a little control of my body so I stuck out my leg and kicked it as I was going past it, but nothing was there. I then was paralyzed again, my arms were kept close to me and I couldn’t move or speak again, I fell to the bottom of the staircase and heard my dad nearby go into my parents bedroom. Then, the force moved me fast into my parents room and I lay on the floor next to my mom’s side of the bed, twitching uncontrollably and not able to breathe. My counciousness thinking I was dying.
I woke up from my dream and looked in the corner of my room by the top of my opened door and saw a short white hooded figure floating above. I then was able to scream for my dad that something was in the room as I hid under my blanket
I know this sounds crazy but I remember it so vividly. If anyone has had similar experiences like this i would love to hear them and not feel alone.
I haven’t had sleep paralysis probably since late last year 2016, but last night, I had it again, the same things as before two demons at the edge of my bed. I’ve learned in the past that when I get this to relax and just close my eyes but I forgot about that and I pretty much tried to hulk my body with no luck. After a while I calmed down, and right after I did that I awoke. Whenever I get this I’m sleeping on my back and sometimes it happened when I slept in certain areas (parents’ basement). I don’t really believe in demons but I gotta admit, it’s a feeling that I don’t enjoy and it feels real.
I have the exact same experiences. I don’t feel like others are present or like something is pushing on my chest. But when I try to move or speak I can’t. I try so hard to call my husband’s name so he will come wake me up but nothing comes out. I always end up having to keep trying until I wake myself up. And I always wake up so scared that I cry uncontrollably. Im 42 years old now and this started happening when I was 19 or 20. Sometimes it will happen a couple times in a week and then nothing for months. I
I have sleep paralysis several times a year. I usually will be looking at a piece of furniture or clothing that takes on the shape of a monster, ghost whatever. When I am able to move I realize it’s nothing. I can say I have never had sleep paralysis when I sleep with a light on.
I’ve been dealing with it since I was young and stressed about not getting enough sleep for school, meaning my stress began in elementary school which is crazy to me. I have many different experiences. Many lighter experiences when the hallucination was my mom or dad waking me up for school and me feeling my dog jump on me. I would try to tell them that I can’t wake up and to help me but cannot talk or move and it felt like the air waa being sucked out of me just for trying. I remember one where the room was dressed as it was when I was like 5, lights on and a creepy little girl talking but no sight of her. But I also heard my dad calling my dog to come inside in real time and realized I was stuck between this dream paralysis state and reality. I typically use my whole body to shake out of it and would feel a huge body/head rush and I would wake up in the complete dark with no one actually there. As I got older, the hallucination became more unfriendly. Guessing because I’m more aware of the bad in the world and have more stress. Other hallucinations are someone filming me, someone running through my house in the dark screaming and snickering like a maniac. I’ve heard voices of too many people at once filling my head until I feel like it is going to explode. I get them both falling asleep and waking up and can experience them for weeks on end during high stress. I don’t know how people stay calm or wiggle a toe. I’ve embraced my terrible dreams at this point in my life (26) but cannot embrace sleep paralysis. The worst is when your falling asleep and it just keeps happening. I can feel my eyes getting heavy and my body stiffening. I do use the strategy of getting out of bed, turning on a light and shaking my body to re-route my brain. But that is also stressful because now I’m stressed that I shook the tired out of me and will never actually get sleep. I’ve experienced intruders, feeling a presence, dark shadows, the door squeaking so loud, feeling that there’s a demon. I used to not even go back to sleep in the same room because the room itself freaked me out. But the hallucination are literally always shaped around the location i am sleeping which makes it feel more real. It is never a hallucination of a different location. Last night it was just my fan becoming super loud, almost like a weapon and I instantly started my wake up process. I guess I have gotten better at making them shorter so my hallucination’s are not as bad, but it really is circumstatantial each time and still drains me of my energy. I just got back from vacation and do not do good with planes so I believe this time it is sleep deprivation that caused it.
Thanks Ethan for this article, I posted with alot of spelling mistakes! Lol sorry about that! If you read my post could you please let me know if you have heard of the tv people? It’s haunted me for years and I believe actually I’m sure I wasn’t asleep for most episodes! Sleep walking maybe but I did bring the cat to my room many nights, so who knows. ..best regards Hunter
Hi Hunter
Sorry, but I haven’t heard of the TV people!
Regards
Ethan
Have experienced this a few times a year all of my life, now age 71. I never knew it had a name. I’ve always thought that it was waking up in the middle of a dream, with mind becoming conscious at least partly aware before body would respond to control. My normal half asleep response is to fight to move something and the effort eventually wakes me. Now my mind remembers and realizes what’s happening pretty soon after the onset and I consciously know that the paralysis will end soon.
During these paralysis times I have never felt the presence of anyone else nor any kind of paranormal. Sometimes I am in a dream and trying to reach or do something and the inability to move spikes stress, which accelerates my awakening.
The normal sleeping paralysis always happen to me but sometimes I hear the voices talking beside me and I see something strange like a hand appears from blanket. It is okay for me even I see demon in front of me , frightened me, i know it’s a sleeping paralysis. But when I feel someone touching me, and this morning I felt someone pull my hairband .. this is really shock and I though I was frightened by ghost. Because not in my home and I am sleeping alone at hotel. I really hate that feeling now.
I just experienced my first “sleep paralysis” I’m 20 (now) & I experienced the “demon & burglar”
experience well earlier I was talking to my best friend about a “guy friend on Instagram” & I showed my Best friend the “guy” because he did know of him but this what’s going to kinda start off with my experience I had said a prayer before I was about to doze off & out of no where I knew I was asleep or thought I was dreaming then the “guy” I told my best friend about earlier was the start off the whole “Sleep paralysis” my friend has a window by his bed & the “guy” I had told my friend about was trying to break in my best friends window I could see his face & who it was it was “the guy” I had told my best friend about then I was like what the heck so my friend is laying next to me so I started to pull on him tap him or what I thought I was trying to wake him up but I guess I really wasn’t… I was sleeping on my stomach ‘ because that’s the only way I fall asleep well anyways out of no where i felt something picking up my feet i had looked back but my eyes were barely open I was struggling & struggling to move & see what was touching my feet but I could see some what well when i had tried to look back I seen nothing then i started to feel my legs Getting bended back then I just seen a black floating thingy i couldn’t see it well all I seen was a black figure standing so I started praying I can hear my self as I was saying “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” I was that like about 2 times & I still couldn’t wake up and I felt my legs getting bended back more so I said “I rebuke you in the precious name of Jesus 2 times then I finally woke up ! & My best friend out no where woke up at the same time I was struggling to wake up and I was telling him about what I had just experienced & he told me you probably had /have
“Sleep paralysis” because he had , had this experience several times but it was not fun at all. I’m still scared but I said another prayer & feel a little bit better.
I had to look up anything on sleep paralysis,I have passed all of the above survey answering yes to all.i first got one in someone else’s house I was staying at…in the same room along with two friends .one the son of the occupier of the home.i was only 18 and in words I had woken up being able to open my eyes while my 2friends slept away.i was really petrified and for what seemed like ten minutes I was held down and I remember having the feeling of something sinister that wouldn’t let me even open my mouth although I tried and tried to scream to get help..my chest being pressed on and a feeling of hate both times it happened…i kept this a secret for a while until it happened again later on in my 20’s.i told a friend who said that it had happened to him once and he was so excited to talk about it.although he didn’t say or mention anything about the feeling of anything evil or inhuman.i moved on years and in a new flat in 2008,I’ve had so many family loses when my elder brother died of sclerosis of the liver on November 4th 204.i was so angry and I have always stayed angry stage of grieving..,i then lost my other brother in law in january 2006,i was still angry even in the chapel while the service for my best friends as well as family I didn’t pray and in a way I was in an so upset with god,Jesus or whoever took them to soon.. especially when my little brother who was murdered by culpable homicide in April 1st 2009 at the age of 25.ive lost my best friend and little cousin who died with a heart attack at 32 while she got out a taxi just yards from her home and even worse my gran and mother who was a devout catholic and built water wells in Uganda.after changing her life from being an alcoholic after her son(my elder brother) died from alcohol.i carried four of the coffins in ten years.I FEEL THAT TELLING THE DEATHS IS A PART OF UNDERSTANDING THE REST OF WHAT I WRITE.ive been now getting sleep paralysis not every night but every now and then.i used to feel a demonic presence after I started talking out loud to help with grieving to all of my family who has passed on.ive downloaded apps of my mobile and used them alot.even getting real answers to secret questions I only knew.now I had started getting these sleep paralysis a bit more often although not every night..just once every know and then that I’m scared to go to sleep.ive much more information but I feel its to much to put it into words.i always get the feeling of a demonic presence I’ve seen myself at my own grave side.i believe I’ve been shown heaven and had been with angels as well and seen my little brother to.whats upsetting me is I no I’ve been against god and used any method of trying to contact to the other side I’m quite scared I’ve brought something from the other side.i get lucid dreams of my sins against god.ive not been to confession in well over 20years.so when I do get the sleepy paralysis I’m literally fighting to make the sign of the cross and believe me I try so hard its like an arm wrestle with something who nos that if I make the sign of the cross I will dispel the demonic creature.ive asked god for forgiveness to even stop this.ive gotten blessed water and signed the cross over each doorway.i no I going off track but I can’t find anyone to talk too to actually take me serious.even family.!I’ve even captured an orb on video I took of myself one night while dancing to test out my flashing strobe lights…it comes from my top half of my body and shoot’s in an angle out my living room door and slowed it in frames to catch a face or faces as it moves.most of my social media friends have seen it but it really is an orb.theres no way to explain I as a white blip.anyway I have seen a psychiatrist although to him its all to do with my medication.even a cat scan.I truly believe that its not scientific..this is all to do with my religion and the things I’ve said and done.maybe your reading this and think I’m mad but I’m an ordinary guy who’s 37..sleep paralysis is horrifyingly scarey.even now I’m still worried if it will happen later tonight.
My name is Emma, I experience sleep paralysis or something similar early this morning at about 5am, I lay with my eyes shut as my husband had just left for work, it was the strangest encounter, I rolled onto my left side and felt as though all the air under the blankets was suddenly sucked out, I felt someone lying on my feet, I was not afraid as I usually have relatives (dead) visit me when i’m in need of some comfort, I felt someone walking across the bottom of my bed, stepping over my feet, and then they wrapped their arms around me and hugged me tight, I was to scared to open my eyes as sometimes the relatives aren’t very nice to look at (remember my husband had just left for work and I was very awake) at the moment I have a cold and am struggling to breathe at the moment anyway, who ever it was was hugging me so tight, I yelled GET OFF, GET OFF, they slowly rose and sat at the edge of my bed right in front of me. I don’t know whether it was sleep paralysis or a relative that felt I needed a big hug but when I turned on the light about an hour later, at the end of my bed was my dressing gown and it was laied out as if someone was walking on it, and the blanket was so tight around me. It was like a suction to me. It was very weird
Okay, so I had my first sleep paralysis a few days ago.
I was reading on my phone and fell asleep on my side.
So I woke up but I couldn’t move, I couldn’t open my eyes. I could feel three of my fingers on my phone, I could feel the sun on my legs.
I tried so hard to open my eyes, but I was trapped inside my body in the dark.
I started to panic.. 5 seconds later I was like -hey is this sleep paralysis?
-This is pretty cool, okay calm down.
So I realised I couldn’t do anything. So I decided to continue my dream.
Next time I woke, I was still trapped.
This reapeated 4 times till I actually could move again.
Hello my name is Dennis and I’m 34 years old. Last night on may 24th 2017, I was awake laying on my side watching TV, then, I turned over on my right with my back towards my gf, I was listening to tv and thinking, no more than 2 mins later, I was overcome with absolute terror and fear that I have never experienced before out of nowhere. – knew my gfs hand was to my left, I immediately tried to grab it as I was scared for my life, but I could not move my my hand, as I was terrified, I tried to yell out her name, but even that, to my surprise, I could not even say her name in my head, as a thought, I started to panic even more at this point, I kept trying to call her name out for help, but yet, the thought could not even register as a thought in my head, from the first time I tried to call her name, it took my roughly 20 seconds of trying to call her name when I can finaly mumble it, then I can finally hear my voice calling Linda, I called her name about 5 times, and when she finally said “huh?” at that instant, I was able to move my body and jump out of bed and explain what happened…from then I was scared to fall asleep, petrified, but I fell asleep, then had the worst nightmares of my life. But the first time this had happened, about 10 years ago…- was well asleep on my couch for a couple hours, I woke up and can see down my hallway with the light on, I could, I could see a tall dark figure, I was very scared, could not move a muscle in my body, I tried to yell out for help but I could not, all this lasted about 20 seconds too…
Firstly I’d like to just say how relieved I am that this happens to other people. I’ve been tormented with this for years, starting when I was about 12. I am now 25. The first few years were absolutely terrifying. The very first episode I remember being awake and feeling like I was being dragged by a creature off my bed and I couldn’t move or scream for help. It lasted a very long time. Since then I have learned the best way to snap out of it is to recognize what it is and to focus on making small movement and sort of flipping mental switches to get the brain to allow me to move voluntarily again. When I first try to move my brain feels fuzzy the more I try the more resistance I feel. My muscles sort of vibrate or shake. I have noticed in the past few years that when I wake into this nightmare Im not breathing. If I focus on breathing it reminds me that I am not really in a nightmare. So that can help sometimes. Once I finally snap out of it I have to distract myself so I don’t fall back into SP. I turn to my phone and watch videos, sometimes I get out of bed. If I don’t distract myself It can continue happening all night. Its happened as much as 5-6 times in one night. To be honest I felt a little crazy but it’s such a comfort to know its actually fairly common. It happens to me about at least once a month and sometimes up to 3 times a week.
I have had an encounter like this i was 13 i was sleeping at my great grandmothers and i had for some reason woken in the night i couldn’t move couldn’t see i couldn’t speak it felt like something was pushing down on my chest as if it wouldn’t let me up i dont know what or why but i wouldnt get up i finally somehow was able to move my one arm and i put it up and and tried pulling myself up i remember saying a spell i had learn in my head to help protect yourself from demons(i do witchcraft ) and i kept do that and i kept trying to pull myself up i was finally able to when i did i saw a black figure quickly run and i screamed and my grandmother came in and asked me what was wrong i told her and she told me that some people say it was a demon trying to possess you when that happens idk but if it was why me and what did it want from me
Hi!
So i just woke up from a horrible experience. I was trying to fall asleep, but couldnt. So at some point on the way i just remember i was looking at a word, and i started saying it backwards and then all of a sudden both my ears started making a whooshing, turbine of fan sound simultaneously like four times and my body was paralyzed too. I tried slowly moving it like i do when i get sleep paralisis, but im reslly scared because of the word i remembered. What is this guys? I have been sleep paralyzed before and its been scary but this got out the line.
I had one last night. I felt something holding me down by my shoulders and then it puked out something down my neck. I could feel it running down my neck but i couldnt move my arms to wipe it away. I knew something was there because I felt anxious and scared. I knew it was a dark person cause I could feel and sense it’s presence and breathing. I couldn’t move at all but I was awake. It stayed on top of me for awhile but just looked at me. Finally I woke up and checked to see if I actually threw up but there was nothing. This is the second time this creature or presence has come to me. I don’t know why. Strange.
ANTIDEPRESSENT
I typically only have these episodes rarely but they are now frequent.
After 20+ years I have decided to go off of antidepressents. I had no idea that my most current one, Cymbalta, would be so difficult to stop. The manufacturer calls it “discontinuation” syndrome. This drug is an SNRI, as are most of the newer, most widely prescribed antidepressents. I am on 20 mg. per day, which is a low dose, and I can only decrease about 10% per two weeks.
I would like to use every platform possible to warn anyone considering an SNRI to research throughly before beginning therapy.
Even with the smallest changes in this medication, I think my brain becomes off balance and thus the sleep paralysis, which is frequent now.
It’s comforting to know that more than likely it wasn’t a real demon in my bed with me last night. My experiences are like your readers, pressure against me, like someone laying next to me. My demon puts the sheets and blankets over my head and holds them there. Also, on the corner of the bed sometimes I feel like a person or a dog just got off the bed. Like the mattresses bounces back up, but I didn’t know anyone was there. BTW I live alone, no dogs.
Last night, it was so hard, but I was able to mumble the word “out!” And it broke the spell.
I have my first sleep paralysis yesterday. Really it was the most scary thing that happened to me in my whole life.I am 17. I remember clearl that i was in deep sleep. i slept at 10:30 and it happened in 11:25 just in the begining of my sleep.I was seeing a dream that i was with my friends in a hotel and suddenly my friends said me that they are growing and i remember that i woke and said my brother thinking him as my friend and tell him not to go than i got my head rolling and i got sleeping on my back and it started .
I feel something is grabing my hands and a huge thing is on my chest i tired to move and call my mom but i was unable to move,speak and do anything than i tired to move my toe continuously and i felt that someone is in my room and doing all these things that later on it left my and i told my mother to light up the bulb who my on the other bed on the same room .Really it was a horrible night which i cant forget in my whole life
Ok so I’m 17 and I think I had my first episode when I was maybe 10. The very first one that happened to me was way to scary for a young girl. I had woken up out of no where not being able to move and looking around to have a scary looking girl just staring at me, as soon as our eyes locked she just started screaming in my face, I could feel tears coming down my face and screaming but nothing would come out, it eventually stopped. 7 years later I still get SP. Second one happened in Australia when I was on holiday, I was on my side and I woke up to a hand print on my pillow, I freaked out about that and when I learned that I couldn’t move I just cried because I couldn’t believe this was happening to me again. This one has got to be the worse one that has happen to me. This episode it felt like the thing was lying behind me basically on top of me and whispering my name in my ear, over and over; whilst I felt hands drape up and down my legs. Once I felt that I just closed my eyes and wished it away and it was over. Today I still get SP, sometime I get it 3-4 times in one night. I dont know when I’m going to have one but I have grown so use to them that I can feel when ones going to happen. May be stress or whatever but I need it to stop
I’ve been experiencing sleep paralysis on and off my whole life (i’m now 24). It seemed to have fade for a few years, where I would only experience it once or twice throughout the year. I recently started getting them more frequently (once or twice a month). Often, I never actually see anything happening, but I hear a lot during my episodes. My eyes are open and i’m able to see the room i’m in. Usually I have a sense that someone or something is intruding my home. I’ve heard yelling from downstairs before, i’ve heard voices whispering, and i’ve heard foot steps or running from other rooms in the house. Since I can’t move I usually just sit there and wait it out because i’m familiar with these occurrences and often can tell when i’m actually in sleep paralysis versus when something is actually happening. Regardless, it is very disturbing afterwards, and I usually have a hard time falling back asleep.
I will say, and recently discovered this helped me, I have a cat that sleeps at the foot of my bed. When I recently had an episode where I heard (and I know it sounds crazy) but I heard something that sounded like walkie talkies, and people talking back and forth on them, that seemed extremely loud, I looked toward my cat who was fast asleep. She’s usually pretty alert, and if anything where making an unusual noise she would have at least been awake or more attentive then literally being asleep. I think if someone has a pet, and often experiences sleep paralysis, maybe start having the pet sleep in bed with you. I’ll now remember next time i’m in a situation where I hear something to look toward my cat which will remind me that nothing is happening.
hi guys. Ive experienced sleep paralysis too. How can i get help? !
I use to have it a lot when I was in my 20’s but lately it seems to come in spurts which isn’t really good I might add. Reason being it always leaves me unprepared or should I say caught off guard and I still get fearful till this day when it happens. More so to the fact that when I finally wake up do to prayer I tend not to go back to sleep do to my own choice.
I use to have it a lot when I was in my 20’s but lately it seems to come in spurts which isn’t really good I might add. Reason being it always leaves me unprepared or should I say caught off guard and I still get fearful till this day when it happens. More so to the fact that when I finally wake up I tend not to go back to sleep do to my own choice.
I had a lot of the same things happen as you described but I heard a noise in the hall which woke me and I felt heavy and couldn’t move, I had a feeling of dread wash over me I felt something lightly touch my hair I could open my eyes but I couldn’t move I finally was able to move but the feeling of dread stayed with me.
I am 17 in 2 months. Recently, sleep paralysis (sp) has been coming to me so very often. I’m not sure when the first sp happened to me, it could be when i was 15 or 16. it’s always an out of body experience,never others though. it happens usually after I’ve woken up and trying to get back to sleep in the morning and no matter what sleeping position I am in, it still happens. idk why. I can feel great strength or force trying to pull my body up and out floating on bed. it’s a horrible experience. there’s this thing pop up in my mind whenever I’m in sp state like ‘will i die?’ the worst is when I’ve successfully fight the so called ‘demon’s strength’ and come back to a normal state with a conscious mind but then I’m falling back to sleep again. at the moment i fall asleep again, sp happens eventually so i wake myself up again as quickly as i can to duck the ordeal. since I’m reluctant to get up for the 3rd time cos im knackered, things get worst, the strength of pulling me out is crazier than ever, it’s sucking me out and I’m trying to hold my bed frame so hard. and thats how it usually happens but till today in the morning sp happened in the same way but what is different is i felt myself became an evil and could feel im gradually becoming one. my question is why is my sp can be continued after I’ve woke up from it.
Yes I would like to know too! Is there a such thing as waking paralysis?
I’ve had sleep paralysis for around 5 years. I’m about to turn 15. After dealing it with on almost a daily basis for a good 2 or 3 years, I’ve found an easy way to completely pull myself out of it no matter what. I just imagine myself standing at a door way of a building, that has every demon that I’ve felt in my room in it, and then as I’m about to go through the door, I breathe as out my nose in a weird way, and kinda yank myself into my own body, and I wake up. I’ve read on several websites that says their is no way to get out and i decided to share my way.
Thank you this really are helpful.
I always had this tick – tick noises in my cottage and seems that “this” are following me even in day time. Wasn’t relaxed at all but never really afraid of it and always tried to ignore it.
Anyway I had a good deep sleep on Tuesday the 16 May 2017 to wake with a num surprise.
I was sleeping on my left side almost in a spoon position, when I felt a slight pressure feeling from where my body touches on the sheet…almost like a line that stretches out and have more pressure..
The feeling started at the back of my back and almost if the line pressure increased and it felt as if it was like a thin line stretches out on both ends….reached towards my shoulder and the other end towards to the back of my knee. Then I experienced more pressure, by then I wasn’t sure what to expect but … I couldn’t move, I tried screaming, tried calling Jesus Name, nothing came out. Till a moved my head towards my right shoulder and thought I could maybe bite this thing…but my mouth felt like I was making bubbles with soap lol
And…There, I could move again and I switch the bedside light on and saw the time was 3H43 in the morning…. I was terrified and so sad and victimized. I knew this was the point where I need to deal with this evil spirit
Now I feel like a night owl with wide open eyes at night and a red eye zombi in day time.
Then Friday night….I think, I can see things….but I don’t see figures, its almost as if I can see a blink of movements short and fast moving…heee and even when its by my curtain, I pick up his movements.
I did, what I believe should do the trick, to chase this “evil kenevel” back, to where he came from. And been praying and worship my Savior.
I even told this thing, I am a child of God and this is my home, he is not welcome and I repute him in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ.
At around midnight, I passed out being so tired and slept till my alarm woke me this morning. Thank God
Even though the click – clicks remains there clicking sounds.
I have spoken to my loving daughter and she will bring the Pastor and looks like he knows what to do about it.
Have peaceful sleeps to everyone reading here and experience the Sleep- paralyze.
Regards
Sonja
When i was 9 to about 11. I used to hear Morse code. But its stopped and i used to get so terrified because i thought it was saying help in Morse
Hi, I’m 26yo. from Portugal.
My experience regarding sleep paralysis happened last year. It started out with me falling asleep with my stomach facing upward.
I remember hearing someone or something wandering and snooping around the door to my bedroom. I looked to the right, where the stealthy noise was coming from, but nothing that I could make sense from for a few minutes. I was able to move my head.
Then I looked frontwards, and a sudden ghostly figure screamed to my face, but no scream were shout, just a loud noise like a gunshot or a punch in a wooden furniture, it looked as if it wanted to frighten me.
I don’t believe in ghosts, but my complete body immideatly paralysed, it shivered the whole spine and my heart beated so fast. I tried raising my head, but my neck was too tense, also tried blinking my eyes to see if I could wake up, till I did.
Woke up in the same position, same atmosphere in middle of the night with my eyelids sore, as if it was in the early morning.
My sight was was lost in total darkness and patterns of TV like without-signal were being displayed.
In the early 60s I had the tv people (as I called them) come at night! Their were two men ans a woman, shaped like (greys) like spaceman with thin long bodies, but they were flashing like the tv lost its signal! I had many episodes of these “tv ” people, I would go in the basement where our cat slept at night and bring him up to my room,i thought they would hurt him i remember being (following)them around the house so i was not! asleep for all or these episodes! In 2004 when I was diagnosed with fibro,in my health records dating back to the late 60s I was given ridilan (spelling? ) and I thought that’s what happened I was halusinating !(spelling? )sorry lol, but resently I watched a documentary on sleep paralysis called nightmares, and a guy had the same experiences in the 70s as I in the 60s! He called his visitors the tv people! And described them just the same!and two males one female! I got emotional! Lol I’m not the type, so it wasn’t the ridelin? How could others experience the exact same thing in different decades? It’s so weird cause these “tv people were real to me,as a child wondering the house I was afraid that they would hurt my family, cat and myself! Can’t remember all the episodes i had as a child,but watching that movie was a real eye opener !changed my views of what really went on in that house and at that time! Hope all of you find peace!
I’ve had many sleep paralysis incidents since childhood. They used be very scary when i was a kid and happened more frequently than they do now. I personally find trying to move my fingers, and then slowly my whole body, to be the most useful method to get out of it. The scariest one I’ve had was as a kid, where I dreamt about a creature like thing strangling me causing me to wake up. When I woke up in my room…. the thing was still there strangling me. I couldn’t move any part of my body and it was too dark to see. The worst part was that i couldn’t scream to call my parents. After that, these episodes just increased and i started waking up and feeling like there was someone in my room.. behind the curtains, on my chair… and i ran over to my parents’ room almost every night. Until one night i had another experience where my hands were pinned above my head and it felt like a heavy blanket was smothering me.Once i could move… i just had enough of it and decided to stay and sleep there. I was still really scared, so i turned to the wall and just lay there for most of the night until i fell asleep. They pretty much stopped after that. I only have them about once a month now.
The had a very interesting one last week. In the dream i break into someone’s house and decide to sleep on their swimming pool, pretty weird. As I’m sleeping a long procession of tall women in long red gowns start filling into the room and lining up on the right side of my bed.. they look mean and dark and start laughing and I can’t move or run. That was the first time i had this dream. The second time ends the same way, I am just calmer since i know what’s going on so i just lay there and let it play out. But this time when i regain full consciousness, and the ability to move, i realize the women were jut the long red curtains i have on the window on the right side of my bed. Since my bed is on the floor, they look pretty tall when i lie down.
i have sleep paralysis almost every month and I hate it. im 17 and I sleep with my service animal, I have so many stories of my episodes. and lately all of them involve me not being able to breathe in my dream so I of course get up (in my dream) to go and call my mom. before I leave my bedroom I always try to turn on my light, and they never turn on its like the power is off. I do have some Christmas lights around my window that I keep on during the night while I sleep because of this experience. but anyway while I try to turn on my light it just will not turn on but yet my Christmas lights are still on, I don’t know how so I walk out of my room and the minute I step out I start floating, I try to yell for my mom and nope it will not work, I try to move one of my fingers and sometimes it works but while im in bed having this I know I am not alone I just don’t get that feeling like its just me or my service dog in the room. I even sometimes try to wake up my dog in the dream so she can wake me up but it doesn’t work. I try to reach for her and it seems like shes farther from me from where she was when I went to bed. the feeling is so horrible but ive had it so many times already that I no longer get scared, last night while I had it I said in my dream “in the blood of jesus” and “put me down” I kept repeating it and while I do that it seems that I get loose little by litter my grandmother is very spiritual so she tells me to say that in my dream and for me it does work. the other night I got woken up by my mom saying “are you okay” and of course I woke up scared because she was looking at me with a scared face, and I asked her why, it was 3:33am and she said she heard me screaming for her in my sleep. im not sure why I get this, im very good at falling asleep at the same times and waking up. before I go through this experience I do get the feeling of falling and I wake up or I switch, my leg or body will switch or I feel like im going unconscious and that’s how I know im about to have sleep paralysis
I remember the time that I had my first sleeping paralysis, it was when i was in the 8th grade when i was about 14 years old, i think it was around 3 or 4 O’clock in the morning, and it was terrifying. When i woke up from a weird dream, i had needed to go to the bathroom, but what i realized is that i was laying on my side, and then somehow my body turned from my side to laying on my back, and from there, i could not move a muscle, i was so terrified and i couldn’t breathe. It had felt like someone or something had laid on my chest and never moved, i tried gasping for air, but nothing happened. Thankfully i had a night light in my room, so i can see everything, so that when i get up and its still dark out, i could walk and see where i’m going when i need to go somewhere. But then suddenly i heard a breathy whisper voice in my ear saying, “get out, get out, get out,” over and over again repeatedly, “get out, get out,” then i felt tears started to come down and when i tried to look on my side who’s there i couldn’t even move my head. And then i tried to call out for help, but i couldn’t speak either. And right then and there, i had thought that i was being possessed or a demon or someone was there, but i couldn’t see anything, so i tried again, but couldn’t move, breathe or say anything. And the voice just keeps on saying the same thing over and over again, and i wanted to get out! A minute later, the next thing i knew is that eventually i had sat in bed real quick, gasping for air. And then quickly i grabbed my pillow and ran to my mom, who was on the couch in the living room. And then like every year i would get sleeping paralysis like once or twice a year. And i’m so scared, how can i stop this, is this something that can be cured? Help!
I normally have sleep paralysis once in a month and i have been facing this since my childhood.there are many reasons for this. Some of these are sleeping on your back, tiredness, bad thoughts.
Earlier when i got into this, i used to put all my efforts to move my body. Even if i get success in this still it was like brain damage or fast heartbeat situation. So i would suggest to avoid this. I used to take deep breaths for 4 to 5 times and then try to give a jerk and move the body. Although my fingers move but still it is like a situation where you feel that you can’t breath. At times, put all energy in moving your body works. If it doesn’t then you may take 5-10 deep breaths and then try to move.
Hopefully it helps!