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. I am 53 and until recently I thought a handful of experiences I had in my younger years were probably unique to me… I never researched it (would have meant checking out books at the library back then), and I felt I would have been judged at the time had I shared my experiences with the people in my life… so I never really talked about it either.

    Then a week ago I ran across the term “Sleep Paralysis” in a discussion on a YouTube video (the focus of the vid was something else). This led to my reading the Wikipedia entry on the topic, as well as watching a few YouTube videos specifically on SP.

    This site however has been the most beneficial to me in understanding the nature of these bizarre and frightening experiences from earlier in my life (thank you Ethan). Such a relief it has been to learn how common SP is and some of the common “themes” of the experiences. I also appreciate the presentation of what is thought to be at play physiologically during SP… instead of the typical theological explanations.

    As utterly terrifying as my experiences were, after reading several others’ experiences mine might seem like “SP-lite”…lol. Here it goes anyway:

    I had 5-7 experiences between 1980 & 1993 that were all essentially the same except for one outlier.

    The common experiences (with slight variations) essentially went like this:

    I would lie down to sleep on my back (I was usually exhausted or very under-slept)… these occurred during both night & day time. I would perceive that I am “getting close to falling asleep”, but as far as I know I am still very much awake, I hear sounds of “movement”… usually quite soft, like careful footsteps and related noises, etc. I don’t recall whether I thought I physically COULDN’T move, or if I was just too frightened to do so (this includes not being able to open my eyes). In short order I can hear/FEEL a potentially threatening presence approach me and stop immediately at my side. It “leans” into me getting very close to my chest and face area. Keep in mind I’m fully convinced that I had yet to fall asleep, so I am frightened out of my mind, but unable to move or make sound. I can hear/feel the flow of blood “pounding” in my ears like waves. Each time within what seemed like only a few seconds later the presence is gone, I can open my eyes (I ACTUALLY wake up), the fear subsides as I realize I was in some sort of half awake / half asleep state, and I’m now totally OK.

    The one outlier occurred when I was 20 and shared an apt with a male roommate my age.

    One night when I felt good/well rested… after both my roommate & I had been asleep for at least 2-3 hours, I all of the sudden was flooded with an overwhelming sense of terror… but about what?… that’s not like me. In times from my life when I’ve had nightmares and woken up, I at least have some idea of what scared me, if not total recall. In this case, I was just consumed by fear period… a bit hard for folks to imagine I would think. Anyway, what seemed like only moments later I was screaming, kicking and fending off some evil force that was physically attacking me.

    Turns out the “evil force” was my roommate who had been awoken from his sleep by the violent sounds of physical struggle coming from my room. When he turned the corner and saw my bed he said I was violently thrashing about in a way he’d never seen before. He had his pillow with him and attempted to wake me up by yelling at me and using the pillow to trying to stop my wild movement.

    Nothing like that had ever happened before or since.

    The “intruder” SP episodes are hopefully something that will remain in my past… it’s been ~ 20+ years since the last one.

    • Hi Robert,

      Thank you for your comment and for sharing your sleep paralysis stories. And also a big thank you for the kind compliment about the article, which is very much appreciated.

      It always makes me happy when I read that someone has finally discovered what they may be experiencing, or have done in the past. I think that’s one of the best things about having a site like this, knowing that it helps answer questions about some seemingly inexplicable things.

      Your first description does sound like sleep paralysis, and I think it’s all relative in terms of fear. Someone else might describe a horrific scenario, but I think those are the exception and yours is a more typical experience. I do remember one or two other readers in the past talking about being consumed by fear, with no visual stimuli. So you’re not alone in that one.

      As for thrashing about in your bed, that makes me think of REM behavior disorder. Though thankfully you only experienced it once. Has anyone else told you you’ve acted out dreams or done strange things while asleep? It might be worth looking into if it happens again.

      Thanks again and all the best,
      Ethan

  2. For the past year, I have had several of these so-called sleep paralysis attacks. I’ve never been diagnosed, because quite frankly I know I’m not crazy and nor am I going to give that impression to my doctor. But I find my situation to be a little different from everyone elses. When I fall asleep, I instantly start to dream. I can remember every detail right down to every response my body is having an going through. Last dream I had, I couldn’t scream or even talk. Something wasn’t allowing me to, nor could I move to get away. I’ve never seen one thing in my dreams, it’s always been darkness. My body is then slowly pulled on and I can feel something place it’s hands under my arms and lift me up. I then began to float straight to the ceiling (also against my will) but I know I am still in my room. I have this deer figurine that belonged to my daddy who passed from cancer a couple years ago and the horns are naturally sharp. While I was floating the deer figurine was the only thing I could see. Whatever was causing my body to float, was pulling me toward the pointy deer antler. I was about an inch from the horn going straight into my eye…but this is how I seem to always wake up. I have to think and repeat wake up Krickett wake up Krickett over an over. Then I slowly go backwards floating back to my bed and then proceed to awaken. It seems like a 20 minute dream, but it’s always for 2 minutes. So someone please explain this to me.

    • Hi Krickett,

      Thank you for your comment. I’m not sure if I can explain exactly what happens to you! It could be that you are experiencing an out-of-body experience, if you are sure you’re definitely aware in your bedroom, rather than dreaming that you are floating in your bedroom.
      As for the time, well that’s easier to explain in that our perception of time whilst dreaming is inaccurate. It’s very common to feel like you have just woken up from an epic dream adventure, only to find you’ve been sleeping for a short period of time. So I wouldn’t worry too much about the significance of the time you think you’re floating with the actual time not matching up.
      Hopefully you’ll find something in this article and tips which you can maybe put into practice next time it happens. You may be able to snap out of it, or perhaps even control where you float as some people manage to do.
      All the best
      Ethan

  3. I have experienced SP on a few occasions. I will always remember the first experience as being the worst, as I hadn’t before heard of sleep paralysis. I woke to the standard weight on the chest and a feeling that something was holding my legs up in the air! I panicked, seemed to last about 30 second. I gasped for air during my battle to wake up and my friend who I was sharing a room with woke Me up!

    I had another encounter last night. I was paralyzed and remembered a heavy pressure on my side, it could almost have been as though something was lying next to me in my bed. I felt that there were people, maybe burglars outside my bedroom door and I was trying to wake myself up to get help. What was weirder about this occasion was that I had thought I had woken up two or three times, and grabbed my phone and got up and ran out of my door and into my parents room. It was so vivid!

    The only reason I knew I was dreaming was because when I Grabbed my phone in my dream and pressed the button, the screen was completely black or blurry. This happened twice, and I remember being very lucid in my
    Dream and telling myself I need to wake up, but I couldn’t, and I still couldn’t move! Then eventually I saw, in my dream, My girlfriend, who I always seem to see during my sleep paralysis?! Even though she’s never there. She was shaking my head trying to wake me up and I could hear her saying my
    Name. I then woke up to my head shaking. It was all very strange. But of course I still woke up terrified.

    • Hi Adam,

      Thank you for your comment. It seems though from what you’re describing that at first you describe sleep paralysis, but then later from what you say it seems that you are dreaming of being paralyzed; something which is different, though also understandably unsettling if you remember it.
      Sleep paralysis occurs when you are actually awake in your bed, but your body can’t move. I think you are possible having recurring nightmares from the later descriptions. It would be great if you could give some more details about the different experiences you’ve had, and whether or not they occur while you are consciously awake?
      Regards
      Ethan

  4. I been having the same things happening to me. Waking you and feeling something cold holding me in place almost like something trying to take over my body or just the fact of waking up and seeing someone over me and not knowing what’s going on now the same thing is happening to my niece she recalls something on top of her holding her down as she try to scream. It’s gets to where it happens alot now with the combination of my nightmares and waking up fearing for my life is there something we can do to stop this because it’s getting to the point to were I can’t get a good night sleep and she getting to the point where she reaching her breaking point as well

    • Hi Chris,

      Thank your for your comment, and I’m sorry to hear both you and your niece are being tortured somewhat my the combination of nightmares and sleep paralysis.
      Really, I think the best advice is to look through the readers tips and choose one or two which you like the sound of. I especially recommend choosing a technique for focusing on moving a part of the body, as countless people say this works for them.

      Obviously though the best thing would be to stop it happening at all, but that’s unfortunately a bit harder. By making sure you keep regular sleep routines, and do things to keep yourself being over-tired or stressed, it might help a little. But really I think the main thing it to find a way to deal with it when it happens.

      Perhaps then, little by little, you’ll be able to manage it and even turn it into something positive like some people manage to do. And then key to that seems to be to not fight it, but try to stay relaxed and not allow it to break you.

      I wish I had clearer guidelines, but I think there is an element of trial and error and finding your own way through it, which is a personal journey to a certain extent I’m afraid. But remember that it can be managed, and it can be overcome.

      All the besT
      Ethan

  5. I never knew about SP until today. I have had this dark shadow “follow” me since I was 10. it started as a dark blanket that covers me and does not let me move or scream for help. As I got older I started to see the dark shadow look more like a man. This morning was the worst I ever had it. It was double the normal length and it was holding me down so hard that when I woke my shoulder and arm hurt. All my life I thought it was demonic. I would try to pray, scream and fight it but nothing helped. I remembered last night was a lunar eclipse so I thought about googling it and thats when I discovered SP demons. I didnt know so many people get SP, although in my nightmare the “demon” isnt suffocating me, its holding me down and trying to take me and say something but I’m to busy trying to fight it. Its a horrible experience and I just wanted share it.

    • Hi Valerie,

      Thanks for your comment. I can understand your fear if you have something so unpleasant happen. And I can also understand you must be feeling a little relieved to find out what it is after all these years, and that after all there is no demonic aspect to it.
      Hopefully the knowledge that you’re not alone, and as you say many people experience sleep paralysis, will start you on the journey to finding a way to deal with it. Have a good think about some of the practical tips in the article, and hopefully the next time – if there is one – will be a little easier.
      Regards
      Ethan

  6. I have sp several times a week. It starts with a dark void, an intruder in the room, and a massive buzzing that gets louder and louder until my head might pop. Ride it out, for a long time I fought it until I woke up but realized I was missing out on an incredible dream world that waits just beyond the terrifying buzzing inside my mind. It is truly amazing when you break the barrier so to speak. Lucid dreaming is a very real and profound experience. Dreams that you never forget.

    • Hi Bryan

      Thank you for your comment. I deleted the other one even though it was longer as was anonymous and tagged onto another comment. It’s better that the comment is a fresh one though like this one.
      It’s always great to hear from someone who has managed to deal with sleep paralysis by using it to their advantage. And if you can lucid dream, then that’s fantastic. I wish I had that control or luck!]
      Thanks again, your comment is a bit of positivity in the darkness for other readers.
      All the best
      Ethan

  7. It happened just 20 or so minutes ago. I was sort of curled on the right side of my body. My body tensed, the paralysis, and I felt very much awake; I can’t tell what stage of sleep I was in. I felt ‘something’ squeeze my heart and this terrifying growling in my ears. The squeezing and growling faded, but then it happened two more times. Each time, I Also felt my arms moving slowly on their own accord, moving along the bed as if they were being tugged. The fear got to me, I thought i was having a heart attack and was going to die, and that really didn’t help. It also didn’t help that
    that, moments before, my cat left my bed, as if escaping ‘something’. The fear got to me, and it sucked, and I was trying to scream for someone, to say good bye, but…it was just sleep paralysis. Imediately googling these results didn’t help anything, for they lead me to think of my grandpa, who has some heart troubles, and me having a heart attack at 22.

    • Hi Emanuel,

      Thank you for your comment, and I can understand why you were so upset by this experience. It’s also understandable that you would worry about you hear if you have it run in the family. But at your age of 22, it’s extremely unlikely anything will happen to your heart. And sleep paralysis, whilst it might increase your heart rate due to adrenalin in your body, is not known to lead to any heart problems.
      My advice is to read through the tips section, find some which seem reasonable to you, and if it happens again try to stay calm, hard as it might seem.
      All the best
      Ethan

  8. I sometimes have night mares of being attacked by something dark and when I try to wake up from the dream cause I’m scared I can’t move or scream and sometimes in the dreams something tries to pull Me off the bed or drag Me off the bed and across the floor.

    • Hi Michelle,

      Thank you for your comment. I can’t tell from what you say whether it is sleep paralysis or not, but it does sound like more of a nightmare rather than that. Are you sometimes actually awake in bed but can’t move? Then it could be classed as sleep paralysis potentially. If not you might find it more helpful to looks at the article about nightmares I mentioned.
      Regards
      Ethan

  9. Hello folks, I would like to help you guys :)., I already experienced this thing about 10 times already and Im 19 right now.. the one i remember is the first in which i had fever then in the middle of the night, I hear voices, laughters all around you that is very loud, you try to move ur arms but u suddenly realize u cant… the other thing i remember is the last one, we can say its the 10th., same thing u hear laughters but this time theres an earthquake.. it totally feels real bcoz in that moment, my roommate is in that scenario as well asking me to wake up and beware of the earthquake.. but its just a sleep paralysis again.. . . But this time I was able to escape it, I feel like an expert already coz I can escape to it then return to it as well. When I wake up, I sit on my bed, then if i go back to sleep, another paralysis comes then I escape again… how did I do that… I just forced my self to move body until the brain realizes that its the action i want to do… it will wake you up.. whats more interesting is on how i prevented to have paralysis again….. LISTEN TO MUSIC WITH HEADPHONES. . . the paralysis never came back., and what I learned is that your mind realizes the music as more real than the hallucinations u r about to feel during paralysis therefore you will instead have a nice sleep with an obvious unreal dream.. thank you

    • Hi Sydney,

      Thank you for your comment, and for sharing your personal techniques for dealing with sleep paralysis. I think that you are right in that focusing on moving the body is a good technique, especially if you fine-tune that to just trying to wiggle a finger or toe, and then the arm or leg and then the body.
      And listening to music or having a light I think can be helpful, as like you say it can remind your brain that there is a reality there and so there’s no need to fill the vacuum with all kinds of bizarre hallucinations.
      All the best
      Ethan

    • If you had a fever you probably had a temp of 40C+ and that caused your hallucination. The earthquake your hearing in other experiences is the sound of you going deaf from sleeping with headphones in. lol. I have been delirious from high temp and I couldn’t move due to my fever not sleep paralysis I also frequently have sleep paralysis and lucid dreams or awareness dreams as I call them. One is great two are not. Either way man I’d stop sleeping listening to music if you want to hear music or anything when you’re older.

  10. After reading this article and a few others I have determined that I have been experiencing sleep paralysis my whole life. When I was younger it would be the same scene over and over and over again. Sometimes multiple times a night. And sometimes It would be months before I experienced it. I would be laying in bed, my bedroom door would start to open slowly at first, letting in the light from the night light in the hallway, then a little faster untill i could see a man in an all black shadow. He would then slam the door open all the way and start walking towards my bed. I would try to scream and pound on the walls next to me to wake up my pparents, but I could not move. No one was coming to save me. This man was going to get me. and no one was going to know what happened to me. Eventually I would “wake – up” and I would be in my room alone with the door still shut. This happened to me only when my bed was directly across from the door. I always thought it was just a night mare because I had No other explaination. When I rearranged my room, the experiences stopped… Until tonight. (about 10 or more years later, after they stopped.) I went to bed, I sleep in the basement and the way that my room is set up, there is a door that leads to the unfinished portion of the basement right next to the bathroom which is to the left of my bed so when I’m in bed I can see both doors if I’m laying on my right side. Anyways. I went to bed around 3 am. I Fell asleep laying on my left side with my lava lamp on so it wasn’t pitch black in my room (like I do every night). I was sleeping but then I woke up and could not move. I could not open my eyes. I just knew that the man with the black shadow we as opening the door to the back room and was coming to get me. I was still laying on my left side during this experience so my lava lamp was in front of me and the door was behind me. The man was getting closer and closer and closer and I had only managed to open my eyes just a little sliver to see the blue light from the lava lamp. I thought it was really happening to me. I thought there was someone actually there. During all of this I had forgotten about the “man” from my childhood that would open my door in my “dreams”. this was ddifferent, yet somehow the same. When I FINALLY was able to move I just laid there listening for foot steps and then slowly rolled over to look at the back door, still shut. No dark shadowy man coming for me. No one trying to take me away. The time was now 3:30 am and I couldn’t understand what had just happened. I was frightened. I had no clue what to think. I had heard about SP oFF of some tv show a few years ago and I thought I would look it up. Everything I never could explain, was explained by all the articles I read. The only thing that is different is that I couldn’t even open my eyes and I was on my side. I couldn’t see the “man” but I knew it was him And that he was coming for me. I’m So glad that everything from my “nightmares” (not nightmares) have finally been explained. When I would tell my mom about the “man and the door” she would tell me that I just had a nightmare. And when it would continue to reoccur, she had me tell my doctor when I went for a check up,and she said that it might be repressed memories coming out in dream form and sent me to a shrink. They determined that I had no actual memory of this occurring and that it was my brain forming a nightmare. No one seemed to care about the fact that I told them I was awake and could not move. They just all thought that I was remembering “waking up from my nnightmare” and mixing the whole story together. It’s comforting to know that there is now an explaination for it all. However, it doesn’t make it any less scary when it’s actually happening.

    • Hi Allison,

      Thank you for your comment and for sharing your story. I’m glad your research has helped you to better understand something which stretches back into your childhood and by the sound it has gone unexplained for much more than a decade. It must be nice to know that there is a clear explanation.

      Going back to what your psychiatrist said, I do think that that’s something you need to take into account as a possible explanation too. I often tell readers that there is a difference between dreaming that you are in bed and can’t move, and actually being awake in bed and not able to move.

      But, if you say that you were definitely awake during these episodes, then sleep paralysis would seem like the obvious explanation. And as an adult you are even more able to assess and understand your own state of consciousness at the time.

      Hopefully this will just be a one-off all these years later rather than a return to the same experience repeating. If it happens again, maybe change your bed position!

      All the best
      Ethan

  11. I’ve had a few occurrences and I’m not sure if this is sleep paralysis or not.

    I’ve had nights where every time I opened my eyes all I saw were scary faces and this would go on until I put A LOT of effort in waking myself up. Last night, I fell asleep on my back and I had about 6 series of different dreams as every time i woke myself up, i would fall back into a different dream. I couldn’t remember all of them but two stood out to me. I was sleeping on the right side of my double bed and I could feel someone behind me jumping up and down and thrashing their body and the voice was of someone I knew. During the movement of the body behind me, I was half awake but couldn’t wake myself up and felt heavy. It took me a lot of effort to wake up and stop the movement behind me. Then I fell back to sleep and this time there were two people over me and I couldn’t see faces but the voice was also of some friends I knew, they were caressing my arms and telling me to wake up. – I could feel EVERYTHING! the bed moving and also my arms being touched but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t sleep all night because these dreams kept on happening and it was SO DIFFICULT to wake myself up. My body feels so heavy and it takes so much effort. Finally last night I remember at 00:19 I finally woke myself up properly by going on my phone and looking at the bright lights and I was lucky enough to not fall back into anymore dreams where it was difficult for me to wake up. Is this sleep paralysis??

    • Hi Sarah,

      Thanks for your comment and for sharing your experiences. To be honest, I’m not totally sure it’s sleep paralysis. Sometimes it’s very confusing to tell the difference between that, just have bad dreams and remembering them clearly, and waking up with the dream half continuing in your mind.

      I think if you are definitely conscious and unable to move your body, and seeing or feeling these things, then there is a good chance it’s sleep paralysis. But if you are always asleep when these things happen, then wake up and are remembering them, then it’s probably not.

      Anything in-between is difficult to judge one way or the other!

      I hope that helps
      Regards
      Ethan
      But

  12. First I’d just like to say thank you for this article/forum as, I am a sufferer of SP and had no idea that it was so common in others and so vast!

    My experiences have been happening for several years now and seem to be worsening! I’ve not actually kept a track record of how long SP has been happening to me but, in the beginning I would just experience the feeling of being awake and trying to move but not being able to which, I felt was really quite frightening. This would occur a few times in a month and then go away for a period of time and then regularly come back and go away.

    I am some what of a super naturalist and since the SP has worsened I honestly can’t help but feel that it is some kind of weird/strange entity/energy that is trying to become encompassed with my being.

    For the best part of a year now I have experienced all different kinds of SP and it is really starting to affect me!

    I have had the feeling that I am being dragged by my legs all over my bedroom and whilst this is happening, I am trying to scream for my Mum or brothers and sister for help and feel truly petrified at this point. And just recently I have started to experience the black shadows in my SP! The first time I saw a black shadow which was a few weeks ago, it was of a male figure that was kneeling/sitting at the end of my bed and, just last night I saw a shadow of a black ball bounce on to my bedroom balcony. My partner has been with me on the last few occasions that I have experienced SP and has said that it is like I am possessed as, I seem to make all kinds of noises including trying to scream faintly and has mentioned that my body seems to stiffen. He say’s that it is really quite frightening and I have asked him to record the next time it happens as, I am quite keen to see exactly what is going on! I now get SP around 2 to 3 times a week!

    I can’t quite understand it as I am a young woman, a vegetarian and health conscious so try to eat as well as I can do. I am a runner and go to the gym regularly to keep myself fit. I practice Bikram Yoga on a regular basis which is a form of meditation. I am not stressed at work as I am just a receptionist and enjoy my job. I feel that 6-7 hours sleep is sufficient enough for me and don’t suffer from nightmares just SP.

    Any advise, tips or information you could share with me will be greatly appreciated.

    • Hi Sasha

      Thank you for your comment and sharing your sleep paralysis stories with us. I’m glad you found the article helpful.
      I can understand why it has unsettled you so much if you’ve been having such frequent and vivid episodes. I’m sure it will be interesting for you to see the video if you manage to capture the moment it’s happening. Hopefully it will reassure you that you’re not being dragged around the room, and that it’s just a sensation, hallucination or partial dream which is giving you that feeling.

      In terms of advice, I can’t really offer any more than what has already been said I’m afraid. I think it’s a good idea to pick a couple of techniques which seem reasonable to you, definitely for example one such as wiggling a finger or toe. And then remind yourself before going to sleep that you will do that if it happens again. Planting the thought in your head is a key way to ensure you actually remember to do it in the moment.

      I hope you find some peace soon, and that the new knowledge from this article helps you feel a little easier about it.
      Regards
      Ethan

  13. I just woke up from having sleep paralysis three times in a row. Each time I was accompanied by the same person. It was as if they were inside my head talking to me. They were asking me questions like “What are we going to do today” or “What do you want to do today”.

    I actually quite like it when this happens to me. Its a very good experience to disrupt the natural day-to-day experiences. Once I have a sleep paralysis moment I can control my breathing just fine. I’m able to take big breaths of air and exhale slowly. I know I can’t yell or talk so I just don’t try. Just now I was able to violently flip my body over so there can be movement during sleep paralysis.

    I just find it odd how there was another being inside my head that woke me up in paralysis asking me what we wanted to do today. And that activity is actually learning new mathematics. Only a few times I saw demons while I actually astral projected from sleep paralysis. Normally its just fear from the inability to move.

    • Hi TJM
      Thanks for your comment, and it’s nice to hear from someone who has found sleep paralysis not to be as scary as many others do. It’s useful for other readers I think to know that it’s not always terrible.
      I’m not sure that it was another being in your head though! Probably that’s just the auditory hallucination which accompanies sleep paralysis, or a blending from the dream you may have been having before waking.
      Hopefully you’ll stay on the friendly experiences and not have any more demon visions!
      Regards
      Ethan

  14. I used to have a lot of nightmares when i was 10-13 (i’m 24 now), and all of them included a dark shadow, “human-shaped entity” that chased me down dark corridors and rooms (i was afraid of the dark).. but one night, when i was 13, this “human figure”, dark, with no face, no eyes, entered my room and walked around my bed for a minute. I couldn’t move, i was terrified, i couldn’t react. I don’t remember a chest pressure actually.. but i was sure i couldn’t react to that experience. Anyway i “woke up”, or.. “jumped” in my bed, and everything was there.. the desk, the chair, the pictures, the tv.. but the dark shadow was gone.

    A few years after that experience i found myself in another nightmare, running from the same dark shadow.. however, the moment it caught me.. i reacted, and beat it down to the ground. It never appeared again in my nightmares.. until 2 weeks ago.

    I was dreaming, i was in my room, in my bed.. (i moved to another apartment in the meanwhile, different furnitures, different objects scattered around..) the door was on my right. The dark figure entered the room and i recognized it, it was the same figure that chased me for years when i was a kid.

    It approached me, closer to the bed, i closed my eyes but i could hear it.. as clear as someone talking right into my ear. “I. Am. Back.”.

  15. I experienced a terrifying situation a few years ago. I fell asleep and was woken up after a nightmare in which I couldn’t move and was trying to scream and no sound would come out. I thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. The second I closed my eyes an extremely cold presence hit me. My eardrums were shaking and I felt a hand go from my chest all the way to my pants. The hand was ice cold and pierced through me. I saw the imprint of the hand going down my clothing but nothing was there. This was the only experience I’ve ever had. I just can’t seem to convince myself of any possible explanation other than a demonic entity. The feeling of the freezing hand seems to have ruled out any scientific explanation for me. I’ve been searching for similar experiences for quite some time but haven’t found anyone that experienced the cold touch. What are your thoughts on this? Any feedback is appreciated.

    • Hi Kenyon,

      Thanks for your comment. I can understand why the cold hand feeling has shaken you. To be honest though, it doesn’t rule out sleep paralysis or hypnagogic hallucinations to me. What I’m confused about though is the exact details. You say you fell asleep, so presumably had your eyes closed. But then you saw the hand imprint going down your clothing. So I’m wondering if you were simply having a very unpleasant nightmare which occurred very soon after falling asleep. Or is there a part you haven’t described where you were awake and with your eyes open? I’d need some more details to really help you understand what might have happened!
      Regards
      Ethan

  16. i am from england ive experienced this twice. the first time i did not know what it was and thought i was being attacked by 2 ghost an old man and woman a couple i assumed. as 1 shadowed figure the women sat in the corner watching wile the male presents strangled me it went on for a couple of nights i would wake to feel them their but not see them then the moment i closed my eyes at felt looked into the strangling situation it went on all night for two or 3 nights. i assumed some sort of ghosts as the people who owned were an old couple who passed there and my room was their front room. anyway time passed i was asleep at my mothers on the sofa when i awoke in my sleep because something with heavy claw like hands was pulling at my sheet,when i say i awoke my body was still asleep but i could sit up and look around and control what i was doing and see the room and kitchen. what startled me was the presence had moved from pulling the quilt at the foot of the sofa to being squat and watching me from the corner of the room. but i wasnt scared i was more fascinated that i was having this out of body experience. i then continued to believe i was awake and this was real and i was sitting up until my body awoke and i found myself to be lying down with the quilt still over me. it felt like i startled the monster by waking up in my own dream as it seemed angry and backed into a corner. when i think back to child hood there are 3 more events that stick out in my mind. a recurring nightmare of screaming men with guns and camo and gun fire trying desperately to escape from my cupboards when i was 5. i now no they were soldiers but at the time very terrifying. number two another out of body experience when i was 5. i thought i was awake i went down the hallway to my parents room to find what i perceived as a witch stealing my mums purse.this went on to me seeing her notice me and me seeing grass and leaves all over the floor from her boots. very scary. then i woke up in bed in the morning. number 3 i was ill went upstairs to the toilet me being 7 to sit on the toilet and see my brother as a scary demon in the bathroom flooding the place after seeing the water rise i ran to my room in panic and said im going to tell mum. he said you cant because im downstairs. i ran down screaming about what happened she said he couldn’t of as hes sat right here. i said i know. the next day he flooded it by accident. there have been many others including waiting areas of spirits, visits from my relative after death when im awake in the dream. no touching but just acknowledging each others presents ,seeing dead people in dreams from my area of tragic deaths, i also hear music songs clashing together as i sleep, and strange voices angry ones evil ones many clashing together spouting random dribble. this still happens regularly. also ive never held a mans hand and dreamt i held my grandads in the dream he looked and said it was ok. then just before he died i ended up holding his hand in the hospital bed like i knew he would die but at the time i did not. so in conclusion i have to be tired before i sleep as i find it strange/death like this makes me stay up all night and sleep all day. we spend nearly half our lives forced to sleep due to photosynthesis and we have no control over it and know nothing about it. to me it feels like my brain is trying to create,and im existing travelling to another dimension i dont belong to while my body recharges and my brain stays awake. i think the demons are lost souls sent to keep you out because they are jealous of you existing in 2 places at once and want to stop you entering their world because they hate what you have and want to take it from your body – life, the physical existence they cant harm you because they are weak and cowardly demons from hell. the lifeforce is what they cant stand they are jealous of it and want to take it from you and the closest they can come to it is in spiritual existance. you are just a lost traveler in their world until you pass through properly or become stuck like them as they cling to life. its nothing to be scared of some people have this ability to connect with higher levels of existence, and except others do not it just is what it is and what will be will be will be. im going to bed now wish me luck ha ha ha goodnight and to all a good fright

      • Hi Ryan,

        Thank you for your comment. Don’t worry about the spelling, I corrected most of it! The complete lack of punctuation though took a bit of fixing!

        Anyway, if you’ve read my responses to other similar comment, you’ll know that I don’t personally believe in the existence of demons etc. So there isn’t a lot I can say in response to your thoughts. If that’s what you choose to believe, then I can only hope that you don’t continue to have any more of these experiences.
        All the best and I hope you sleep soundly, and without frights!
        Ethan

  17. I have experienced several incidents of sleep paralysis and have gradually become more able to cope by telling myself not to panic and that this is just a dream. However, three nights ago, for the first time in two years, I had a particularly unpleasant experience. I can rationalise most of the figure in the room/pressure on top etc. etc. but this past night I had a deep menacing voice in my ear telling me to ‘Come with me’…. I could feel myself screaming inside shouting ‘why???’ but just inside. After a while I was able to pull myself out of the paralysis but it left me trembling for over an hour. I once before heard a voice in this state, the same sort of voice, but this time it was really frightening. Any rational explanation for the voice?

    • Hi Biella.

      Thank you for your comment, and I can understand why the voice is particularly scary. Auditory hallucinations are explained in a very similar way, as it is another aspect of the brain ‘filling the blanks’ of the darkness, so to speak. Many people hear things during sleep paralysis, and also without the sleep paralysis. You can have a look at the article about hypnagogic hallucinations which talks more specifically about different types of hallucinations you might experience at night.
      My advice would be to add it to the list of things not to panic about, and try to remind yourself it’s all part of the same package, which you can cope with in the same way.
      Regards
      Ethan

  18. I personally find sleep paralysis quite amusing and i know most of the people will disagree with me on this.But during my SP i hear voices fighting but somehow i manage to stop it within few 60 seconds.I actually want to convert my SP into Lucid dreams.These experience has been scaring but i have actually learned to be calm from these events.I would like to suggest 1 remedy which works perfectly for me is try to move your fingers and toe very slowly.the extreme point should be focused upon.

    • Hi
      You’re not the first person to say they find sleep paralysis amusing. Many previous readers have also enjoyed the experience, and also tried to use it as a springboard for lucid dreaming. So you’re not alone, even if it’s not the most common reaction to it.
      Your technique is also quite well known as being a good, practical, way to deal with sleep paralysis.
      Good luck with your experiments and I hope you have success with the lucid dreaming!
      Regards
      Ethan

  19. I actually literally just woke up from a dream like this and decided to Google it because it happens to me about 3-6 times a month. I was sleeping then all of a sudden like the above says, I couldn’t move, breathe, and felt a presence. However I also heard this very loud continuous very high pitched sound .
    I sometimes hear very loud demonic screams in both my ears and/or laughs. I always find myself screaming “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus ” I was raised a christian . But this dream had some different events. After awhile of not being able to move and what not , I forced myself to try to turn over in which I did, but it was painful and I was screaming and very angry/scared. (I’m still dreaming) then I look in my bathroom and see a snake slithering away and everything gets louder and then I saw shadowy figures in the corner of my eyes on my walls and living room, and then eventually after what felt like an eternity I woke up . Feeling annoyed as this wasn’t the first time so I just got up and decided to stay up and continue with my dad. I swear sometimes I hear voices , either I can’t make them out or i forget what it is that is said. I’ve never tried to find a solution to this problem , just sort of dealt with it seeing as there’s not a lot i can do. Anyways sorry for the long comment , I just remembered a lot because I literally just had one lol , and by the way I don’t know if it makes a difference but I’ve been having these 3-6 times a month since I was about 17 and I’m 19 now.

    • Hi Christian,

      Thank you for your comment. I’m not totally sure from the way you describe it if you are actually having sleep paralysis, or are having bad dreams in which you are paralyzed.
      There is a big difference between the two. In sleep paralysis, your mind is awake, but you can’t move in your bed. In the bad dream scenario, you are still asleep but dreaming or being stuck, or unable to move.
      Can you clarify which it is you have, or if it’s a mixture of both?
      Regards
      Ethan

  20. Hi. I just text this to my Mom after I woke up. Now sharing with you: Starting to have sleep paralysis more frequently… Had it in November at robins house. Completely floating up in the air. I could feel the covers rising up with me. That was the first time I floated. Tonight something was on my back. A shadow I got so scared when I saw the shadow hands on the wall. It was skeleton, demonic looking hands. I had to wake myself up but I can’t move or talk. I just have to keep saying Jesus. Its the only way I wake up! The one at my old house in east orange when something came in my room. But it wasn’t scary. It was like a baby. It was sucking my breast like breastfeeding. It said “He’s never going to get it” it was talking about Denton. Then the scariest one was in stoney hill. It was on my back… Breathing heavy in my ear. Sounded like a monster. It was like snarling in my ear. I couldn’t move. I could feel its breath on me. Omg so scary. That was my first one. I usually have them spread out thru the years. Never had them within a 2 month span. Im n the new house so I was scared. Next time i will try to stay in this state n see what happens. Very creepy. What do u think this is?

    • Hi Tiffini,

      Thanks for your comment, and it sounds to me very much like sleep paralysis. You describe very classic symptoms, even if the exact details might be a little different.
      Hopefully once you settle into the new house, you might be able to relax a little and hopefully it won’t happen. Perhaps sleep with a light or some music on for a while?
      Regards
      Ethan

      • Ethan, thank you for responding. I’ve been doing fine in the new house, no more SP so far. But what’s bugging me out is… I just don’t accept the “scientific” explanation! I wanna go deep. I just find it so odd that all these ppl have these experiences all alike and its just a coincidence. I really believe in the spirit world. I don’t know if I should douse myself with holy water and garlic or if I should throw these tarot cards I bought away? Is there something following me? Its just too weird. I really think its real live spirits. And I guess I was just waiting for u to confirm my crazy! Lol either way. Next time it happens. I’m not gonna fight to wake up. I’m gonna explore. Toodles.

        • Hi again,

          No problem! Well, what you choose to believe is up to you of course. Funnily enough I had tarot cards when I was a teenager when I was into parapsychology. I ended up throwing them away!
          Many readers have also gone down the same route of not fighting sleep paralysis, but going with it and seeing what happens. I imagine you’ll have some very interesting experiences. And if you can see them as just that, rather than spirits, then you’ll be one step closer to managing the fear that can come with it. Something which is half the battle I think.
          All the best
          Ethan

  21. last night I had something happen to me I am not sure if it was all SP, I went to sleep last night really tired and at 3 in the morning I woke up all of a sudden I woke up eyes Wide awake open, I thought I heard something moving. then I felt a present in my room walking around I got really scare and turn around and hug my bf to try to wake him up and that’s when I couldn’t move talk I tried to move my fingers to try to scratch him to wake up and help me but it was no help I was scare. After a few seconds I don’t know or a min I was able to wake him up I told him there was something in the room. We got up turn the light on. went to the kitchen grab matches and a candle I turn the candle on in the living room and when I walked in my room my candle turn off, I turn another match on and it turn off like if someone blew on it. Until the third time I was finally able to keep my candle on. I pray that night so whatever was it could go away and let me rest. I am not sure what to think of this if it’s all the sleep paralysis or a night mare, or real, I don’t know all I know it frightens me, and the only thing that helps its praying.

    This is not the first time I’ve had many other, were I feel someone standing on the side of my bed and I can’t move and horrible torture nightmares blood all over it people being torture they felt so real. I don’t like torture or any kind of movies that show violence. I don’t understand why would I have those night mares. My last boyfriend passed away and I used to visit the cemetery a lot, I stop going to the cemetery for the same reason that I would come back home and more things Would happen to me paranoia, nightmares, sleep paralysis feeling a presences and not being able to sleep. I was streamly scare back then it helped me to stop going…

    • Hi IEG

      Thanks for your comment, and sorry to hear you’ve had such scary experiences. It’s hard to tell if it was sleep paralysis each time or not. My impression is that you did have sleep paralysis at least once. But also have nightmares, and this is probably more common than the sleep paralysis for you. I am assuming if you have to get matches and light candles, then you don’t have electricity in your house? If you did, I would suggest getting a dim night light to help your fear when you wake up.
      I think perhaps you might benefit from doing some relaxation exercises as well, so when you wake up you can do those. That might be better to do, and cuddle your partner, instead of wandering around in the house in the darkness trying to find and light matches! That in itself can I imagine bring about some fear!
      All the best
      Ethan

  22. I Remember Falling Asleep But Still Awake I Didnt Feel Any Pressure on my chest just the sense of Something Being in the room looking at me , I also felt that I couldnt get up so I tried sitting up with all my might I tried (eyes still closed) I could feel a strain in my neck I quit trying to get up ..I opened my eyes and there it was a Tall Dark Figure it is all that I can see I starred at it I wasn’t afraid just curious on finding out what it was I don’t remeber going back to sleep but I remember waking up in the day sun was out I hopped up looked around then I felt a liquid coming from my nose to my surprise it was blood I tried to make it stop tilt my head back but I still continued to bleed to the point where I felt like I was drowning in my own blood I say about 5-8 min passed then it stopped this was my first and last time(I hope) that this happend to me I still dont know why I started bleeding.

    • Hi Greg,

      That sounds quite unpleasant indeed. Perhaps there was something just not quite right with you that night/day. Nosebleeds can happen for various reasons, so perhaps the sleep paralysis and nosebleed were both symptoms of you just being ‘out of sorts’ as they say. I’ve never heard of anyone else ever having this, even the people who strongly believe that the presences are real. Or maybe you just jumped out of bed too quickly to check if there was anything there, and that triggered the nosebleed!
      Anyway, whatever the reason, try not to allow yourself to get too stressed out by it all.
      Regards
      Ethan

  24. I just had a sleep paralysis and I want to tell some details about my experience.
    when I had it I was falling asleep in the second time because in the first time that i felt asleep the dream was so real and I felt that I have a really strong control of my presence in the dream it was almost like I have travelled into parallel world or in time with all of my memory of this world so I woke up because I couldn’t believe this can actually happen. when I woke up I was dizzy and sleepy and I was slowly falling a sleep again. during the time I was falling asleep I started to think about Jesus and God from some reason and I started to think that I am about to receive some knowledge or Information from God. then in just matter of seconds I remembered about something that a friend from work has told me about his experience of carrying a cross when we had a short conversation about religion. he said he felt like it’s choking him in the night and something about Domovoi. and when this memory flashed while I was falling asleep I felt into very strong fear and I was unable to move my eyes was open and I was very scared I tried to move but I couldn’t move I wanted to lift my hand to the button to turn on the light in my room but instead I was falling into bigger fear and I started to think that a demon is attacking me and I said in my heart that “this is gonna be really ugly” and I almost thought that I was going to die hehe. so I prayed to Jesus and God and I felt a release a few seconds after that and I turn on the light in my room right away. but that was not over. and that’s why I am making this comment. after I got off the bed I didn’t feel safe in my house the fear only went down after I turn on the lights and the tv in the other rooms. now I really won’t go to sleep without a light on in my house anymore. I’m 24 years old and I’m adult and I still fear of the dark and most of the time I got to sleep leaving a light on somewhere in the house.

    • Hi Stefan,

      Thank for your comment. It’s actually surprisingly common that adults are afraid of the dark. We think that it’s something only children would or should experience, but that’s no the case at all.
      I think sleeping with a light on is probably a good solution temporarily. But you can, of course, seek some professional help, such as counseling if it’s something you feel you would like to tackle permanently.
      Regards
      Ethan

      • Stephan… I’m 31 years old in my room with the light on at 3:45 am. I even woke my dog up. Lmao this sh*t is crazy! The terror is real!

  25. have you ever tried laughing (‘really’ laughing like crazy people do) while it happens to you? a good laughter leaves the cocoon in pieces. nothing else really does.

    • Hi null

      Interesting suggestion! I’m not sure how many people would be able to if they are facing the terror of the moment of sleep paralysis. But perhaps someone will read your idea and remember it…
      Regards
      Ethan

  26. I had an SP experience just a couple days ago. It happened when I had started to wake up from my sleep. I was still very tired so I opened my eyes slowly and felt something pushing my chest down. My natural instinct was to not react or fight, so I just closed my eyes again. I didn’t see anything or feel anything other than something on my chest, however, I do remember hearing someone speak in a low demonic type of voice. I thought it was my mother (which clearly wasn’t) but that was it. A few seconds later I was able to move and speak again. This happened during daytime so i believe that is why nothing too big occurred and why I was not scared. My overall fear was probably a 4/10. I learned that reacting to it wouldn’t have been such an ideal choice.

    • Hi Lisa,

      Thanks for your comment, and it sounds like you did experience sleep paralysis in quite a classic form. I think you’re right in that reacting can be counter-productive, so well done for working that out so quickly by yourself!
      Hopefully it won’t happen again, but if it does, you’re already onto a good strategy for dealing with it by not allowing yourself to become stressed or panicked by it.
      Regards
      Ethan

  27. last night I had a sleep paralysis and it was not my first either. I Was quite tired, slowly falling asleep ( I usually like to fall asleep before everyone else in my house as it makes me feel safer, otherwise I will have a really rough time falling asleep) but anyway, I was feeling ok slowly falling alseep, when all of the sudden I couldn’t move a muscle, speak or even open my eyes, and all I felt was someone shaking me while holding on to my back, and I was not able to do anything I Tried to open my eyes but couldn’t, i was very frightened as i was convinced that there was someone or something in my room trying to hurt me, after i dont know how long, it could have been few seconds or minutes i was able to open my eyes and i saw that the light in the house was till on which made me feel safer but i couldn’t move or speak still and found it very hard to keep my eyes open. This has happened to me before, few months back when everyone was asleep in my house and all of the sudden we heard someone run down the stairs, 3 of us heard it and the other 2 went downstairs to see if someone was there but there was no sign of a break in or anything. that night I had the worst sleep ever, i was too scared to fall asleep and every little noise i heard in the house i freaked out, after few hours of not sleeping i fell asleep, and all of the sudden someone started to shake my bed again and it was a really horrifying experience, exactly the same to the one i had last time and from that time i can only fall asleep without any fear if i know that other people in the house are still awake, because if i hear any noises i know that it is most likely them) The other two people in my house believed that it was a ghost as they claim to have seen them before and after the first sleep paralysis i was wondering whether it could have been the ghost, but Anyway i brushed that of. last nights one was even worse and made me feel really confused because I was awake (or at least I believe that I was) but couldn’t physically do anything. I usually have violent nightmares and many times I feel like i am falling in my sleep so wake up very terrified and confused.

    • Hi Suz,

      Thank you for your comment. I’m wondering if a simple solution for you, considering you find noise comforting it seems, would be to try falling asleep with a radio or music playing? Perhaps something you find comforting or reassuring. Maybe even a talk show? It might not get rid of the anxiety you have about sounds you hear or sleep paralysis if it occurs. But perhaps it would help you keep calm, and if there are creaky sounds happening in your house, you might not hear them!
      All the best
      Ethan

  28. Last night around 12:30am, i was playing in my computer and little bit watching the tv,then i turn off because it’s kind of boring.then continued playing the computer,then suddenly something caught into my eyes, i swear i saw like a big mouse running the side of the wall, it’s like a blink of an eye then it’s gone that so fast it disappeared.So i looked around if it’s really a mouse, but i didn’t see anything.How could a big mouse got into my room that even my finger won’t fit in the bottom of the door.No holes or anything can get in that door without opening it.It was so weird and scary that something like that happened.

    • Hi Lynn,

      I’m not sure your story belongs in the sleep paralysis world, but interestingly I do know a thing or two about mice! Did you know, for example, that many mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a pencil diameter? Until you search every square inch of your room for holes, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of it being real mouse.
      Then again, it could be just your brain playing tricks on you after staring at the computer and tv screen…that’s happened to me before!
      Regards
      Ethan

  29. I have had a few experiences with sleep paralysis, but I did not know until recently what it was or what it was called. I am still unsure whether to take the scientific approach or the supernatural approach. I believe that science explains it accurately. But when i experience the phenomenon it feels like it is very possible that it could be some outside force.

    one of my experiences was when i was 15. i woke up in the middle of the night in bed and still had my eyes closed. i was unable to move. then i opened my eyes. i fought my body to try to move and really struggled.as i was lying there i saw something from the ceiling coming down. it appeared as a spider from a web. it seemed very evil. the whole atmosphere seemed malevolent. i pushed myself to wake up. i just kept thinking about moving my body and getting up. i felt desperate to get away from the thing. because of my persistence i was able to wake up quite quickly and could move.It took me approximately a little over a minute to wake up i think. as i woke up i could still see the thing and its shadow against the ceiling. i quickly ran out of my room to find safety with my parents. during this episode everything was very vivid.

    another episode occurred when i was 18. during this time i started having anxiety attacks in my sleep. i had two before this episode occurred. anyway i was lying in my mother’s bed while she was away. i fell asleep. i awoke in the middle of the night and was unable to move. the door faced the bed and was opened. the light was on in the hallway. i saw a person walk by and proceed to my bedroom while i was in my mother’s bedroom. there were more people going in the room. one said that she was not in there. it seemed that they were referring to me. they did not notice that i was in the other room. as they were apparently heading out of the apartment one of them looked into the room i was in and saw my eyes opened. it told the others and they entered the room. i saw the designs on the bedposts in great detail so vividly. everything just seemed so realistic. i tried to move and wake but was unable to. this was the longest one yet. eventually i was able to awaken.once i was awakened the light and door was just as it appeared in the PS state. that time i was convinced that it was absolutely real and not just a nightmare.
    another instance was when i was 19 lying in bed sleeping and felt a presence come up behind and cuddle me. it pressed me into its body and its arms came around me. i could not see it but felt it. its head rested on top of mine and i could feel the things breath and mouth right on my ear. i could not move or anything. i just continued to lie there not knowing what to do. i was terrified. i was afraid that the thing would become aware that i was awake. but then it whispered something in my ear. it felt like the thing thought it owned me or possessed me. it felt like this thing wanted to take me somewhere. it spoke. it said i was not ready to be taken yet or something like that. once i started researching about sleep paralysis i became curious if others had similar stories as mine. i found one that was like dead on to this one. it completely freaked me out and i am starting to think that it may be real. i found it on “15 People On Their Experience With The ‘Sleep Paralysis Demon’” by Chrissy Stockton if you want to look at it. it is number four.

    I am 20 now and luckily have not had one in months.in all my experiences i have never felt something robbing my breath or sitting on me either. though these incidences are terrifying i find that most i can get out of by mentally concentrating on waking up or moving. i hope i do not have anymore but that is highly unlikely. i just wish i knew for sure that it wasn’t something supernatural because although the science sounds right i feel i cannot completely rule out the supernatural. i pretend most times that the science is most definitely right that way i do not have to face the alternative. i live on the fence with this issue and perhaps that is the safest route that way i am prepared and can deal with whichever way the coin may fall.

    • Hi Alicia,

      Thank you for your comment, and sharing your sleep paralysis stories here. I think you have very eloquently summed up what many previous readers, and undoubtedly even more people, feel about sleep paralysis: that even knowing the scientific explanation, the sheer vivid and real feeling of the experience can shake that belief.
      It’s of course up to you what to believe, though if you’ve many of my read my previous comments you’ll know what I personally think!
      I do have one question though, which is how you prepare yourself for the possibility of it being supernatural? Assuming they were real evil beings, what would you do should they decide to move on from merely cuddling or tormenting you?
      I think as one reader said a few months ago, if they wanted to do something, they would have done it a long time ago. That for me is quite sound thinking! So hopefully at the very least, even if you do continue to have sleep paralysis, it won’t get any worse than it already has been.
      Hopefully you’ll have found something useful in the article which you can take away with you. Maybe try some of the physical movement ideas as well as concentrating on breaking out of it. You might find the combination helps deal with it faster next time.
      All the best
      Ethan

  30. My last experience was years ago. I closed the door to my bedroom. I woke up but i could not move my body, I saw my door open then I saw a red ball bounce into my room then my legs lifted up as if something picked them up then I felt a power try to carry me somewhere, but something made me not go then I woke up, I looked at my door and it was open, when I shut it before I went to bed and there was a red ball at the edge of my bed 2:34A.M. , explain?

    • Hi Seva

      I’d love to ‘explain’ this for you, but unfortunately I’m not always able to, much as I’d love to! But to be honest my best bet would be that it was sleep paralysis with a hallucination of a ball, and that either you had actually left the door open and forgotten, or someone else opened the door, or maybe it just swung open itself. And perhaps you were sleep walking earlier in the night and opened it!
      Anyway, as long as the last experience was years ago, hopefully it won’t happen again any time soon.
      Regards
      Ethan

  31. I don’t know if this is actually what I am experiencing or not, or something similar. I have the feeling that there is some kind of presence in the room and a feeling of terror. But I don’t seem to have the inability to move (or am not aware of it), in fact, I usually scream very loudly, sometimes so much that it hurts my throat. I have had this periodically for 30 years, as an adult. At first the presence seemed to be an unknown man, then it was a demon like presence. Sometimes I would wake up yelling “Jesus, Jesus!” because I believed the name would drive away the demon. I sometimes push myself away from the presence and up against my husband in bed. Once I somehow leaped over my husband to the other side of the bed (I don’t know how). One time I stepped off the end of the bed and am thankful I did not hurt myself. More recently the presence has been more neutral, less threatening. Last night it was just something like sheer curtains flapping in a wind, but I still screamed like crazy and woke my husband. What is it???

    • Hi Cindy,

      Thanks for your comment. To be honest, I couldn’t really say what it is. It might be good to speak to your doctor to get their advice and support.
      All the best
      Ethan

  32. I had my 3rd sleep paralysis experience last night, it was the middle of the night and I was trying to fall back asleep after waking up. As I was falling asleep I felt something grab both my hands from above me(I was lying on my back) I didn’t try to move. All of the sudden the thing above me lifted me straight up into the air and I was floating above my bed. I somehow teleported back down to my bed only to be lifted up again like something was trying to pull me out of my body. I teleported back down again so the thing took a different approach. It started pushing against me and I slowly sank down into my bed. The bed started to close around me and I felt like if I went any further I would go straight through and shoot down into nothingness. The bed started to close around my face and nearly covered me completely but I suddenly regained control of my body and got out of bed into a more peaceful dream.

    • Hi Trevor,

      Thank your for your comment. It sounds like perhaps you were experiencing an out-of-body experience, in one form or another. Did a similar thing happen the previous two times, whereby you were floating around? Did you feel like your were really moving, or was it more of a memory of a dream?
      Regards
      Ethan

  33. I experienced some of these same symptoms of sp. I think mine is kinda different tho. I never actually experienced it from a night’s sleep. The only time I experience sp is when I take a nap unexpectedly. Then it becomes hard for me to actually wake up or I seem like I cant move. I never actually saw any demented creatures or scary sights. The only scary thing I experienced was not being able to move or call for help. My first time was scary because I didn’t know what is was. I didn’t know what to do. I immediately began to panic. I tried to scream and move around but I cant. Recently I experienced this and it isn’t the same. Sometimes I don’t panic at all I just try to go back to sleep. After I wake up again I can move and the symptoms of sp are gone.

    • Hi Slim,

      Thanks for your comment. One thing which immediately springs to mind comes from you saying ‘when I take a nap unexpectedly’. This makes me wonder whether you have been tested for narcolepsy? This is a sleep disorder which often accompanies sleep paralysis, and means that people fall asleep at unwanted times of the day. Have you spoken to a doctor about this at all?
      Regards
      Ethan

  34. Hi Blake,

    Thank you for your comment, which is very interesting! And don’t worry about the length – I long ago came to accept and actually enjoy the long comments that people write:-)
    I think that amongst all the comments, there are many common themes, but rarely, if ever, are they exactly the same. From memory there are a few which have some similar descriptions as yours, but none which are identical. But I don’t think that means yours is any way ‘exceptional’ as the key ingredients of sleep paralysis and the hypnagogic hallucinations which accompany it are all there in your story.
    Even if you haven’t seen any scary or sci-fi things recently doesn’t necessarily mean that your brain isn’t still influenced by what you have seen in the past, such as the matrix as you mention. I also think that we are all exposed to images of weird things on a daily basis, even if we don’t pay attention to them. Who knows how many adverts you’ve seen for horror or sci-fi things in the past week, but your conscious mind doesn’t notice them.
    As for the cause, well you may never know why you suddenly had your first sleep paralysis experience at this age. But if you saw the poll in the article, you’ll see you’re not alone in that either…
    Hopefully you won’t have any more, but if you do, try to keep calm. And keep in mind one or two of the techniques people have described as I think they can be very effective.
    All the best
    Ethan

    • Hey again, I actually had another SP event the next morning (which I wrote in my tablet, but I won’t post up here) and I remained calm during this one, which ended with me waking up calmly. I guess it was just stress or something, but I haven’t had any other events since then. Again thanks for the website and replying. It helped me with overcoming it (haven’t had an episode since) and I’ll be passing on the knowledge to others who suffer in my circles (since I’m the listener-type of person.) Keep up the effort Ethan! Thanks again!

      • Hi Blake,

        Nice to hear from you again! It’s great to hear that the article helped you overcome sleep paralysis. It makes all the hard work in replying to comments worth it when I hear something like that, so thank you for saying so:-)
        Well done for remaining calm – it’s not the easiest thing to do. That would definitely be a good thing to be telling others to do.
        All the best
        Ethan

  35. Hi. With your opinion on this. What if you are no where near sleep. Not tired, not waking up, and not falling asleep. Your in a house with all the lights on, with family everywhere. And you walk into your bedroom wide awake to lay down and play on your phone, and then become paralyzed as soon as you try to get off the bed to join the party. You hear your family, and can’t speak. I didn’t get unstuck until I recited psalms 23 (a verse my mom taught me , for she is very religious). And when I finally could move, I turned around and seen an all black figure at my side rushing away and through the window. This has happened to me about 3 times. Nothing gets me out unless I recite the same bible verse, and I have remained calm each time.. And I’m a nondenominational BTW. And off the record, while playing hide and seek with my cousins in the dark when I was 16, All three of us seen a black shadow come out of a closet and tower over us. How can something not be real if 3 people saw the exact same thing? I would call it crazy if I was the only one who saw it, but I wasnt, and the memory still runs through our minds til this day. I Don’t have bad nightmares either. I don’t barely dream. And have never woken up in the middle of the night unless i have to use the bathroom. I don’t live a stressful life. Is this sleep paralysis or another disorder? The other times this has happened I was also wide awake. Always in the middle of the day in complete daylight. I’m 24 now.. Paralysis has happened to my husband too, on a random day that he was walking out of the bathroom, and stayed stuck standing in the hallway until his grandma who came to visit stepped out of the guest room so she can use the bathroom. He became immediately unstuck after that.. Meanwhile he was stuck, he can hear a cluster of different voices all whispering his name. Your opinion would be helpful. Thankyou.

    • Hi Michelle,

      Thank you for your comment and for sharing your stories. Unfortunately I don’t have any explanations for why 3 of you saw the same thing, why your husband became paralyzed while standing up or why it happens to you when you try to get off the bed. To be perfectly honest, I’m not convinced it is sleep paralysis. If you are having hallucinations whilst awake with lights on and doing something like playing on the phone, then perhaps it might be a good idea to speak to your doctor to see what they think.
      Sorry I can’t offer any clarity!
      All the best
      Ethan

  36. Hi David,

    Thanks for your comment, and it does sound very much like sleep paralysis. I hope you found the article interesting and helpful. There are lots of useful and practical ideas you can try next time it happens, if it does happen again.
    Regards
    Ethan

  37. Hi, I had a sleep paralysis yesterday night. I have had it before but always believed in the scientific reason, because the more frightened I am the scarier it becomes. However I always sleep on my side and every night I pray before I go to sleep. Yesterday night after I had prayed I felt a tingle in my arm, I always shake it off, and try to sleep quickly before the same feeling happens again. Sometimes I am successful but yesterday I wasn’t. With me it always starts at my arm. When my arm started to tingle again, my whole body followed, however it was only my arm being pressed down.At this point instead of fighting, I try to lay still and let it happen, to my discomfort it happened slowly, but when it was finished I realised it was different. In the sense this time it had noise such as something moving very quickly around me. it is usually as if I have been struck by lightening and it finishes in a blink of an eye. But this type it lasted longer, it was strange with all the noise, my eyes saw grey (I dunno what ) and after praying again , I fell asleep. I think it is a thing that can not be defined since its different for different people. Also it changes and regardless of how many times it occurs or how many time you close your eyes, the fear you have stays the same.

    • Hi Isma,

      Thanks for your comment. I think you’re right in saying that the more frightened you are, the more scary it becomes. It might sounds like a logical thing, but actually I do wonder whether fear itself can make the event become even worse. You would like to think the human brain would work with you and not against you, but that doesn’t always seem to be the case!
      Your description is quite unusual, especially noting that it starts with an arm. Are you able to move the rest of your body though when it happens? It would be interesting to know what happens if you do try moving your other arm for example to ‘snap out’ of it.
      All the best
      Ethan

  38. Hi, i’ve experiencing this kind of thing which i know now because if this site, when i was just a kid. Then it happened to me again just this morning. Me and my brothers woke up early about 5:30am because of a daily job. But i was still sleepy and thought i would just go for a 2nd shift in my work so i managed to sleep again. Yes! i have a dream and i can remember clearly what it is all about. And then my mind clears out, i heard someone downstairs washing clothes and i know that its my mom cause my father and brothers gone to school and work. And even my eyes are still closed i am concscious that its already 8:30am because i can feel the heat striking my body cause we always sleep in our rooftop.well thats my daily signal to “hey dame wake up its late now”.a sort of that. Then i suddenly felt strange that someone is watching me on my back because i slept that time sideways. So i managed to turn over with my eyes still closed and at the same time feeling my body what i was doing but before i could completely did, something push me again to my original sleep position and then my body suddenly cant move, cant open my eyes, cant talk a single word, cant feel anything but numb and the worst thing is i can feel something is pushing me not to be able to turn around and i can feel my shorts being pulled slowly. i tried to make a voice as hard as i can because i know im completely conscious mental and physical. Luckily my mom heard it and wake me up. She knew i was experiencing it again but when ive told her what really happens. That gave us a chill. I looked at my watch . Its 8:30 am. And i was right. i believed with those scientific explanations but i just cant believed what had just happened to me. Well i hope these would never happen again! Good Day guys.

    • Hi Dame,

      Thank you for your comment, and it does seem very much like sleep paralysis you are describing there. Try not to worry about it too much, even though it is understandably something which gives you a chill. Have a good read of the article and pick a couple of tips which you can try and put to action if it happens again. For example just trying to move a finger or toe at first.
      But hopefully it won’t be more regular.
      Regards
      Ethan

  39. I experience a broad spectrum from the SP, to seeing things and hearing, also the unfortunate nightmares. It all started when I was younger and being alone most of the time so I would indeed talk to myself.

    As I got older the dreams that you can’t seem to shake off would sometimes come true. I dreamed my moms car being stolen and an unfortunate dream of me being kidnapped and brought to a house where people I knew would try and do bad things to me. Both did come true except the kidnapping, but the people, every single one of them, their manners played out exactly.

    As I got a little older I would be asleep normal then wake up suddenly within 3 seconds something would happen once a car crashed into the house on the street behind ours. Another was my I woke up when my cousin committed suicide (I am in TX and he is in AK)
    I did not find out for a few hours that it had happened.

    Another incident happened within a few days of my cousins death. I was talking on the phone with my youngest son and was about to tell him that “J” had died, but my son already knew and had no explanation of knowing. At the time I said I have bad news about “J” he said I already know he died at that second I have a 3d puzzle of a crystal skull that I always tease my kids with that if they stare at it that it can get them. Well the second he said died it exploded all over the kitchen counter. I heard it but with a slight denile I continued the conversation with my son trying to figure out how he knew. Within a minuete all the power to the living room (where I was at) went out as well as the batteries to the remotes. My older son was in his room and he yelled mom the wifi is out and I told him all the power to the living room was out. I told my youngest I would call him back and hung up. I went and flipped the power switch that controls the living room and everything came back on, but the tape I have covering the light switch so accidents don’t happen had been cut perfectly like with sizzors. I changed all the batteries in the remotes and went to check the kitchen and sure enough the puzzle was in peices with only a couple of peices showing an outline of the shape of skull with a hole in the middle (where he shot himself) I took a picture because I didn’t believe myself.

    SP- many times I have dreams where I awake and seem to be dreaming within a dream?? Really weird. Mostly with something holding me down or talking to me but not really with words. Usually I take it as nothing will help me. I am not sure but it scares me. You can’t breathe or scream or even move.

    Sometimes I can dream with my husband and wake up look at him and he will make a noise refering to what I was dreaming- Once we were driving in a convertible down a street with the ocean on one side and the radio was playing we were singing. I woke up and when I looked at him he went bum to bum bum I was holy what the f* I woke him up to ask what he was dreaming and it was the same dream me driving and blue or grey convetible and us singing witht he ocean on the side.

    Last night I was dreaming with my boss in front of a computer but not at work and she said she had to leave a ghost came pulled me into the air and let go as I was falling I sucked it up my nose I woke up to my snore/ snorting air??? Anyway, I have had a headache since 3 something this morning.

    All in all I know this is a wide variety of my life experience, but I am glad you got to read it. Just remember what is conscienceness to us may not be what is reality. If we do only use a portion of our brain imagine what is really going on awake or asleep….

    • Hi awake at the soul

      Thank you for your comment, and for sharing your interesting experiences. I have no great explanations for you, and I imagine you already have your own anyway! Many people do report such strange experiences, and feel that they go beyond being coincidences. It’s up to the individual to decide what to believe.
      Anyway, let’s hope you don’t have any more bad dreams if they have a habit of coming true!
      Regards
      Ethan

  40. Just posted, not sure what happened…long story short-stay away from high pillows, an airless room, and sleeping on your right side after eating. And saying “In God’s name I rebuke you!” does work, as well as, “You’ve got the wrong person, so move on.”

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