Medical Definition: (webMD)
What Is Sleep Paralysis?
Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking.
Other Experiences: (Thought Catalog)
- “Something whispered in my ear.“
I’ve never had any visual encounters but when it happened the first time I was laying on my left side and started to feel that pressure on my chest. When I realized I was paralyzed and started panicking, something whispered in my ear “Just coming in to say goodnight.” That’s when I felt like something was pushing me towards the edge of my bed. Terrifying shit.
- It takes extreme effort to wake up.
I get this on a regular basis, but mostly when I nap, not when I go to sleep for the night. I have never experienced the “demon”, but the experience is terrifying. I can see everything (or at least it seems like I can) but I am unable to move. It feels like if I don’t make every effort to move I will be stuck like that forever. I usually have to start by wiggling a toe, or a finger, and then keep that momentum going until I fully wake. It takes an extreme amount of effort and if I don’t keep the effort constant, I have to start all over again.
- Many horrible things.
Before I learned to cope with it I’ve seen quite a few awful things. Horror films don’t really do anything for me anymore because I’ve already seen the most terrifying things I already could. Here’s a few things I remember off the top of my head: A little girl in the corner of my room staring at me. Then, without notice, she shrieks and runs up and starts choking me. A large dark figure, kind of a human silhouette, emerging from the foot of my bed and staring down at me. Something banging and scraping on my bedroom door. I keep it locked at night because I have had ones where it opens by itself. (EDIT: No, the door isn’t open when I wake up. It only opens in the dream). My bedroom door opening by itself followed by dark figures coming into my room. The earliest one I can remember is with my mother in the room and she’s sitting on my bed, her face morphs into a demon like thing. Many others. The worst thing is when you try to fight or call for help. Your voice doesn’t work and your body will not respond. You just feel helpless. Ugh, I need to stop trying to remember these things. I’m getting chills.
My Story: (Warning: With your scary imagination, this story can be very creepy.)
I remember when I was about eight years old when I felt a hand trying to grab my foot when I was asleep. I believe that was my very first experience of nightmare/sleep paralysis. Then, I will have sleep paralysis occasionally, maybe twice a year. Most of the time, it is a feeling of someone, usually a girl sitting on top of my chest or a dark figure hugging me tight. However, beginning of 2015, nightmares were constantly bombarding me. And this time, it was stronger and scarier. I will get them maybe once a month. And every time before I wake up, before I scream, in a half-awake mode, I knew something was really wrong. I know that I am dreaming. I know that I am sleeping on my bed. I can see the ceiling. But, I cannot move. I can see a dark shadow just standing around the corner of my bedroom. And slowly, it feels like this shadow is pulling my leg. That is why, when I saw the first Paranormal Activity movie, it scared me because the part where Katie’s leg was being dragged, that was the same feeling that I had every time that I have sleep paralysis. Then, just two months ago, when I thought everything seems to die out and calms down. Once again, for two weeks, I was having nightmares and sleep paralysis every day. And this time, I truly believe I was having some form of hallucination. Because I can hear people laughing, and it seems that there were more people in my room. And It is not just my room, I tried sleeping in my mom’s room and she woke me up because I was yelling. And it was the same feeling, a hand trying to grab my leg. My last episode was probably on January 08, 2016. It was 3:30AM, and I was yelling so loud that my sister heard me from the other room (She told me that morning). And this time, there was a girl sleeping next to me, and she was trying to hug me so tight that I was having a hard time breathing. I woke up in a panic mode, sweating, and really scared.
What do you think is happening? There are several theory or explanations (medical, psychological, spiritual) on why this occurrence is happening but I will let you decide what is really causing this unwanted experience to several people.
I hope I did not scare you. Do you have your own story? Please leave a comment.
Have a great night. And sleep tight.
Provider's Hands, Heart, and Mind 