Sleep Paralysis Stories

A very effective tool in detecting if you are undergoing an episode of sleep paralysis (which, no matter how terrifying the ordeal may be, is simply an episode of a dream rolling in your subconscious, complete with paralysis chemicals "switched on", while your waking conscious has been activated), or not is to, if you can, look at your digital alarm clock. In any kind of dream state the numbers will be garbled, blurry, non-comprehensible, or sometimes just not there. If your mind is so efficient as to effectively produce a readable time, look at it sporadically to see how it changes.

This is a quick effective technique in identifying the state you're in, and waking up as quickly as possible. Of course, this can be difficult in paralysis, but if you're having recurring episodes, keep trying this technique.

~ Sean

Here are some actual experiences with sleep paralysis as told by the people who went through them.

Well let me start by saying that I am terrified of ghosts and paranormal activity. I really never wanted to believe in any of that stuff but I just couldn't help not to. In the past I never really encountered any extreme paranormal activity except moving objects and feeling like someone or something was behind me. Now there were times when I felt like I was being touched by the dead but them again that could have been me overreacting. Yet there were times when I know I saw shadows pass by or leave away from me but I just felt that I was crazy.

Though what is strange is two days ago my family and I got back from a trip and it was only about 10 o'clock at night but of course I was very tired. When I went into bed my mom came in the room and took some of her stuff out of my unpacked bags. After saying good night she left my room and I thought I fell asleep but I awoke hearing a very loud and devilish growling noise in my ears. At first I thought it could be my dog but I then remembered that she was still at the pet hotel.

When I tried to move to see what the noise was coming from, it felt like something was holding me down and I couldn't move any direction. Since I had covers over my head I couldn't see anything. So, when I tried to call for my mom, it felt like something was choking me to prevent me from saying anything. Finally when I was able to speak I called bloody murder for my mom but she never came. Then I dozed away.

When I woke up the next morning I was still a little creeped out but when I told my mom she told me that she had stayed up and walked past my room several times but never heard me. I really didn't want to feel crazy but I don't know. Maybe some people believe; and some just don't.

Sent in by Danielle Solander

Story: Well , this just happened out of the blue. I'm 13 years old so I really am not an expert at this and maybe any of you guys could help.

One night I was sleeping, and I heard my mother go to my brothers room to give him medicine since he was sick. Obviously I had just woken up - maybe like at 4 am.

Anyways ,while I was just laying there waiting to sleep, I really don't know what happened - I heard screams in my right ear. ONLY my right ear. But it wasn't terror screams , it felt like a classroom scream you know? and - I got totally freaked out and I couldn't even move. I tried screaming to my mom but nothing came out.

When I tried yelling with force I only got a whisper to come out. I then saw my mom come and say 'what'? and I was trying to explain.

After that everything went out and I later woke up. I really don't know if this was a dream or not. BUT WAIT - that's why I'm questioning it, because later when I got from school I asked my mom if she came to my room to ask me anything. She just looked at me with a confused face and said no.

Sent in by Maddie

I experienced sleep paralysis for the first time about 9 or 10 years ago (I was 23 or 24 at the time). I was under a lot of stress at the time. My husband and I had been married only 9 months when he had to deploy overseas (2 days after 9/11), so needless to say I was worried.

Fortunately for me a week or so before my episode I had watched a program on the History Channel about sleep paralysis (Waking Dreams), talking about the legends the history and the medical research and study. I am so grateful that I have a high curiosity for history and science or I wouldn't have watched that program that night.

When I experienced my sleep paralysis episode I had just completed a video workout after dinner, which is was my normal routine at the time. I had laid down on the couch afterwards feeling tired. I had planned to go out with a friend that night and thought to take a quick hour nap before getting ready. It was probably around 7pm-7:30pm at night. The lights in the living room where I was laying were on, the TV was on (I need "white noise" when I sleep), but the volume was turned down low.

Is Sleep Paralysis Paranormal?

"... I was aware of an evil dark presence in my room. When I tried to change my position so I could better see what it was I found that I was paralyzed. When this happened to me, and it has only ever happened that one time, I had never heard of the term "Sleep Paralysis..."

Read Is Sleep Paralysis Paranormal?

I woke and I saw the room as I would normally when I was awake. The lights were still on, the TV I could lightly hear off to my left and I could see the length of my body lying on the couch. I blinked a bit and tried to stretch and then I realized that I couldn't move. I tried to move again, and nothing. I tried as hard as I could to focus all my attention to my toes and move them... still no movement, nothing and yet I could feel myself trying to move within my head (if that makes sense), I tried so hard to get my body to move that I felt this internal shaking feeling, like my head shaking and it vibrating down my body with every ounce of force I could manage and still I could not move. I couldn't speak either, but I could look around with my eyes. I strained to see as far up, down, right and left as I could.

The room was still, and aside from the low volume on the TV it was quiet. I started to panic at this point, as it's very scary to be stuck in that position silent and paralyzed, and alone. I calmed myself and tried to analyze what might be going on (I tend to resort to logical thinking and breaking problems down when stressed), and it was then I remembered seeing the program on TV some weeks earlier about sleep paralysis. That gave me a lot of comfort, and I tried to relax as much as I could while I waited out this experience.

It was after a minute or so that I then started to see a dark hazy circle developing around my peripheral vision. It became more and more dark over time, and almost tunnel like. I started to feel like there was someone with me in the room, something malevolent and just out of sight, yet I knew it was there with me. It was a horrifying feeling and the minutes ticked by like hours in my head.

I tried again to shake myself free of this feeling and tried with everything I had mentally to break this experience. I'm not sure how long I lay there trying to break free but eventually I was able to move, and I sprung up quite quickly off the couch to a standing position and spun around the room looking for the darkness I had felt and seen. It was gone but my heart was racing.

I was very much awake, very much aware of my surroundings. I knew that I had just experienced sleep paralysis. I think, had I never seen that program I would have suffered much more than I had emotionally because it was quite terrifying.

I have had similar sleep paralysis experiences before but these have been short, also in complete darkness so I'm guessing my eyelids are closed during them, and I cannot open them. I still feel that internal shaking myself out of it, and they usually don't last long nor are they as intense, yet I still feel the darkness and fear it while experiencing it. I try my best to keep my stress levels down because that's when it happens most of the time.

I hate this experience, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I have not had an episode in over a year, and I hope I never had another one again!

Jae

I honestly never had sleep paralysis until one night in 2009. I never liked sleeping alone, so my sister slept in the same bed as me. On a summer's night, I went off to bed, I really couldn't sleep. Every time before I go to sleep I think about random thoughts. But on that night I questioned myself, "How do people read people's palms." I kept thinking about, witches, and other weird things. I said to myself, "They must have powers from the devil."

Suddenly, I felt like I was half asleep and half awake. Afterwards, I felt fear and couldn't move. I was aware of my surroundings at that point. I remember yelling my sister's name, screaming to her, "WAKE UP, HELP ME I CAN'T MOVE." But that's when I realized my mouth wasn't moving. I felt like if I did moved and tugged on my sister, but I saw that my arms didn't move one inch.

Afterwards, I suddenly felt a heavy pressure over me, some invisible force started choking me. I would say it lasted for 30 seconds, but it felt for a lifetime. I honestly thought I was going to die that night. And when it let go, I regained my movement and touched my neck. To my surprise my neck felt really cold and I was breathing really fast.

I told my mom about this and she asked me, "Did you pray last night before going to sleep?" I replied, "No." So I guess before going to sleep I should pray because if I don't this might just happen again.

Sent in by Brenda, Copyright 2011

My name is Lisa I'm 23 years old. I live in UK, Sheffield. I started having sleep paralysis when I turned 20, it would occur every once every couple of months. But this was the strangest I ever had...

I was having a 'power nap', I opened my eyes... I thought I was awake. Everything in my room look as it should, I could hear a loud buzzing noise getting louder and louder, it sounded like a helicopter. I tried to move, but I was completely paralyzed. I couldn't shout for help, it felt like there was a huge pressure on my chest. I closed my eyes, too scared to see what was in my room.

Usually when I shut my eyes and counted to ten I would wake up, I counted to ten over and over again, I couldn't wake up. I felt a chill run up my spine. It felt as though the thing in my room, all I can describe as the white mist, was zapping energy from my forehead. My forehead began to ache, the dream felt like it lasted for hours.

When I eventually woke up my forehead was aching. Was it just a dream? If anyone has any similar experiences please comment below.

Sent in by Lisa Littlejohn, Copyright 2011

I woke up and couldn't fall asleep, but I finally fell asleep for like 5 min. And I woke up and couldn't move anything even my eyes. I thought I heard something choking by my but I could see stuff like my eyes were open but they were closed. And I couldn't talk, I tried to yell so my friend would wake up but nothing would come out, and then I realized I could hardly breathe... I panicked but couldn't do anything... then I felt like I was laying under a waterfall and it was going into me... when it stopped I could move again and everything... then about an hour later I fell back asleep on accident and it felt like I was asleep for days but it was only an hour.

In the dream there was a girl that kept showing up, she was young short and had white hair, and she kept trying to kill me and I didn't realize I was dreaming til right before I woke up... I tried to get anyone I saw to help me but as soon as they disappeared the girl would show up and try to kill me... then I dreamed I woke up and my mom walked in my room to see if I was awake... then I actually woke up and couldn't move, talk,or breathe and she walked in, but I couldn't answer her and she thought I was still asleep... what's going on? Please help.

Sent in by Jimi

Well , this just happened out of the blue. I'm 13 years old so I really am not an expert at this and maybe any of you guys could help. One night I was sleeping, and I heard my mother go to my brothers room to give him medicine since he was sick. Obviously I had just woken up - maybe like at 4 am.

Anyways ,while I was just laying there waiting to sleep, I really don't know what happened - I heard screams in my right ear. ONLY my right ear. But it wasn't terror screams, it felt like a classroom scream you know? I got totally freaked out and I couldn't even move. I tried screaming to my mom but nothing came out. When I tried yelling with force I only got a whisper to come out. I then saw my mom come and say 'what' ? and I was trying to explain.

After that everything went out and I later woke up. I really don't know if this was a dream or not. BUT WAIT - that's why I'm questioning it , because later when I got from school I asked my mom if she came to my room to ask me anything. She just looked at me with a confused face and said no.

Sent in by Maddie, Copyright 2009

One night I went to sleep and in the middle of the night I woke up and I tried to get out of bed. I was shocked, even terrified when I found that I was unable to move anything except for my eyes. I could see everything around me very clearly. I tried to scream but I couldn't make a sound! I struggled to move my body, to raise up.

Suddenly I felt a very heavy pressure pushing me down into the bed. I somehow sensed, or knew, that it was an evil entity. Perhaps it was the devil or a demon or some other evil thing, I did not know what it was but I felt that it was very evil.

At the time I experienced this I had never heard of "Sleep Paralysis". It was only after I began researching online trying to find an explanation for what I went through that I came across this term and found out what I had experienced that night. It has never happened to me again and I pray that it never does.

Sent in by Anonymous, Copyright 2009

I woke up and looked at the clock facing my bed on the wall. It was 2 am and I was wide awake. I wanted to go use the restroom so I tried to get up from my bed. As I was getting up I felt something cold, almost like a hand, grab my two arms by the wrist. I also felt something sit on top of my chest. Let me remind you I am wide awake and in disbelief of what was happening. I am a very strong martial artist. I was struggling to fight whatever this thing was. Then all of a sudden I felt something grab me by the ankle and pull me down the bed. Now that scared the crap out of me. And so as I was struggling all of a sudden it let me go. Funny thing was when I finally could get up I realized I had been dragged to the edge of the bed with my legs dangling.

This event really disturbed me so I asked around of any other paranormal activities around the apartments. It turns out a guy had shot himself in the same apartment as I was living two years earlier. And when I saw his picture there was a strange familiarity. It was as if we had met before, perhaps that night.

Written by Suman Shrestha, Copyright 2009

About three years ago I was asleep in the middle of the day on my couch. I was taking a nap because I had not slept well the night before. I experienced what I guess was sleep paralysis. I opened my eyes but could not move my head. I was facing my television, which was turned off, and I could see my reflection lying on the couch.

I felt afraid because I couldn't move and then I noticed that standing right beside the couch, where my head was, was a child dressed in a yellow raincoat and hat. That sounds ridiculous I know, but I swear this didn't feel at all like a dream. All I could do was watch it's reflection in my TV screen and it never moved. It just stood there looking at me lying on the couch. When I could finally move, it was gone.

Written by Angela S., Copyright 2009

This has happened to me several times. I don't believe it was anything paranormal, and I didn't see anything in my room, I simply woke up and couldn't move. The first time it happened I was slightly scared, mostly because I couldn't move. The later times, I simply went back to sleep. Sometimes, I would wake up and couldn't move one part of my body, like an arm or a leg. Either way, I find it kind of relaxing. It helps you sleep after you wake up ion the middle of the night. I find the best method is not to fight it.

Anyone who has seen anything after waking up like this has probably been in a sort of dream state where they haven't fully awakened. It may feel like your wide awake, but we've all had dreams that feel like we're awake, haven't we?

Written by Cam, Copyright 2009

I too have experienced sleep paralysis and never knew there was a name for such things. I have suffered from it all of my life.

The last sleep paralysis I had was a few months ago while I was babysitting my grandsons. I was laying on my right side with my youngest grandson laying right next to me while my oldest grandson, who is eight years old, was sleeping at the bottom of the bed on his back.

I was facing this door mirror just about to fall asleep when I saw my oldest grandson rise out of his body and come towards me and bite me on my neck and then he went back to his body. I could not move or even scream out but the most frightening thing was when I got up the next morning there was this big scratch on my neck in the same exact place where he had bitten me.

Written by Miriam Martinez, Copyright 2009

In the middle of the night, of course I am sleeping, deep sleeping. And all of a sudden I hear an evil voice and my eyes quickly opened. As I was trying to move my body I couldn't. I just felt my body cold. And that was going on for about 2 minutes. I was freaked out. I have NO idea what this means. I hope I can figure it out soon.

Sent in by Rose

I was sleeping in my room while my sister (visiting from out of state) slept in my room as well. I had an alarm on my phone to go off at 7:30 am, I woke up from a pleasant dream and just closed my eyes for while. Soon I heard my sister's phone vibrate from which she woke up to and started talking immediately about random stuff. Then I heard my dog running up to my bed, I wanted to pick him up but I when I tried to move I couldn't that's when everything got quiet. I tried to move a little bit but I still couldn't, I calmed myself down and took long deep breaths but then I realized something or someone was laying next to me on my bed. I started to panic breathing very heavily hoping it would wake me up. When I did wake up it was 7:33 am and my sister was asleep I kept wondering to my what just happened.

Do any of you guys think that when I thought heard my sister wake up and started to talk and my dog was running around, was just a distraction for a spirit or something to put me in a sleep paralysis state?

Also I had another experience like year ago when I couldn't move or open my eyes I felt something touch the side of my mouth before I woke up, could that mean anything?

~ Roel Torres

Lately I've been having some weird things happen to me while I've been trying to sleep. I don't know if its sleep paralysis (I'm starting to think it is) or something paranormal. it doesn't happen very often but it happens at least three times a month. I'm not on any medication, I'm eating regularly, I'm sleeping normal, nothing strange. but sometimes I'll hear a strange buzzing, screeching noise sort of like a radio that's lost it's signal (it's indescribable).

As I hear that I start to become really heavy almost paralyzed, like something is holding me down, I try to scream or move but I cant, I know I can but I cant do it (it feels like someone or something is sucking the energy out of me). most of the time I hear voices in the background I hear screaming people (as if they're being tortured or something) then I can hear a little child screaming something like "mommy mommy" it's very eerie and it echoes. but every time its something different I had my last experience just an hour ago it sounded like someone was saying "Ericka" I cant tell if it was an adult female or a child.

Sometimes when I wake up I find scratches on my body (my arms, legs, chest, and my lower stomach) and the scratches are under my clothes, how would anyone be able to do that? Nothing could have been scratching me, I don't have ANY sharp objects near my bed, and my bed couldn't scratch me (its an air mattress). I see some things when that happens but not that often, usually its like I'm laying on the floor and the background is reddish black and there's something falling from the sky like ashes or something from fire, and there's these little demons that run around really fast back and forth with feet that are red, bony, and webbed with claws (I can only see from the waist down) could this be a vision of hell? That's what I started to think but I don't know.

Sent in by Angie

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"Wrestling With Ghosts" summarizes and updates a growing literature that includes traditional cultural accounts, scientific research, and subjective reports about the uncanny sleep disorder referred to as sleep paralysis (SP). The book serves as an important tool to normalize the sleep paralysis experience by attempting to remove its often-publicized mystical and supernatural aura. Specifically, the book is a serious contribution to the psychological and social scientific literature as an example of behavioral/social methodology in clarifying psychological phenomena that can be misinterpreted individually or by culture as "paranormal." However, the book does not refute the very real phenomenology of the experience and is intended as a practical guide for recognizing and managing the disorder in creative and self-enhancing ways. Moreover, this work reiterates the aesthetic and creative power of uncanny dreaming regardless of its origin.

by: Jorge Conesa, Jorge Conesa Sevilla

This aesthetic dimension of sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming is part of mythical, shamanic, creative, personal and scientific multidisciplinary approach to studying and describing dream phenomenology.

Gaet Wrestling With Ghosts: Personal And Scientific Account Of Sleep Paralysis from Amazon

Here are a few videos that will explain more about the phenomenon of sleep paralysis and what is thought about it.