Sleep Paralysis

[Bloodsucker II]

For those who don't know what it is it's when you become aware before the REM cycle has finished and you can't move or speak. The first time it happened to me I was ridiculously scared because I had no idea what was going on. It's only happened to me 3 times but 2 of those times I had hallucinations and it turns out that is a common happening with sleep paralysis.

Has anyone else here had to deal with this? It would be interesting to hear the stories.

[takkuri]

I don't think that's ever happened to me. I imagine I'd freak right out if it did though

[ForlrnPerplxity]

It's happened to me a few times with the last time being 2 years ago. The first time, I seriously thought I was going to die. There's no way somebody can understand how it makes you feel until experiencing it themselves. I woke up, had no control of my body, and then my eyelids felt very heavy and started to close again, which at that point I was panicking.

[Bloodsucker II]

It's happened to me a few times with the last time being 2 years ago. The first time, I seriously thought I was going to die. There's no way somebody can understand how it makes you feel until experiencing it themselves. I woke up, had no control of my body, and then my eyelids felt very heavy and started to close again, which at that point I was panicking.

Yeah, it's seriously unbelievable. I really had to try not to panic. Did you experience any hallucinations.

[ForlrnPerplxity]

Yeah, it's seriously unbelievable. I really had to try not to panic. Did you experience any hallucinations.
Nope, thankfully. I've heard of people experiencing that, but I just had no control of my body. The third time it happened, I knew what was going on, but it's still scary as hell.

[klaz]

That's insane. Don't a lot of people often feel like there's something heavy sitting on their chest also?

[Figure8Guitar]

yeah this is a crazy feeling. you feel like you're perfectly between being asleep and awake. This actually happened to me when I was about 5, and yeah, pretty much, I felt like I was going to die haha. Then another time about a year ago. I vaguely remember waking up for a little bit and freaking out because I couldn't move, but since you're like half asleep still, it's really hard to remember anything else going on or what happened after that. After I finally snapped out of it I was almost scared to go back to sleep lol

[Antics]

I happens to me pretty regularly, napping on my back is pretty much a guarantee. It was pretty scary the first couple times it happened when I was younger, but now I am pretty much ok with it.

Stress is a big factor in bringing it on.

[maxvsmaradona]

Sleep Paralysis isn't real. It's actually demons holding you down in bed so they can rape you. Incubus for teh ladies, and Succubus for the men.

[Antics]

Sleep Paralysis isn't real. It's actually demons holding you down in bed so they can rape you. Incubus for teh ladies, and Succubus for the men.


I fight those assholes and win.

[Bloodsucker II]

That's insane. Don't a lot of people often feel like there's something heavy sitting on their chest also?

Yup, a lot of times it's called Old Hag syndrome because a long time ago they thought the pressure on the chest was demons or something like that.

I happens to me pretty regularly, napping on my back is pretty much a guarantee. It was pretty scary the first couple times it happened when I was younger, but now I am pretty much ok with it.

Stress is a big factor in bringing it on.

Me too! Sleeping on your back definitely provokes it.

[atticus18244fss]

Never happened to me. Sounds creepy as hell.

[koohyuko]

I experienced Sleep Paralysis a few times in my first three years of college. However, starting back in about September, I started having them much more frequently, and started to have hallucinations associated with them, such as the Old Hag Syndrome and such. I actually had one last night, and it terrified me enough to where I didn't want to sleep....

[StrictlyBiznas]

I've experienced sleep paralysis before. It's not a regular occurence, but it's happened to me more than once. It usually happens again and again on the same night. It'll happen once and then a couple more times before I actually get into a normal sleep. I don't experience the hallucinations, but I do get the feeling of someone being directly behind me and a shortness of breath.

[muzicislife31]

I don't think it's ever happened to me. Though I am hardly coherent enough when I wake up to notice, it sounds like I would if it happened. I pretty much always sleep on my stomach, so maybe that's why.

[JCSurf27]

doesn't sound fun. I want no part of this

[Scrandon]

That sounds brutal man, never heard of it before.

[takeaction]

For those who don't know what it is it's when you become aware before the REM cycle has finished and you can't move or speak. The first time it happened to me I was ridiculously scared because I had no idea what was going on. It's only happened to me 3 times but 2 of those times I had hallucinations and it turns out that is a common happening with sleep paralysis.

Has anyone else here had to deal with this? It would be interesting to hear the stories.

I don't think it's ever happened to me, but....
xCSqT5nZ9n4

Edit: The part about people hearing things/alien abductions is kinda dumb. I didn't watch before posting, but whatever, you can still watch the video lol.

[quiksilver21k]

The band Dredg has a whole album based upon Sleep Paralysis. It's called "El Cielo" and is completely amazing. All of the liner notes consist of different people's stories about sleep paralysis and how it has affected them. Pretty interesting concept for an album. Check it out...it may make you feel a little less anxious about trying to get back asleep.

[rosielikesyou]

I've experienced this before, though no hallucinations or anything of the like. Just completely unable to move despite stirring into consciousness. Scared the hell out of me.

[Sherrice]

Had it happen to me like 2 or 3 times.

The one I remember the most is the first time it happened to me. I was tied up by burglars in my apartment and I tried to scream but nothing came out. I freaked out even more when I realized that I couldn't even scream. After about 10 minutes I was actually able to move again. Then I realized I was staring into my closet the whole time.

Shit is fucked up.

[hurryupbrett]

This has never happened to me. I don't want to go to sleep anymore...

[introduction]

well that just ruined sleep for me. possibly forever. thanks.

[tonyC4L]

I have definitely experienced this before but I didn't know it was such a common thing; it's so scary. I feel every time it's happened to me I've been napping, and usually in the middle of the day after I've stayed up all night working on something. I just freak out because I can't comprehend anything around me, like I'm hallucinating or something, and can't snap myself out of it. And my eyelids feel like they're so damn heavy, it's such a struggle to open them even a little bit.

[S9Dallasoz]

Had it happen to me like 2 or 3 times.

The one I remember the most is the first time it happened to me. I was tied up by burglars in my apartment and I tried to scream but nothing came out. I freaked out even more when I realized that I couldn't even scream. After about 10 minutes I was actually able to move again. Then I realized I was staring into my closet the whole time.

Shit is fucked up.

Uh...It rarely ever lasts more than 30 seconds.

[rerelease_]

aaah, the sleep paralysis, scary shit. it's happened to me few times, once i also heard voices and the other time cars were driving on my wall so yeah, i've also seen hallucinations too.

[Jaimehere]

Has not happened to me... YET, but seeing all the facts about it makes me wanna experience it 0.0

[whoaisame]

Happens to me all the time, really fucking scary. I used to have night terrors and shit when I was younger too.

[bobbo8]

Had it a few times the most recent was a few months back, i just saw this black mass standing at the end of my bed... couldn't move or anything. It happens to me mostly when i fall asleep sitting in a chair.

[SophomoricSlump]

This has happened to me once before, it felt like I was being pushed down by my chest, but no matter how much pressure I couldn't get myself to scream or move.

[Neogeo3do]

I get this at least once a month. I hate it because my eyes will open but I cannot get my body to move, I get really stressed out as it feels like several hours go by while I try and tell my brain to do something simple like move my hand or wiggle my finger. It used to be really bad when I was younger, I would always think an Alien was in the room and was using mind control. Watched "A Fire In the Sky" one to many times I guess.

[koohyuko]

I get this at least once a month. I hate it because my eyes will open but I cannot get my body to move, I get really stressed out as it feels like several hours go by while I try and tell my brain to do something simple like move my hand or wiggle my finger. It used to be really bad when I was younger, I would always think an Alien was in the room and was using mind control. Watched "A Fire In the Sky" one to many times I guess.

Its at least once a month for me too. A couple times in one night, and then it won't happen for a few weeks. It only last a few seconds, but those few seconds feel like for-freakin'-ever.

[johnnyflashbang]

i've gotten this a few times, mostly after nightmares. I used to think it was some evil presence too.

[fkinglascivious]

FUCK.
I've had this.
And lucid dreams. I always start erratically shaking once I realise I'm dreaming though... very uncomfortable.

[_Andrew]

Happened to me last night, kept seeing some smokey type figure come out of my chest... I was aware, and because of that I wasn't really scared... But if I wasn't I probably would have shat myself lol.

[liarsenic678]

Had an ex girlfriend that had problems with it, glad ive never gone through it

[andrewshungry]

happens to me usually if i'm sleeping on my back. i've had it happen multiple times in the same night

the thing about feeling the demon or whatever on your chest definitely happens, although i realize this is not true because thats absurd

during sleep paralysis you basically hallucinate, and i usually think a certain object i can see is a person or something, which is pretty scary. but then you regain consciousness and realize it was just a t-shirt or whatever

first time it happens really sucks cause you don't know whats happening. you can't move anything at all, you can't talk or scream no matter how hard you try

[provethatIexist]

i've experienced it quite a few times. with me, what happens is i usually can't open my eyes all the way, can't move, can't talk/yell. i become aware that it is happening and i can actually see my surroundings in a haze, but i can't wake myself up. sometimes i can hear myself gasping, trying to yell, and one time i hallucinated and saw a shadowy figure running rampant around my living room. it scared the fuck out of me at first... but now when it happens, i usually become aware that it's happening, and am able to break myself out of it pretty quick. i think it's kinda cool now, actually. haha

my sister has really bad episodes of this from time to time. she always explains it as actually feeling hands holding her down, while she can't move or scream or breathe for almost a minute. it terrifies her every time.

[wall e]

This used to happen to me when I was a kid, I never knew what the hell was going on until I was older and learned about it from the strangest of source's (Dredg's El Cielo album).

[Duexy]

happened to me twice, didn't like it too much.

[framebyframe]

It's never happened to me, but I kind of want to experience it. Things like this fascinate me.

[signal to noise]

Never with me, but my friend had something of the sort once. He told me he was basically having an awake nightmare, he opened his eyes and saw a dark figure standing beside him, and he tried to yell out, but like you said, you arent able to speak, so he thought that whatever the thing was was making him suffocate. Then if i remember right, he fell back asleep briefly and then woke up not long after i think.

[sas1991]

i twitch in my sleep.. does that mean anything? hahah seriously. every night i get waken up to my hand or neck twitching. i do take meds before i go to sleep... might be that. its just been scaring me latley hahaha. should i consult my dr? hah

[aamberlynn]

Yes. It really is terrifying. I always seem to come out of it with that horrible falling feeling and I wake up in a panic.

[SophomoricSlump]

Yes. It really is terrifying. I always seem to come out of it with that horrible falling feeling and I wake up in a panic.

I HATE that.

[Yellowcard2006]

I've never experienced that

[Sherrice]

Uh...It rarely ever lasts more than 30 seconds.

Oh well then maybe it wasn't as long as I thought it was? It felt like 10 minutes.

[Bloodsucker II]

Wow, it happened to me last night. So crazy. What the coincidence.

[Hagysaurus Rex]

Happens to me all the time, really fucking scary. I used to have night terrors and shit when I was younger too.

Night terrors used to fuck my world up.

[Bloodsucker II]

Night terrors used to fuck my world up.

I have never experienced those but one time my friend had one while I was sleeping at his house. Scary as hell.

[Cheesus]

Night terrors used to fuck my world up.
Seriously dude... that shit was completely scarring as a child.

[PandaBear!]

i don't think it was sleep paralysis, but when i was younger i used to dream that Bigfoot would come from under my bed and basically bearhug me - but i would wake up when he got me and it would feel like a genuinely real bearhug, it would only stop when i literally fought my way out of it. Yes, fight my way out of a fake bearhug........whilst awake........and it would hurt slightly.......... doubleyou. tee. eff.

[The Indigo]

This happens to me at least once a week, so it's no longer scary, but the feeling is still really uncomfortable. It normally happens just as I'm falling asleep or waking up. I've only hallucinated during it twice. When I was in the third or fourth grade, I had a fear that someone would break into our house and rob/kill us, so that's what I hallucinated. The other time was the October of my freshman year of college. There was all this talk of ghosts around campus (my school is one of the most haunted places in NC, apparently) and I "woke up" and a little girl was sitting on my chest. Creepy. As. Fuck.

[The Indigo]

i don't think it was sleep paralysis, but when i was younger i used to dream that Bigfoot would come from under my bed and basically bearhug me - but i would wake up when he got me and it would feel like a genuinely real bearhug, it would only stop when i literally fought my way out of it. Yes, fight my way out of a fake bearhug........whilst awake........and it would hurt slightly.......... doubleyou. tee. eff.
Sounds like sleep paralysis to me.

[PandaBear!]

Sounds like sleep paralysis to me.

i would be able to move instantly after waking up, it was just more of a struggle than normal, like i was shaking the bearhug off me like a dog shakes off water (lol)

[wavegoodbye]

i've never experienced this, but i have experienced an out of body type thing. i was laying on the couch, and all of a sudden i felt pressure on my entire body and i legit was looking down on myself. it was the weirdest shit ever.

[aamberlynn]

I HATE that.
Me too. It is the worst way to wake up. Ever.

[jonny4star]

I asked about this a year or so ago and got ridiculous answers from everyone haha, but yeh happened to me around 5 times. first time it felt like i was going to die. all the other times were scary and i heard voices(one of them a war scene) I almost felt as if I got addicted to them though(maybe its just me, but when i woke up, i remembered back to it as feeling like a full body orgasm) It also seems like it was brought on by either eating dairy products before bed or sleeping on my back.

[ari telescope]

Have you guys ever heard of Astral Projection? It's basically when you're having a voluntary out-of-body experience. Like you know how you hear stories of someone who died on the operating table briefly and they say that when they died, they remember looking down on their body being operating on... Except voluntary. I think the Indians used to do it. Anyway, it says that most nights, the nights where your dreams seem SO real, it's because when we're sleeping, deeply, we are having an out of body experience (astral projection). And you know that feeling where you're half-awake half-asleep and you felt like you fell and you shock awake, that's yourself going/falling back into your body really really fast, it shocked you awake. And sometimes when you're waking up before your body is ready (exactly when you guys described) and youre completely paralyzed for a few seconds (Sleep Paralysis) it's because you're trying too hard to get back into your body, but you're just not. It says when that happens and you freak out, it's harder so you just have to relax and breathe, and then you can get "back in"/wake up/move.

Also when you're doing it voluntarily, you're supposed to fall asleep on your back. And you can look it up, people do it often. If you breathe slow and stay calm, you can control it.

And as far as hallucinations, people who astral project also experience it. I think this and sleep paralysis really must be the same thing, which means good for you guys because you can control it when it happens.

ALSO, and this one is more of a theory, some people who AP and even some spiritual people think that when you're asleep is when you're more in tune with the "other side" (which makes sense if you believe in ghosts) and those hallucinations actually are people, not to freak anyone out.

[klaz]

Have you guys ever heard of Astral Projection? It's basically when you're having a voluntary out-of-body experience. Like you know how you hear stories of someone who died on the operating table briefly and they say that when they died, they remember looking down on their body being operating on... Except voluntary. I think the Indians used to do it. Anyway, it says that most nights, the nights where your dreams seem SO real, it's because when we're sleeping, deeply, we are having an out of body experience (astral projection). And you know that feeling where you're half-awake half-asleep and you felt like you fell and you shock awake, that's yourself going/falling back into your body really really fast, it shocked you awake. And sometimes when you're waking up before your body is ready (exactly when you guys described) and youre completely paralyzed for a few seconds (Sleep Paralysis) it's because you're trying too hard to get back into your body, but you're just not. It says when that happens and you freak out, it's harder so you just have to relax and breathe, and then you can get "back in"/wake up/move.

Also when you're doing it voluntarily, you're supposed to fall asleep on your back. And you can look it up, people do it often. If you breathe slow and stay calm, you can control it.

And as far as hallucinations, people who astral project also experience it. I think this and sleep paralysis really must be the same thing, which means good for you guys because you can control it when it happens.

ALSO, and this one is more of a theory, some people who AP and even some spiritual people think that when you're asleep is when you're more in tune with the "other side" (which makes sense if you believe in ghosts) and those hallucinations actually are people, not to freak anyone out.

That'd be so crazy. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about experiencing all of this, but I know I'd be absolutely terrified in the moment.

[DogSizedBird]

i can't get her off of my chest unless i'm sleeping on my side
it's like drowning when the water only exists in my head
so i'll put a hole there
i'll put a hole there
and let my seas spill onto your shores
rendering your plane of thinking a dizzy little girl on the edge of the world
don't tell me
don't tell me there's nothing to fear
and trying to share it is a reckless endeavor
i can't take the weight of this head full of water
i don't sleep
i hardly ever move
you won't sleep you won't move at all

when what you see and what you believe are two different things
you can really start to wear down and lose it
and they will never see it

[tonyC4L]

i can't get her off of my chest unless i'm sleeping on my side
it's like drowning when the water only exists in my head
so i'll put a hole there
i'll put a hole there
and let my seas spill onto your shores
rendering your plane of thinking a dizzy little girl on the edge of the world
don't tell me
don't tell me there's nothing to fear
and trying to share it is a reckless endeavor
i can't take the weight of this head full of water
i don't sleep
i hardly ever move
you won't sleep you won't move at all

when what you see and what you believe are two different things
you can really start to wear down and lose it
and they will never see it
One of my favorite songs of theirs, and I just now realized what they're talking about. Makes it that much better.

[DogSizedBird]

One of my favorite songs of theirs, and I just now realized what they're talking about. Makes it that much better.

Yes it's an amazing song, and I've always loved the meaning. I've had sleep paralysis twice that I can remember and I never knew what it was until I read an interview Adam Fisher did talking about this song.

[Cheesus]

still have never had this, but from reading some of these posts im interested to see if there is a possible deeper explanation for what goes on... im leaning towards no, but its still interesting.

I have never experienced those but one time my friend had one while I was sleeping at his house. Scary as hell.

lol was it me?

[Jonnyborg]

sleep paralysis is what happens when the aliens are showing an interest in abducting you.

[SophomoricSlump]

Me too. It is the worst way to wake up. Ever.

I hate the shock that comes with it, that feeling down your spine? Ugh

[iAMhollyood315]

I experienced Sleep Paralysis a few times in my first three years of college. However, starting back in about September, I started having them much more frequently, and started to have hallucinations associated with them, such as the Old Hag Syndrome and such. I actually had one last night, and it terrified me enough to where I didn't want to sleep....

crazy...have you or anyone else here experienced a Night Terror? its different than a nightmare where one night i was so overtired i woke up with an incredible scared/panic feeling and bolted out of my bed screaming and burst into my parents room....right when i opened the door i came to my senses and did not realize why i just did any of that.

[geebee889]

crazy...have you or anyone else here experienced a Night Terror? its different than a nightmare where one night i was so overtired i woke up with an incredible scared/panic feeling and bolted out of my bed screaming and burst into my parents room....right when i opened the door i came to my senses and did not realize why i just did any of that.


I've had one once before. I was probably like 8 or 9, and I had this terrible dream about something that happened to my brother. I ended up having my parents rush into my room because I was screaming bloody murder. I sometimes still get the image of what happened in my head, and it still scares me.

[Jennurna Gray]

For those who don't know what it is it's when you become aware before the REM cycle has finished and you can't move or speak. The first time it happened to me I was ridiculously scared because I had no idea what was going on. It's only happened to me 3 times but 2 of those times I had hallucinations and it turns out that is a common happening with sleep paralysis.

Has anyone else here had to deal with this? It would be interesting to hear the stories.
The last time that it happened to me, the circumstances weren't exactly ideal. It was actually really, really scary. The night before, I had taken Melatonin. Being a natural sleep hormone in your body, Melatonin is virtually safe, aside from being taken with blood pressure meds, beta blockers and benzodiazephines. Completely forgetting the Melatonin, I took a Xanax. As soon as I realized what I had just done, I went to the bathroom and tried throwing up, but it was too late, one of the two had already started relaxing my muscles, including my epiglottus. I knew now that I didn't have long until I'd be out, so I hurriedly got on google and researched as much as possible. I found a lot of information telling me that Melatonin and Benzos shouldn't be mixed and that they have negative interactions, but nothing about what they would actually do if mixed. Now it had been about 30 minutes, and I passed the fuck out. First, I woke up 10 hours later. I now know that it was Sleep Paralysis, but at the time, I had no clue what was going on. I saw things happening around me, heard sounds, smelled breakfast. I couldn't get up, or move anything except my eyes. I thought I was in some kind of coma. I fell back asleep and woke up 2 hours later. For that day I expirienced a lot of vertigo and nausea.

Whoa, tl;dr.

[koohyuko]

crazy...have you or anyone else here experienced a Night Terror? its different than a nightmare where one night i was so overtired i woke up with an incredible scared/panic feeling and bolted out of my bed screaming and burst into my parents room....right when i opened the door i came to my senses and did not realize why i just did any of that.

I've never had a night terror, but I know a girl who has them. She tends to have them only when she takes naps. Still, its bad enough to where she literally NEVER takes naps.

[Bloodsucker II]

still have never had this, but from reading some of these posts im interested to see if there is a possible deeper explanation for what goes on... im leaning towards no, but its still interesting.



lol was it me?

Drew. It was so weird.

[ThatColdPart]

This happened to me several months ago. I woke up and I swear I was levitating. I couldn't move or scream, when I finally snapped out of it I had the feeling that someone was in my room, watching me. I did not go back to sleep that night. It was one of the most terrifying things to have ever happened to me.

[xxxxxxxxxxxmatt]

Ugh...I remember the first few times this happened to me. I was probably in middle school and was getting really interested in anything having to do with astral projection, lucid dreaming, etc (I was listening to a lot of Tool haha). Anyway, I was trying to have more lucid dreams and was attempting to have an OBE, and I had sleep paralysis. Couldn't move, couldn't make a sound, but completely conscious. Completely panicked too. Eventually I figured it wasn't that big of a deal and that I'd be fine if I just kept calm and waited for it to fade off, or just fall back asleep.

It still happens every now and then (mainly when my sleep schedule is out of whack and I take a lot of naps after classes) and it's horrible. I fight my way out of it, but man it sucks

[Nick Le]

It hate it, the first few times it's happened to me, I was so scared. From feeling like I was levitating and like thinking somebody was there, I ended up looking it up and found out what it was. I don't really freak out about it and I'm able to fight my way out of it too, but it's still pretty scary and I hate it.

[whiterussian]

I think I've had it, but it was pretty groggy.

I've had at least one night terror though, that was pretty awesome. I was pretty much wrestling a black shapeless figure that was trying to kill me (initiallu from the side of my bed and than on to the around the room, I had an idea of where I was) and I woke up standing in front of my bedroom door when my brother turned on the light after getting freaked out by my jumping around and my gasping as in a fight. I was covered in sweat and breathing hard.

[apresnuledeluge]

I used to experience this a ton in high school. I was convinced I was dead every time. Also I swore I saw myself from a third person perspective with a shadowy figure hovering over my bed. It only happened to me when I would go to bed really stressed.

Also, I'm surprised at how many people in here have gone through it. I've yet to meet someone else who experienced something similar.

[vivian_vitality]

crazy...have you or anyone else here experienced a Night Terror? its different than a nightmare where one night i was so overtired i woke up with an incredible scared/panic feeling and bolted out of my bed screaming and burst into my parents room....right when i opened the door i came to my senses and did not realize why i just did any of that.

I had one of those a couple months ago. It was probably one of the scariest things that has ever happened to me. I couldn't sleep in my own room for a good 2 weeks.

[de1337ed]

wow. i never knew what this was and was always too scared to ask someone about it. but i frequently experience this. at least every month or so, and i can remember sometimes i've had multiples in a week :/ and yes, sometimes i get hallucinations :/

[ari telescope]

Do you guys think you have them so often because you're subconsciously thinking how much you don't want to have them?

[Bloodsucker II]

Do you guys think you have them so often because you're subconsciously thinking how much you don't want to have them?

Well, I actually enjoy having them. Not because it's a pleasant experience but because it such a strange occurrence and it tells an interesting story. As far as out of body experiences I have tried to have them but failed. I'm not sure what I think about them but I want to believe that they are real.

[aimee<3]

I don't think that's ever happened to me. I imagine I'd freak right out if it did though

this^^