Sleep Paralysis
A Nightmarish Nocturnal Experience
Often described as a nightmarish encounter
with a demon, sleep paralysis can force
people to face their worst fears in the dead
of night while feeling completely paralysed.
Often first noticed in the teenage years,
research suggests that four out of ten of us
suffer from the common night time condition
and surface in the morning with terrifying
tales of our experiences. While many
sufferers only experience the phenomenon
a handful of times in their lifetime, there
are a small number who have to learn to
live with its frequent occurrence.
While the phenomenon can be fully
scientifically accounted for, many different
cultures have firmly believed for centuries
that the spine-chilling encounters that many
sufferers feel during an episode of paralysis
are paranormal creatures that have come to
haunt us in the middle of the night.
What the Science Says
Sleep paralysis is a type of parasomnia that
occurs when the lines between sleep and
wakefulness become blurred. It can occur
one of two times during the sleep
cycle: when you are going to sleep
(hypnagogic or predormital),
or when you are waking up
(hypnopompic or postdormital).
During hypnopompic sleep, the
most common time for paralysis
to occur, your body alternates
between different cycles which are
known as Rapid Eye Movement
(REM) and Non Rapid Eye
Movement (NREM). One full cycle
lasts around 90 minutes with
NREM being the rest and restore phase for your The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli showing a woman in
deep sleep with an incubus crouched on her chest.
body. Before you awake, your body shifts into
the REM phase which is where dreams begin to Are you at risk?
occur as your eyes begin to move quickly. For Despite teenagers being most susceptible to
sufferers of sleep paralysis, they become aware sleep paralysis, people of any age or gender
of their surroundings while their muscles can suffer with it. In part it is believed to be
are still switched off and their ability to move genetic, but there are many other reasons why
or speak is paralysed (known as atonia). It is a person might experience atonia including:
during this blending of wakefulness and REM • Lack of sleep
that some people suffer from hallucinations or
• Those suffering from stress and associated
visions that are distinct from the typical dreams mental issues
that we experience.
• Inconsistent sleep patterns
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• Sleeping on your back
• Suffering from other sleep problems
including narcolepsy (a brain condition
causing people to fall asleep at
inappropriate times).
The Sleep Paralysis Experience
The majority of sleep paralysis episodes
are believed to involve hallucinations that
fall into the following three categories:
Intruder hallucinations: The feeling of an
intruder being present with you in the room.
As well as a feeling of a physical presence, it
is common for the sufferer to ‘hear’ sounds
being made by the intruder like footsteps,
banging and the sound of doors being
opened or door handles being rattled.
Incubus hallucinations: This is also
known as a ‘chest pressure’ hallucination.
This includes the feeling of something
sitting on your chest, leading to breathing
difficulties and the sensations of
smothering or choking.
Vestibular-motor hallucinations: This
creates the feeling of falling, spinning,
flying or other out of body experiences.
Some people’s experiences are not limited
to just one of the categories alone.
For most people they are a very rare experience
and the majority of people require no medical
treatment for the condition. However it can be
prevented and controlled by getting enough
sleep, reducing stress and anxiety before
bedtime, avoiding sleeping on your back, and
treating any existing sleep issues that might
increase the risk of sleep paralysis.
The Demon in Your Bedroom
Despite many historical recordings of sleep
paralysis being linked in folklore to the
paranormal, scientists nowadays have gained
a better understanding of it as a neurological
disorder.
However, for sufferers of the condition, the
episodes can feel very real and be a truly
A succubus-like vision, in contrast to the incubus. My Dream, My Bad Dream, 1915, by Fritz Schwimbeck
terrifying experience. Described by some as a
nightmare you can’t run away from, the tales
of nightly intruder, incubus and vestibular-
motor hallucinations are well documented
across the Internet. Many tales begin with the
sufferer experiencing the sound of footsteps
of an intruder on the stairs followed by the
rattling of their bedroom door handle before
being overwhelmed by the sensation of a
threatening presence like a demon climbing
onto their bed and sitting on their chest. First-
hand accounts document attempts to scream
out for help in vain, or failed attempts to try to
wake themselves up in fear and panic before
returning to sleep once again, therefore ending
the episode of paralysis before waking up
normally later on.
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What it Feels Like
Some first-hand accounts detail ‘waking
up’ to the sensation of falling or spinning
before eventually actually waking up
drenched in sweat and filled with anxiety.
Others experience more vivid encounters
and can actually remember terrifying faces
of intruders or are even able to remember
particular (rather putrid) aromas associated
with the demon they encountered.
Whatever the case, whether it is an
isolated episode or a more regular
occurrence, people awake in fear trying
to make sense of what has just happened
to them and are quick to believe that they
have met with a malevolent being in the
dead of night. However, experts believe
that folklore, tales and ancient myths
that we hear only exacerbate the terror
and make people more susceptible to
attributing it to a paranormal experience.
History and Folklore
Sleep paralysis is a relatively new term used
to describe what many people have believed
throughout history as terrifying night time visits
from malevolent beings who want to harm us
in our sleep.
The first known description of sleep paralysis
was recorded by Hippocrates in 440 BC.
However it is believed that the idea of
‘nightmare spirits’ descended from stories of
Lilith in Judaic Mythology in 2400 BC, a she-
demon that preyed on pregnant women.
Since then stories of frightening hallucinations
and dream-state delusions have been retold
throughout ancient myth and folklore in
many different cultures and spanning many
eras. Examples include the Greek ‘Ephialtes’
(considered a demon of nightmares), the
Ancient Roman ‘Nocturna Oppressio’ (night
time seizures), and the Brazilian ‘Pisadeira’ (a
frightening night terror legend). Sleep paralysis
has even been used to explain alien abductions
in modern day episodes.
The Pisadeira
The legend of the Pisadeira, from Brazilian
folklore, is described as an old hag who
lurks on rooftops ready to attack people
as they sleep. With fiery red eyes, long
dirty fingernails, tangled white hair and
a spine-chilling laugh, she appears after
her victim has consumed an indulgent
meal and waits until they are slowly falling
asleep to descend upon their chest and
slowly suffocate them.
The Man in the Hat
Also commonly known as The Hat Man,
this spooky vision is a common legend
of nightmare that has been reiterated
across the world and is often described
as a dark male entity. Those who have
witnessed this six foot ‘shadow person’
have described his wide brimmed Fedora
hat, long trench coat and mysteriously
indistinguishable features.
Often spotted in doorways or dark
corners during episodes of paralysis, this
mythic being has inspired many aspects
of popular culture and is even believed to
have inspired horror films like Nightmare
on Elm Street. While many people do
believe in the legend of The Man in
the Hat, there seems to be equally as
many people who put it down to people
getting caught up in the legend and being
influenced by the creepy tales.
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Sleep Paralysis in the Media
While it is well documented in the media that
many celebrities suffer from various sleep
disorders, there are very few accounts of
celebrities discussing their struggles with sleep
paralysis. However, in 2016 Kendal Jenner
openly discussed her personal experience
with the condition on Keeping Up With The
Kardashians. Claiming that she ‘wakes up in the
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middle of the night and can’t move’, her mum
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Magazin (CC BY 3 .0) -
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Kris Jenner put it down to her anxiety.
A few months later, singer Zara Larsson
discussed her terrifying experiences with the
BBC, having first opened up to her Swedish
fans two years prior. Explaining that she finds
she suffers from sleep paralysis when she is
feeling stressed or busy with work, the singer
claimed that afterwards, unusually, she feels
filled with a positivity and an overwhelming
sense of wellbeing. Ph
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Higuchi (CC BY 2.0)

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