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Original poster

Sleep paralysis/ sleep demons

155 replies

SleepDemons · 03/10/2023 20:46

Have you experienced sleep demons? (Sleep paralysis with hallucinations).
They visit you during that half asleep/ half awake state. Sometimes just as you're drifting off, sometimes as you're awakening.

Tell me about your experiences.

I've had all the visitors. The "old hag" who sits on your chest, the "dog demon" who's a scruffy little hound who comes into the bedroom through a little door in the wall.
I've had the "Slender Man" who is tall and thin and looms over your bed.
They are typically shadow beings with no features, just a dark empty silhouette. They occasionally speak, mine certainly do.

I also suffer PTSD. I believe the conditions are closely related.

The last sleep demon I experienced was a voice in the room with no visual element.
It was a voice calling my name that woke me up. The bastard voice was very frightening and pulled me out of my sleep much to my distress.

Sometimes the night time hallucinations coincide with stressful days but I also get them even if I've had a good day!

I'm interested to hear your sleep paralysis experiences.

OP posts:
PinkMoscatoLover · 03/10/2023 20:49

I haven’t had sleep paralysis for a good year and I’m hoping that won’t change.

Mine was awful. Absolutely awful. I had this dark shadow that would walk around my bed over and over again. It would stand by my feet and try to pull me from under the covers, it’d stand by my head watching over me. The worst was when it’d sit on my chest. I’d try to open my eyes, move around or scream and I was just there stuck every single time.

I have no clue why or what triggered it but my God it was awful. I’ve said this on another thread but I really wonder why so many of us that have sleep paralysis also see a dark evil figure. If anyone has any evidence as to why I’d love to read about it

Kewchoc · 03/10/2023 20:54

I haven't experienced this in years, literally since my early 20's and I'm now early 30's, but used to experience it frequently when I was going through a stressful time and also a bit of a drug problem. Similar to pp I've always been intrigued and would love to know more about it all and what it means. Mine was a similar thing each time and was a dark and scary demon sitting on my chest

Mmhmmn · 03/10/2023 20:55

God, that sounds absolutely awful OP. Do you not think some more therapy might be needed to work through what is underlying this? (Assuming you’ve had some given the ptsd diagnosis).

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Sleep Spooky & paranormal
SecretVictoria · 03/10/2023 20:57

Mine (which thankfully I’ve not had for a while) was like a brown, shrivelled demon that sat on my chest. I could feel something there. Also had hands in my mouth. It happens at times of extreme stress. I have also been drifting off to sleep and felt arms around me when there’s no one there.

I’ve read that many people see the same figures and have the same feelings. I have read that instead of trying to fight and wake up instantly, you should wiggle fingers or toes and make small movements as that will wake you up more comfortably.

Beecham · 03/10/2023 20:58

I grew out of it. Now in my 40s it hasn't happened for years. The triggers were extreme tiredness and lying on my front. I remember how absolutely real it felt.

Stade197 · 03/10/2023 21:03

I've just realised I haven't had sleep paralysis for a few years!

Mine was often a figure in the room or I'd be in the room and something bad would be happening to my family and I couldn't get to them, sometimes I'd feel like I was floating

I'd always know when I was in a paralysis and I'd be trying to yell and wake my partner up to get him to wake me up but he would wake up to me really quietly grunting to him or just breathing fast 😅 sometimes I could wake myself up by wiggling my toes but it would take a while to work

Elfidela1980 · 03/10/2023 21:03

it’s interesting to hear they’re related to trauma, OP, I have them, and had a traumatic childhood. Been getting them intermittently since a bad breakup over twenty years ago! Tend to happen when I’m massively stressed or when I stay in strange places (have woken my in-laws a couple of times with my screams, not at all embarrassing🤪). Mine are more like a dream where I dream I’ve been woken up by something standing over me/ coming in the room. I’m not always unable to move but the things I see can be vivid and scary to the point I’m quite afraid for a while after I’m awake. I had one recently where I don’t think I’ve ever been more frightened by any horror film. Amazing what the subconscious can cobble together to scare the shite out of us! Sorry this is happening to you, am watching the thread with interest.

NotaCoolMum · 03/10/2023 21:04

I’ve been opening my eyes and hallucinating at night. I’m aware that I’m not asleep but not fully awake either. I see difference things. I’ve seen bright flowers falling on top of me, spiders crawling on my wall, a few times I see somebody standing at the end of my bed. It doesn’t matter what I see- it is absolutely terrifying each time because it’s so vivid,

userxx · 03/10/2023 21:05

This has taken me back to when I was a child, it was terrifying, not happened in years but I vividly remember a dark force trying to control me.

Hippiechickie · 03/10/2023 21:06

I’ve never come across anyone else who has experienced this. It’s refreshing to hear of others talk about it. It’s such a horrid experience.

I tend to experience a large spider weaving a web beside the bed. When I try to move away or scream at it I just can’t and I panick. I often feel like I’m suffocating and start shouting for help but apparently no audible sound comes out. Hubby says I just sound very distressed. He knows now to wake me to bring me round which I’m very grateful.

I had it a lot in my 20s when I was very unhappy in a relationship, this went away almost immediately on leaving the relationship. It came back more recently during some stressful times so no doubt there is a link to the unconscious mind.

LittleBoPeepHasLostHerShit · 03/10/2023 21:17

It used to happen when I was younger and more stressed. It used to start with a buzzing sound in my ears and a vibrating feeling in my body. Then very heavy footsteps of some invisible being in the room, sometimes voices. I would be spinning round, getting tangled up in my bedsheets and finally pulled down onto the floor very quickly by the bedsheets, which would sometimes send me flying around the room. Then I realised I could turn this into a lucid dream where I would jump out the window and fly around. With the "being" I somehow managed to turn it into a sex dream. Like I would invite the "being" to have sex with me. That sounds crazy but for some reason it worked. When I stopped being scared of it, it stopped happening.

LittleBoPeepHasLostHerShit · 03/10/2023 21:19

Oh and of course "he" would come sit on top of me and that's how I started inviting it to kiss me, etc. But I would always keep my eyes closed because I didn't want to see it.

somothermother · 03/10/2023 21:25

@LittleBoPeepHasLostHerShit
I’m just picturing this really scary ghoul being all creepy, and then getting all embarrassed when you ask them if they fancy a shag HAHAHAHA!

I am so impressed by your subconscious control and power move! Talk about making lemonade out of lemons! 👏

somothermother · 03/10/2023 21:34

My dreams would bloody terrify me.
I would be lying in the bed and suddenly realise I couldn’t move a muscle, except whisper, and suddenly I’d look at the door and they would start coming towards me. Climbing over furniture and standing at the side of the bed. Climbing onto my chest and basically slamming my chest until I heard a loud crack and then I’d wake up sweating.

It always happens when I’m exhausted and stressed. The dreams would upset me so much. I find it so weird that so many people across the world, and through time, have had the same dream.

I was advised once to call your parents name in the dream or someone who you trust to help you. It worked. but if it ever happens again, I’m defs inviting them for a shag LOL!!!

Original poster
SleepDemons · 03/10/2023 21:36

I had this dark shadow that would walk around my bed over and over again. It would stand by my feet and try to pull me from under the covers, it’d stand by my head watching over me. The worst was when it’d sit on my chest.

This is very similar to my various night visitors

OP posts:
ChristmasKraken · 03/10/2023 21:38

NotaCoolMum · 03/10/2023 21:04

I’ve been opening my eyes and hallucinating at night. I’m aware that I’m not asleep but not fully awake either. I see difference things. I’ve seen bright flowers falling on top of me, spiders crawling on my wall, a few times I see somebody standing at the end of my bed. It doesn’t matter what I see- it is absolutely terrifying each time because it’s so vivid,

I used to have similar. Not experienced it for years now, but I used to be awake and convinced there were things flying over me or in the room. I regularly flung a pillow at them much to DHs surprise! Often I couldn't articulate what it was I saw/was afraid of, just the awful sensation of something.
I'd also have vivid awake dreams where the world had or was about to end, or I was dead. So very real, and I wouldn't wake up as such, just gradually recognise it wasn't real.

Original poster
SleepDemons · 03/10/2023 21:41

...Like I would invite the "being" to have sex with me. That sounds crazy but for some reason it worked.

This is fascinating.

A few of my sleep demons have had a sensuality about them which tricked me into waking up. They have stroked my thigh or neck for example, known erotic zones.

I would wake up in a state of arousal, so would "invite" the visitor into my consciousness. Only to be terrified shortly afterwards then be properly awake in a state of fear.

OP posts:
Sillybeagle · 03/10/2023 21:41

I had an awful experience of this when my son was a baby, the lack of sleep and exhaustion must have contributed ( he had bad colic/reflux). He used to take a nap about 11am and he would only sleep if I held him upright. One day I was doing this and unknown to me I dozed off, next thing I could hear whispers outside the window followed by the banging as people broke my door down. I could hear the men in the hallway talking about where to go next, what they were going to take etc.

I remember willing my eyes to open but it felt like a huge weight on my whole body and I couldn’t move . I then heard ‘them’ at the door to my room and heard the door handle turn and then…. I woke up-thank god! Never did I let myself doze off again, even if I had to pace the room. Makes me feel panicky even thinking about it

OneWildNightWithJBJ · 03/10/2023 21:47

I used to experience it a fair bit in my teens and twenties, but has been quite a few years now.

I used to feel someone sitting on my chest and I’d be screaming so loudly, but no sound would come out. I think the person was a woman, just completely in black. Never had a face.

Can’t think of anything majorly traumatic that may have caused it, but it was completely terrifying.

Roseandstar · 03/10/2023 21:56

Oh my gosh what am I ready this is horrendous you poor things …. Is this an actual
condition?

Original poster
SleepDemons · 03/10/2023 21:56

I remember willing my eyes to open but it felt like a huge weight on my whole body and I couldn’t move . I then heard ‘them’ at the door to my room and heard the door handle turn and then…. I woke up-thank god! Never did I let myself doze off again, even if I had to pace the room. Makes me feel panicky even thinking about it

Oh no! That sounds terrible, but No matter how bad your semi-sleep hallucinations are, you should never try depriving yourself of sleep.

OP posts:
6strings1song · 03/10/2023 21:58

I have only had true sleep paralysis a handful of times, but I do get what are called hypnopompic hallucinations. Basically where you still "hallucinate" dream images as you are waking up. So I will wake up (usually in the dead of night) and see something or someone in the room with me. I have seen my mum as clear as day standing in the room staring at me in bed, bizarrely not too terrifying but unsettling. I've seen my dsis seemingly standing on a chair and fiddling with the curtains. The most bizarre one was when I woke up and looked at dh, but he didn't look like dh at all....just some random bloke! I lay there panicking and freaking out until I "came round". Dh said I was just lying there staring at him in absolute terror. Usually as soon as I say something or gasp the hallucination fades and I "wake up" properly. I can be blinking and shaking my head and still be "seeing" it, until I properly snap out of it by saying something.

Thankfully I only see quite benign things, but there has been the odd giant spider. Apparently the opposite is something called hypnagogic hallucinations and they occur as you are falling asleep e.g. spinning or falling sensation.

Original poster
SleepDemons · 03/10/2023 22:01

I’d be screaming so loudly, but no sound would come out. I think the person was a woman, just completely in black. Never had a face.

That's the "old hag".

I'm absolutely fascinated that so many people have experienced the exact same thing.

OP posts:
LittleBoPeepHasLostHerShit · 03/10/2023 22:03

@somothermother I think maybe it started off with the "demon" having sex with me on one occasion and I decided to just enjoy it (because I know it's not real) and then I would try to make that happen every time. It always felt like I was placating the "demon" to some extent. Distracting it, so it couldn't do anything scary instead. It was not just purely pleasurable.

Come to him think of it, I was in a dead end relationship at the time and had really gone off my live-in boyfriend! Maybe I just fancied a shag with anyone but him. 😅

LittleBoPeepHasLostHerShit · 03/10/2023 22:08

@6strings1song Oh wow, I never knew that "hypnopompic hallucinations" had a name. I've had those too a few times but I thought that was also part of sleep paralysis.