True Life: I Had a Sleep Paralysis Demon. Here’s What It Felt Like

Maybe you’ve seen the meme: “This is my sleep paralysis demon: [insert photo].” The viral idea builds on a very real condition in which a person is conscious but unable to move. In some cases, people experiencing sleep paralysis have frightening and even recurring visions. Known as sleep paralysis demons, these terrors don’t haunt nightmares, but reality. Unfortunately for me, I had my very own sleep paralysis demon. The only problem (well, besides the bone-chilling looming presence in my bedroom)? I had no idea what it was until seven years later.

Dr. Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., is ŌURA’s resident sleep expert and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, division of sleep medicine. She’s the co-author of Sleep for Success!, and her medical expertise and insights have been cited in many publications, like The New York Times and The Huffington Post. She’s also made appearances on popular talk shows, from The Today Show to Live with Kelly and Ryan.

According to Robbins, “sleep paralysis refers to when a sleeper wakes from slumber but cannot move.” Per Stanford Medicine, it’s a normal part of REM (or rapid eye movement) sleep, which is defined by Cleveland Clinic as one of the two main stages of sleep important for memory, mood and emotions where there’s an increase of brain activity and, namely, vivid dreaming. “Some individuals who experience sleep paralysis also can experience hallucinations, some of which can be quite disturbing and take the form of scary figures, such as demons or monsters,” explains Robbins. In short: a living nightmare.

Considering this happens during one the deepest parts of your sleep, when your brain is highly active, it makes sense that it feels impossible to wake up and regain control of your movements. Normal sleepers can experience sleep paralysis, but Stanford Medicine reports that it’s quite common for those who are under increased stress, sleep deprived, consuming excessive alcohol or experiencing narcolepsy.

Experiencing three of the four major triggers outlined by Stanford Medicine (stress, sleep deprivation and binge-drinking alcohol), it was only a matter of time before I was haunted by the shadowy figure in my sleep. Let me set the scene: I was a 20-year-old sophomore living in mandatory on-campus housing the year I came face-to-face with my sleep paralysis demon. After a long day of classes covering dense readings I didn’t fully comprehend (or finish, for that matter), my anxiety from the workload and tight deadlines was snowballing like the tension in a Stephen King novel. But, like any good horror story, bad decisions were made. There was a FIJI house party calling my name (frat parties were my kryptonite and my unhealthy coping mechanism), and FOMO to this particular college student took priority over chronic sleep deprivation.

And although I was exhausted and overwhelmed with all my looming assignments, I figured a 30-minute nap would do that trick before the pregame—short enough to give me time to catch up on some of my work but long enough to give my brain a much-need refresh. The large sectional sofa in our living room seemed like a safe spot. My own bed was a dangerous option where’d I’d get too comfortable and sleep too long. Plus, our apartment’s heavy and creaky front door would easily wake me as soon as my roommates returned home. And so, I let my mind drift off.

I came to slowly, blinking at the ceiling. My sight was clouded but I could tell the sun had set; the blue glow from the emergency campus phones had taken its place. I heard a faint buzz coming from our gigantic, bulbed “EAT” sign in the kitchen, followed by the shuffling of feet, which I registered as my roommate’s. A large decorative pillow lay on my chest, blocking my face from her view. The weight of its stuffed polyester grew heavy, and suddenly, I felt the urge to shake it off before it crushed me. After a few groggy and dazed seconds, it began to register that I wasn’t getting up. My limbs were lead and my mouth was glued shut—and who was that black, ominous figure in the corner of the room?

There weren’t red eyes, sharp teeth or other characteristic monster features. Instead, the onyx shadow looming in my periphery lacked any physicality or human attributes, and this absence of things overwhelmed me with the most intense fear I’d ever known. But no matter how hard I tried to scream for my roommate to shake me or will myself to sit the hell up, nothing happened. I focused my vision on the ceiling, as if the longer I stared, the more my body would do as I wanted it to. I think the experience lasted no more than one minute, but that one minute felt like one hour. And like waking from a dream or nightmare, I transitioned out of the paralyzed state with a groggy and perplexed lack of understanding about it all.

Even though Harvard assures that an episode of sleep paralysis typically lasts for just a few seconds to minutes, you don’t want to experience one if you can help it—and that’s coming from someone who’s lived through it. Good news: There are a few ways you can prevent sleep paralysis (and the demon hallucination that may or may not tag along with it) from occurring, which I detail below.

• Improve your sleep hygiene to avoid sleep paralysis: According to a study in the Journal of Medical Science, Cureus, sleep irregularity or “insufficient sleep syndrome causes emotional disturbances and affects the brain's functions, the brain's structure, and the cardiovascular system.” ICYDK, there are a few things you shouldn’t do before bed if you want a better sleep, such as have that last glass of wine or doomscroll on TikTok. Robbins tells me that maintaining a stable sleep schedule is one of the most important things you can implement if you want to prevent a state of sleep paralysis from occurring. Additionally, falling asleep and waking up at the same time each day will also be extremely beneficial to your overall sleep hygiene and help you kick your bad bedtime habits.
• Manage your stress and anxiety before bed: Yes, you can even begin to practice smaller habits—like deep breathing, meditation and exercise—even before you go to sleep that will help you avoid sleep paralysis. Start by “creating a comfortable environment in your bedroom that is dark and quiet,” suggests Robbins. This will allow your body to fully relax. 
• Know when to seek professional help: “Sleep paralysis can be scary, but it is a rare and relatively non-worrisome condition,” assures Robbins. If you experience frequent episodes, aka recurrent sleep paralysis—as defined by Harvard Health Publishing, this might be related to narcolepsy. “If you experience recurring sleep paralysis, it is important to speak to your healthcare provider,” as they’ll be able to get to the root cause of it and plan a course of action on how to prevent future episodes.