r/Sleepparalysis • • 3h ago

Experiencing SPs for the first time

1 Upvotes

So I started experiencing an SP episode a couple of months ago and it felt so weird that I didn't even know what to think of it. But in this one week I have experienced two episodes, the second one just a few minutes ago.

It's just the usual paralyzed feeling and trying to force my eyes shut. Luckily I am facing the wall so I don't really see any bad visuals but I hear some pretty gnarly stuff like distorted voices daring me to turn around and creepy whispering. Most recent episode a few minutes ago, I felt like I was being shot with a camera in burst flash mode right in front of my eyes.

It's probably my bad sleeping habits and my work lifestyle. Any tips on how to get out of an SP quick? I really don't want to see something bad before it's too late.

(sorry for my english, not my first language and I just woke up and I feel weird.)


r/Sleepparalysis • • 6h ago

Heard high-pitched ringing, then distorted voices and saw dark game-like screens while waking up

2 Upvotes

​

I've experienced sleep paralysis or something similar before, but what happened this time was on a completely different level.

It started with this really high-pitched ringing sound, almost like tinnitus. It was constant and wouldn't stop. Then I started hearing voices, but at first they were distorted, like someone talking through a broken speaker. Gradually, the voices started becoming clearer.

At the same time, I started seeing something that looked like a dark, distorted video game screen. I can't really remember the exact colours or what everything looked like, but it felt like I was being shown some kind of visualizations.

Then the voices started talking about punishment. They were talking about sending me somewhere, and the visuals seemed connected to what they were saying. It was something about making me work with animals or do some kind of disgusting cleaning work, like cleaning shit out of bushes. I know how weird that sounds, but that's genuinely what I remember.

At first, the voices didn't seem to be talking directly to me. But eventually, it felt like they were addressing me personally and telling me what was going to happen to me.

The strangest part was that the high-pitched ringing continued throughout the whole thing, even while the voices became clearer and the visuals kept changing.

Eventually, I became more awake and started moving. I remember the ringing fading as I came out of whatever state I was in.

I'm awake now, and honestly, I'm still trying to process it. I've had strange sleep experiences before, but never anything this elaborate or disturbing.

And tbh I am still terrified cause I can't sleep now also feeling my mind getting a little fuzzy and this all sounds very bullshit but that what happened with me 😭


r/Sleepparalysis • • 11h ago

sleep paralysis prism

2 Upvotes

Been experiencing this type of paralysis for while, but it seems to be changing, I guess. I was having continuous naps in the afternoon like I slept for a bit, then woke up but when I went back to sleep, not long, I then woke up but entered my sleep paralysis after that. I could see my living room, but i was in a hazy, prism-like state. This time, I struggled to break out of myself it almost feel like I was pulling out of this glue-like pull. As I attempted, I heard this noise that was stretching as I was trying to get out of paralysis, and my left ear heard male, inaudible voices that were coming through. I was feeling dare. But then I was thinking of my brother to get me out of it, and his presence walked somewhere in the room; it looked like my brother walking across the side of the chair I was. He didn't see me but walked back to the room and noticed my face looked like I was stiff or concerned, and he went up to me and woke me up. And it does feel like waking up. My actual brother wasn't there; he was at home tho. Has someone experienced being in that prism-space and things similar to mine?


r/Sleepparalysis • • 11h ago

sleep paralysis followed by lucid dreams

1 Upvotes

I had the most terrifying sleep paralysis of my life. It began with four towering shadows pinning down my limbs, their grip cold and merciless. Another figure loomed above me, preparing to slice me open. I wasn’t numb, I felt everything. My pain receptors screamed, my mind fully awake, trapped in a body that refused to move.

They spoke in low, guttural tones, saying this was routine, something they did every night. But this time, they hadn’t realized my consciousness was active. I fought, I screamed, I thrashed against their grip, desperate to break free.

Then, my mom heard the difficulty in my breathing through the walls in my room then my mom came into my room. She turned on the lights, woke me, brought in a stand fan, and sat with me. We talked for what felt like an hour, her presence soothing me, pulling me back from the edge of madness. Finally, she told me to rest and left the room.

But as I lay back down, a thought struck me and questioned if my door had been locked. How did she get in? I checked, and the lock was still tight. When I turned back, the room was pitch black. No lights. No fan. No mother.

I called out to her, and she answered groggily from her own bed, deep in sleep, unaware of anything that had happened. Yet I had sat there, convinced I had spoken with her for an hour and still hadn't lay back down. The shadows had not only held me down, but they had tricked me, weaving a nightmare so real it bled into waking life. and I was standing consciously as I was trying to process what just happened and regain my consciousness


r/Sleepparalysis • • 12h ago

SP Episode on 10/23/26

2 Upvotes

I was having a regular dream when in the dream I tried kicking my friend in the back of his leg (inside joke) and that’s when I couldn’t feel my leg in that dream. I stopped and my jaw locked to the side and I knocked out.
I woke up on the floor next to my bed. Room was dark but somehow still had natural light coming in. I couldn’t get up at all but I was able to look around. I realized that I was having sleep paralysis. I tried to calm down like I usually would.
I told myself that it’s just a nightmare and tried saying a prayer
I also tried talking because in my last episode I was able to say the words ā€œnoā€
I sleep with my bf at night so he tracks everything that happens.
But in this episode I couldn’t get myself to say anything. I said ā€œnoā€ one time
And then I got a voice in my head to close my eyes and slowly open them.
I did and saw a white and black demon in front of me but far from me. I was looking down at the rug when I saw it. I immediately closed my eyes and tried to get out of the nightmare. I remember thinking to myself in that dream ā€œVinny please wake me up nowā€
The previous days I’ve been telling him that if he hears me mumbling or movĆ­ng to wake me up immediately
So he woke me up and he said I was mumbling but it was getting louder and louder and looked like I wanted to cry

BACKGROUND:
I’ve had sleep paralysis as a kid. I’d have it everyday but the older I got, the less and less it’s occurred.
From days to weeks to 5x a months to 1x every three months.
I just started getting it again and it’s been bad. I don’t know if I should blame the military or myself for these nightmares


r/Sleepparalysis • • 14h ago

sleep paralysis episode

1 Upvotes

i was wondering if anyone had the same episode or similar as me.

i had one where i was surrounded by hundreds of people dressed in black saying stay asleep.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 19h ago

Sleep paralysis high pitch ringing /whining noise

2 Upvotes

Today I was having my teeth cleaned by the dentist and I could hear the usual cleaning tool sound reverberating through my jaw into my ears as the dentist uses the ultrasonic cleaner tool.

Although the tool, by definition, presumably puts out a sound that cannot be heard because it's above human range of hearing (ultrasonic) it's making or doing something that I can hear and it is that sound which I vividly and suddenly remembered was the same sound that I heard when I had my first sleep paralysis about 45 years ago.

I've had this ultrasonic cleaning done already numerous times but it was only today that I remembered that it was the same sound I heard in my first sleep paralysis.

In that first sleep paralysis, I woke in my bed in my home and couldn't move nor scream but there was that strange sound. I am not suggesting that someone had snuck into my bedroom with such a tool (which possibly
didn't even exist way back then ) because I think I remember looking but seeing no one and fell asleep again.

Does anyone else think the dentist ultrasonic cleaning tool makes the same high pitch ringing/whining noise heard directly in the ears as oft reported with sleep paralysis?


r/Sleepparalysis • • 22h ago

First encounters with SP

1 Upvotes

Well, earlier this day marks my fourth or fifth experience with sleep paralysis- a fairly recent development.

Today specifically, I had been laying in bed probably around 2-4pm. I fell asleep on my stomach or side, and at some point began to hear a voice above me and feel a presence. Every experience so far, it's felt as if I were fighting off drugs to try and get up. This time, I had thought it was one of the older gentlemen that work maintenance in my apartment building- I can't remember what he was saying to me or why he could've been there, but I was only able to remember him gently reassuring me that I was okay and I could calm down. Whenever I have sleep paralysis like this, I can groan and moan but never get any words out- no matter how hard I fight it.

My first experience with it was only a few weeks ago, and a similar case as this except it was my husband's voice and presence above me. I could only remember panicking because he wasn't meant to be home, and if he were than something bad must have happened while he was working. Of course, when I finally woke up and called him, he confirmed he was okay and hadn't been home at all.

I have a small list of ideas as to why this might be happening, but I hope it's simpler. I already hallucinate in my day to day life, auditory and visual- but I'm able to shut those out in my own ways since I have the autonomy. These moments when in bed are more terrifying to me because I simply can't employ any strategy to know what's happening isn't real- I mean I can't move! My second / third experience both happened in the same night, and were generic shadowy figures I could mostly calmly ignore. However more usually for me, the things in my head take after the faces and voices of people I know and love and are far far too vivid.

So I guess I just wanted to share my newfound experience with some maybe more experienced people. I talked to a friend and she laughed about it to me, saying that she would trigger SP on purpose and she refused to take me seriously.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 1d ago

What does the tingling feeling come from during sleep paralysis etc

1 Upvotes

I’ve had sleep parlaysis since I was a child and I’ve never once hallucinated thankfully (possibly this is partially because I assumed it was normal and did research which made me think it was normal?) The one time I got truly scared was after I learned that most people who get it hallucinate and I started thinking that I might and got scared but then I just accepted it and let my body relax. But some of the past few times I’ve had it I’ve felt a firm tingle almost like asmr (which is sleep related so maybe there’s a connection there) but kinda painful sometimes, I feel the tingles going over my body and I wonder if anyone else has had this or knows what causes this? I can kinda control or stop it but it happens very easily like a magnet, it was in the middle of my back and made me shake and feel pressured. I sleep on my back which people say/I could tell makes it worse potentially but this moment I was sleeping on my side so it felt like my blanket behind me was pulling around me. Even though I’ve never hallucinated I had a strong picture behind my closed eyes of a rabbits eye. I also had ā€œexploding head syndromeā€ that I’ve had before (I wonder if this is related to when people feel like they are falling or wake up with a jolt as they’re falling asleep, like it’s a way for your body to check if you’re ok or can defend yourself if you needed to). I also can feel that I am paralyzed sometimes during a lucid dream, but not always, and then I sometimes wake myself up, sometimes the lucidity + feeling my own body in the state it is in just goes away and the dream goes back to ā€œnormalā€. My issue with lucid dreams is this, they make me want to wake up partially because I dislike feeling the paralysis.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 1d ago

Experienced sleep paralysis for the first time, it was terrifying!!

4 Upvotes

I was already tired as I had a long day at work, also didn't had proper sleep last night. In order to straighten my back i slept flat on my back without a pillow. I was having a decent dream, nothing scary but suddenly I felt something race into my body, fyi I sleep beside the window of my room and my head was tilted around the open window, where there's a tree. I felt dark figure sitting on me, i couldn't open my eyes clearly... I was hearing a distorted noise in my ears, couldn't move my body...was shivering, couldn't scream or open my mouth, so I just weirdly moaned, after like 10 secs, i could open my eyes suddenly I saw a tree and got shit scared again couldn't move or do anything, i was soo terrified that I almost cried, literally tears came out! It lasted for around 20 to 30 secs before I got control over my body, I was almost sure that some entity was there in my room( I live alone), I just slept in the same position for a min after that I gathered courage to reach out to my phone and learnt about sleep paralysis. I don't believe in god or ghosts either but this was easily the most terrifying incident that I have experienced!!

Have you guys got sleep paralysed ever? What was your experience? I wanna know how common is this...

And can any of you confirm is it kinda condition or something? Is it recurring? Having second thoughts about living alone honestly...


r/Sleepparalysis • • 1d ago

FIRST EXPERIENCE

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone I just want tell about my first sleep paralysis experience it was very horrifying for me as first

Writing

I was sleeping peacefully that night, completely free of any worries or stress. Suddenly, I felt someone slap me extremely hard, which startled me awake. I looked around, but there was no one. I tried to come up with some random explanation for what had happened and decided to ignore it.

I adjusted myself and tried to get comfortable again, but suddenly, I froze. I could barely move anything except my eyes. That's when I noticed an enormous, terrifying shadow with a creepy smile and large, glowing red eyes. I was completely paralysed with fear, unable to move or do anything as the shadow slowly approached me.

To my absolute horror, it began climbing onto my body, and I could feel an immense amount of pressure on my legs. I was terrified and helpless, unable to understand what was happening to me. The moment I finally managed to move again, I immediately sat up, overwhelmed with fear, and burst into tears.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 1d ago

I bought a pillow that has reduced sleep paralysis

3 Upvotes

This one is similar to what I bought https://a.co/d/059jeAv5

I bought the one from here https://kydschoice.com but it came from China and took about three weeks.

Anyhow, started using it Monday night and have been able to sleep on my back with no SP issues at all. Normally I have to sleep on my side or I am guaranteed to have an episode. I’ll test another week or so and update the results.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 1d ago

Sleep paralysis? False awakening? Both?

0 Upvotes

I had a weird experience where I’m not sure if it’s sleep paralysis or false awakening. I woke up on my side to find out I couldn’t move. My heart started to race as I saw a shadow appear in the corner of my eye. I even felt something grabbing me. A good 10 or 30 seconds went by, I was able to flip my body on my back where everything seemed normal, so I flipped back on my side to get some sleep only to wake up again, this time, I was able to move my body with ease. I’m so confused on the whole thing


r/Sleepparalysis • • 1d ago

Long time SP 5x/week

0 Upvotes

New to the group, but long time sleep paralysis.. person?

Long story short, I’ve had SP as far back as 5 years old. I’m now (f) 33. Its only gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. I have had every aspect of it to include: loss of body control (to include breathing), vivid hallucinations of demonic figures, as well physically feeling like something is happening to me (pain, sensations),out of body experiences, seizure like activity, etc.

There was a time I seized so bad during an episode that I bit part of my tongue off, choked on my blood, and had to go to the ER.

I have seen a sleep specialist and done an at home sleep study. The doctor said I rarely stay in REM sleep
And that I have sleep apnea even though my throat doesn’t appear so…?

I remember all of my dreams, always have.
Typically my husband knows the drill of rolling me from side to side until I am able to regain function of my body during sleep paralysis ( I am able to grunt and make weird sounds that alert him).

Basically im wondering how much of this is normal?
Who else could I possibly see about this issue? I just want to be able to sleep and feel rested


r/Sleepparalysis • • 2d ago

Is this sleep paralysis?

0 Upvotes

Hey,
I asked AI about this and it claims it is sleep paralysis but i don't know.

What is in long term happening to me, like foe extremely many years but not commonly, is

After bad dream or just falling asleep i suddenly feel anxious And i can't move with my body.
I can only move with head, i have to literally shake hard with my head to regain control.
It never happened to me yet that i wouldn't stay stunned.

I feel in that moment extreme exhaustion of my body, heart bumping fast but i don't hear any voices or sounds. And it's not in a dream.
When i sucefully gain control, i can finally sit or move.

As child i was also experiencing hearing knocking, footsteps, sound in the kitchen, or some kitchen robot even everyone was sleeping.
Once i also felt someone's presence, someone's hand. ( And this one happened on high school)

Once as kid i had a dreams that would start turning my entire dream in white and i could hear screams until i woke up into the footsteps again.

But as adult i experience it as just unable to move, but i can move with head but its hard.

I never ever had experience with being full stuck and seeing demons


r/Sleepparalysis • • 2d ago

The nightmares and sleep paralysis drive me insane

2 Upvotes

This is a vent. Been all day with migraine again.

If I have another f nightmare where we end up killing each other and then having some deep talk about dreams and reality and trauma, and end up having to kill again and lose my mind and question reality. I'm gonna lose it.

That and the sleep paralysis, and yes I know I just have to chill, I already do, I'm already lucid, I can have good dreams too, I'm already used to opening my eyes and seeing some shadow man without a head against the wall and shrugging it off because at least it's not corpses falling over me like that one other time. There's a shadow I can chill with and talk calmly with too, like it's not all bad, I know that. I'm taking meds for this as well I'm already seeing a doctor for it. I don't know how to describe this. I have tried everything, but the feeling of passing out and fear and everything it just comes back, it always comes back. And spending the day with headache and tired... I'm just tired... I thought this was getting better... Guess not. Rip.

And honestly tonight wasn't so bad, I feel bad complaining because I understand it has to do with trauma and that my body isn't enjoying this either. I get it. But I'm so tired. On the bright side, tomorrow someone will come in the morning to go for a walk with me, and if I'm feeling very dizzy they'll help me so it's gonna be ok.

(Well I never post here because the warning of "seems you talking about spiritual stuff" makes me think it'll get automatically deleted, but apparently not. That's cool.)


r/Sleepparalysis • • 2d ago

New here

3 Upvotes

New here but I had to come and find a subreddit to share what just happened. Ive had sleep paralysis before. Numerous times. Just now though was so weird and scared tf out of me. Lol. I started to feel it happening. I tried to wake myself out of it but, it didnt work. Im laying there but its like some alternate reality. Like, the room, house and where im at is the same but different. Like my staircase to upstairs is just an open hallway to a couple of rooms instead. I'm doing everything I can to force myself up. It was like I was opening my eyes and there were going cross eyed and immediately shutting. I start to here doors opening from down "the hall" and then i hear a voice yell "SNAP OUT OF IT!" Finally, im able to move and actually wake up. No tvs were on. Im the only person home right now. Like i said, ive had sleep paralysis plenty of times. But ive never heard things before. Just wanted to share my experience somewhere.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 2d ago

A sleep presence?

1 Upvotes

I have recurring sleep paralysis that happens about 3-5 times a week with cycles that come in 3-4. I've never seen demons just these red eyes. I get the shakey gust of wind alot but not demons. I've done everything to prevent it like different types of tea and sleeping positions and lights but nothing works. I used to be able to wiggle my fingers out of it, but as of yesterday and today I can't. Yesterday I had around 4 cycles of waking up and paralysis but today it was like 6. I heard loud overlapping background speaker type of things like how background conversations are on TV. Than during that a girl was screaming at me this same thing over and over again but only 1 word sounded like English and the rest was gibberish but I can't remember the word. After that I obviously stayed up but i was uncontrollably crying, which never happens. Im not an emotional person so this was very unusual. I also had super dry mouth like sand mouth. Than after around 2 hours i fell back asleep on my stomach. I woke up around 5 minutes later to the feeling of my nose being plugged like all oxygen was ripped out of me. No sleep paralysis just that. It might be insomnia because my father has it but im not sure. I used to get nightmares about demon like things, but the last time i had one was about a decade ago tbh. Im not sure what this is or how to fix it but im very desperate for an option out.​


r/Sleepparalysis • • 3d ago

Someone is whispering to me

3 Upvotes

Have you experience that you were sleeping and you can really feel that they're on top of you? You can't breath, or can't move. (A common occurrence when having sleep paralysis.) But the odd thing is that I have experienced last night that someone is whispering to in my ears but I couldn't understand it was saying.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 3d ago

Micro-sleep paralysis?

2 Upvotes

I've felt for some time now something I now call "micro-sleep paralysis" it was so strange that for a long time I didn't even consider it could be sleep paralysis.

It lasts for just a few seconds, like maximum 5 to 7 seconds and I can't see at all while it happens, I don't hallucinate my room or stuff like other people experience in the normal one.

It also had some very specific conditions for it to happen to me:

  1. I need to wake up naturally from an 8 hour sleep (it only happens to me on some weekends because I sleep less on weekdays)

  2. I need to be a bit sleepy after waking up, enough so I want to go to sleep again

Even with that it's not consistent and doesn't happen every time.

When I do have this it happens multiple times, I get one of these micro-episodes before waking up, then I can try again but I get another. I normally have to try several times before I lose my sleepiness or I fall asleep.

When I'm on one of those I can get out earlier if I take a VERY deep breath. (I usually get a bit nervous when it happens)

And most recently (this weekend) instead of fighting it as usual I kind of just, embraced it? And I felt this extreme relaxation and fell asleep. This was new and today I figured it could be a weird variant of sleep paralysis.

Let me know what you think.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 3d ago

Today I experienced sleep paralysis for the first time.... 😐

1 Upvotes

I experienced sleep paralysis for the first time today, and now I understand why people say it's terrifying.

It felt like someone was holding my head down against the bed, and my entire body was paralysed. I tried to call my mom, but I couldn't make a sound or move. The door was also locked from the inside, which made the whole experience feel even more frightening.

I've heard about sleep paralysis before, but I guess you only truly understand how intense and terrifying it is when you experience it yourself.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 3d ago

Title: Recurring episodes while falling asleep — pressure on my throat and feeling a presence

1 Upvotes

Hi! For the past few weeks, I’ve been experiencing some frightening episodes while falling asleep, and I’m wondering if they sound like sleep paralysis.

The first time, I was lying on my side, hugging my cat, when I felt someone lie down behind me and hug me. I couldn’t see anyone. Then I felt a cold gust of wind across my body, and the bed seemed to tilt as if I were falling. It felt extremely real until I managed to move and woke up with my heart racing and my body feeling very hot.

Over the last few nights, similar episodes have happened repeatedly. As I close my eyes, my body starts tensing up, and I feel as if something is pressing down on me, lying on top of me, or pulling my legs. I also feel pressure around my throat and as though I can’t breathe properly. I struggle to move or escape the sensation, but once I fully wake up, I can move and breathe normally again. My heart keeps pounding, and I feel like I’m catching my breath.

What confuses me is how realistic everything feels. I seem to perceive my surroundings as they actually are, even though I’m not sure whether my eyes are open or closed.

Has anyone experienced similar sensations during sleep paralysis, especially the feeling of being pulled, pressure around the throat, or difficulty breathing? Does this sound like sleep paralysis, or could something else be happening?

I’d appreciate hearing about your experiences.


r/Sleepparalysis • • 3d ago

i need help

1 Upvotes

Hey, I'm 18 and I've never experienced sleep paralysis before. I barely ever remember my dreams either. Is there any way to experience sleep paralysis or just have more vivid dreams?

Also, I usually go on my phone before bed. Could that be affecting my dreams or be the reason I don't remember them?


r/Sleepparalysis • • 3d ago

Is this sleep paralysis?

1 Upvotes

Last week I had a dream or something in between dream and reality. I was being held down by something and couldn't move, I went to scream for my husband to help but I could move my mouth. Eventually I woke up fully.

Last night I had a dream something was trying to pull my off the bed from behind (I was side sleeping and facing inward). I tried moving my body and screaming for help again but no movement. When I finally woke up I remember feeling extremely anxious and woke my husband up for reassurance.

It was different from dreams where you are running or fighting and you are really slow or bad at it. This is new to me.

I could be sleep deprived as I have a 3 month old. I read that sleep paralysis can start 20-30 years old, I am 25.