15 People On Their Experience With The ‘Sleep Paralysis Demon’

By Chrissy Stockton,
If you’ve ever woken up and been unable to move and/or seen some kind of dark figure in your room you’ve probably consulted Dr. Google and learned about sleep paralysis and “witch hag syndrome.” Although, if there really was a demon that attacks you in your sleep, a really great cover would be to convince the general public that it’s all in their heads… Here’s some true stories of people posted on Ask Reddit. Decide for yourself if you believe.
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Shutterstock

1. “Something whispered in my ear.“

I’ve never had any visual encounters but when it happened the first time I was laying on my left side and started to feel that pressure on my chest. When I realized I was paralyzed and started panicking, something whispered in my ear “Just coming in to say goodnight.” That’s when I felt like something was pushing me towards the edge of my bed. Terrifying shit.

2. Cats, penguins, and a shadownman, oh my!

I’ve had 3 sleep paralysis events in my life

I saw a cat sized shadow creature at the base of my bed and it slowly crawled up on to my sheets and finally upto my chest. I felt uncomfortable.

Another time I saw a shadow-man walking around my room, disappearing behind my open door. This was the scariest one I’ve had so far.

This one was the best. I saw a couple of surreal looking penguins walking around my bedroom. It was amusing and funny.

3. It takes extreme effort to wake up.

I get this on a regular basis, but mostly when I nap, not when I go to sleep for the night. I have never experienced the “demon”, but the experience is terrifying. I can see everything (or at least it seems like I can) but I am unable to move. It feels like if I don’t make every effort to move I will be stuck like that forever. I usually have to start by wiggling a toe, or a finger, and then keep that momentum going until I fully wake. It takes an extreme amount of effort and if I don’t keep the effort constant, I have to start all over again.

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Chrissy Stockton

Chrissy Stockton

Chrissy is the author of What I Didn't Post On Instagram and a poetry book, We Are All Just A Collection of Cords.

I asked women to be honest about their Instagram photos

I asked women to be honest about their Instagram photos

“The essays in this book are short and sweet, and incredible. Love love loved this.” — Alex

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This is the reality of Instagram...

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