Sleep paralysis is that fun little experience where you wake up in the middle of the night and realize, with absolute certainty, that you are both (1) fully conscious and (2) completely unable to move. This is usually accompanied by a looming sense of dread, sometimes punctuated by the sight of a shadowy figure standing in the corner of your room, slowly inching toward your helpless body like it just walked off the set of The Ring.
If this has happened to you, congratulations—you’ve involuntarily participated in one of the oldest horror shows in human history. If it hasn’t, don’t worry. Statistically speaking, you probably will.
What is Sleep Paralysis, Really?
Science (always the buzzkill) insists this is just your brain misfiring between sleep cycles. Normally, when you sleep, your brain puts your body into a temporary lockdown mode called atonia so you don’t physically act out your dreams and end up punching your nightstand because you think you’re boxing a kangaroo. Sleep paralysis happens when your mind wakes up, but your body is still stuck in atonia, leaving you in this weird purgatory where you can think but not move.
It’s essentially a biological glitch—a buffering error between consciousness and unconsciousness. And like all glitches, it makes people question the very nature of reality.
Why Does It Feel So Horrifying?
This is where things get interesting. A lot of people who experience sleep paralysis report feeling a presence in the room—sometimes a shadowy figure, sometimes a full-blown demon sitting on their chest like it’s claiming squatter’s rights.
Different cultures have tried to explain this in ways that predate neurological research. Medieval Europeans thought it was the work of a succubus (a demon that likes to terrorize people for fun and/or steal their energy). In Japan, it’s called kanashibari, a term meaning “bound in metal.” In Newfoundland, it’s blamed on an entity called “The Old Hag,” which sounds like a witch who might also be your neighbor that yells at kids for skateboarding.
But here’s the kicker (and yes, I know you hate that phrase): The “shadow person” or “demon” isn’t real in any meaningful sense. It’s a byproduct of your brain trying to make sense of the paralysis. Your mind is in full-on fight-or-flight mode, but your body won’t cooperate, so your brain fills in the gaps by making up a monster. And because humans have spent tens of thousands of years being terrified of predators lurking in the dark, our brains default to “yep, probably a demon.”
How Do You Escape It?
Great question. Unfortunately, the answer is: You mostly just have to wait it out. But there are some tricks people swear by:
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Wiggle a Toe or a Finger – This is the classic “break the spell” move. You start with small movements (like flexing a toe or blinking rapidly), and sometimes that’s enough to pull you out of the paralysis. It’s like tricking your body into waking up by proving to your brain that you’re still in charge.
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Control Your Breathing – If you focus on slow, controlled breaths instead of panicking, you’re less likely to spiral into full-on existential dread. It’s like treating your own horror movie as a meditative exercise.
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Try to Fall Back Asleep – Paradoxically, the fastest way out of sleep paralysis is often just giving in to it. Your brain will eventually reboot, and you’ll either wake up normally or transition into a (hopefully demon-free) dream state.
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Sleep on Your Side – This one is more of a prevention strategy. Most sleep paralysis happens when people are sleeping on their backs. Why? No one really knows, but rolling onto your side before falling asleep seems to reduce the chances of getting trapped in that nocturnal Twilight Zone episode.
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Create a Routine – Sleep paralysis tends to hit people who are sleep-deprived, stressed, or have irregular sleep schedules. In other words, if you live like a responsible adult, your chances of experiencing it drop significantly. But since most people don’t, it remains a fairly common occurrence.
The Bottom Line
Sleep paralysis is the closest thing most people will ever get to experiencing a supernatural event, and yet it’s just a result of our own brains betraying us in the dead of night. It’s terrifying, but it’s also strangely fascinating—like a haunted house you didn’t pay to enter.
So if you ever find yourself locked in place, staring at a shadowy figure in the corner of your bedroom, just remember: It’s not real. It’s just your mind playing tricks on you. And if that doesn’t help, well… try wiggling your toes.