Sleep paralysis is a temporary state where you’re unable to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. It happens when your body remains in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep — the stage where dreams occur — but your mind becomes awake.
During REM sleep, your brain paralyzes your muscles to prevent you from acting out dreams. In sleep paralysis, this paralysis sticks around even though you’re conscious. It can last a few seconds to a couple of minutes and often feels terrifying.
Common experiences during sleep paralysis include:
Feeling trapped — fully aware but unable to move or call for help.
Chest pressure — like something heavy is sitting on you, making it hard to breathe.
Hallucinations — seeing or sensing a shadowy figure, hearing strange noises, or feeling an evil presence.
Floating or out-of-body sensations — some report feeling like they’re drifting or watching themselves.
It’s more likely to happen if you’re sleep-deprived, stressed, sleeping on your back, or have irregular sleep patterns. Conditions like narcolepsy or anxiety can also increase the chances.
Though it feels disturbing, sleep paralysis itself isn’t harmful — but the fear it triggers is very real.
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What Is Sleep Paralysis?(Explained)