What are sleep demons? Plus, 7 tips to prevent them
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Learn more about hallucinations tied to sleep paralysis, also known as sleep demons. Explore their history, causes, and get tips on how to prevent and end them.
Have you ever woken in the middle of the night and felt a heaviness pressing down on your chest? Maybe it feels hard to breathe or you may even feel as though you can’t move. You may have also experienced seeing strange figures or even felt an eerie presence in your room at night, but when you go to move or shift positions, you’re unable to.
These unsettling experiences, among many others, are what can be known as “sleep demons.” Not only can they be terrifying and confusing, but they can lead to anxiety, especially at night, and other mental health issues that come with experiencing lack of sleep and even trauma.
But, what are sleep demons exactly? And what can you do to reduce or prevent them?
What are sleep demons?
Sleep demons are visions or hallucinations that occur during sleep paralysis, which is an experience where your body becomes frozen in-between sleep stages. While sleep paralysis itself is harmless and temporary, the experience can be frightening, especially when it’s combined with vivid hallucinations, and the feeling that it’ll never end.
Sleep demons aren’t actual creatures or spirits — they’re simply a part of the dreams that happen during REM sleep, when your brain temporarily paralyzes your body to keep you from acting out what your mind is seeing. If you become conscious while you’re still in this paralyzed state, it can trigger intense, dream-like hallucinations that can feel incredibly real.
In the past, people have thought this was caused by a “demon” or supernatural force, but sleep demons are just the product of your brain being confused and trying to make sense of the situation. The figures you see or the sensations you feel aren’t real, but, instead, a mix of your dream state and your waking state blending together.
A short history of sleep demons
People have experienced sleep demons for centuries, but before modern science explained the connection between REM sleep and paralysis, people from different cultures turned to folklore to make sense of their experiences.
In medieval Europe, people believed that “incubi” or “succubi” (male and female demons) would sit on their chest and drain their energy.
In Japan, the word “kanashibari” was used to mean being bound by a ghost.
In some African and Caribbean cultures, it was thought that evil spirits attack sleepers during the night.
Sleep demons vs. sleep paralysis demons
Essentially, sleep demons and sleep paralysis demons are the same thing. “Sleep demon” is more of a cultural or everyday way to describe the hallucinations tied to sleep paralysis, whereas “sleep paralysis demon” is just a more modern, scientific-sounding term.
Whatever you call them, the important thing to remember is that while the sensations might feel very real, they aren’t. They’re just hallucinations caused by a temporary mismatch between your brain and body as you transition between sleep and wakefulness.
Sleep paralysis, although scary in the moment, is harmless. It can’t hurt you, and it’s important to remember that, especially while you’re inside it.
Causes of sleep demons and hallucinations
Several factors can increase the likelihood of sleep paralysis demon episodes happening. And these triggers can build up over time. The more factors you have, the higher your chances of experiencing hallucinations.
Sleep deprivation: Not getting enough sleep can be one of the biggest triggers for sleep paralysis.
Irregular sleep schedules: Shift work or frequent changes in your sleep routine can disrupt your sleep cycles.
Sleeping on your back: This may be a factor because it’s easier for the airway to get partially blocked, which can cause restlessness that disturbs your sleep.
Stress and anxiety: High stress levels can make your sleep more restless, which can increase the chances of sleep paralysis.
Sleep disorders: Conditions like narcolepsy (a sleep disorder that causes sudden sleep attacks) have been closely linked to sleep paralysis.
Substance use: Alcohol, caffeine, or recreational drugs can make it harder for your brain to transition smoothly between sleep stages, so you may be more likely to wake during REM sleep.
Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Trauma can disturb sleep patterns and increase the likelihood of vivid, disturbing dreams. These might reflect fears and anxieties linked to past traumatic experiences.
How to end a sleep hallucination
If you’ve ever been stuck in a sleep paralysis episode, you know how frightening it can be. But the good news is that sleep paralysis is temporary, and you can find ways to help you break out of it faster.
Stay calm and remind yourself it’s not real: This might be the hardest part, but it’s also the most important because panicking can make the experience feel worse and last longer. While you’re experiencing a sleep hallucination, it can feel like you’re trapped or in danger, but try to remember that sleep paralysis is harmless. What you’re seeing or feeling isn’t real — they’re just tricks your brain is playing on you.
Focus on breathing: When you’re stuck in sleep paralysis, you might feel like you can’t breathe or that something is pressing on your chest. But, in reality, you can still breathe normally. Try to focus on taking slow, deep breaths. This can help you stay calm, return your breathing to normal, and distract your mind from the hallucinations.
Try to move small parts of your body: Even though your whole body feels frozen, you may be able to regain control by focusing on small movements. Start by trying to wiggle your fingers or toes. These small movements can help “wake up” your body and break you out of the paralysis.
Focus on making a sound: You may not be able to speak right away, but try making a small sound, like a hum, a grunt, or trying to clear your throat. This can help wake your body, and if you share a bed with someone, it might also get their attention and so they can help wake you up.
Change your focus to positive thoughts: It’s easy to get swept up in the fear and panic of sleep paralysis, but try to shift your focus to something comforting, like a peaceful memory or a happy thought. Reassure yourself that this is just a temporary experience to help reduce the fear and make the episode feel less intense.
Wait it out: Sometimes, no matter what you try, you just have to wait for the episode to pass. Sleep paralysis episodes typically only last a few seconds to a couple of minutes, even though they can feel much longer. Remind yourself you’ll be able to move again soon to help make those seconds feel a little less scary.
7 tips to prevent sleep hallucinations
Experiencing sleep paralysis with frightening hallucinations can leave you feeling anxious about falling asleep again. The good news is, you can take practical steps to help reduce the chances of it happening.
1. Get enough sleep
When you don’t get enough rest, your body struggles to go through the normal stages of sleep smoothly, increasing your risk of waking up during REM sleep — the stage where sleep paralysis occurs. Set a bedtime that allows you to get 7–9 hours of restful sleep and stick to it as much as possible. Here are nine tips to create an ideal bedtime routine, so you can get the sleep you need.
💙 Try our guided nighttime meditation, Soften into Sleep, which is a progressive muscle relaxation practice that can help you ease into bedtime and sleep more soundly.
2. Stick to a regular sleep schedule
Regulate your internal clock (also known as your circadian rhythm) by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day — even on weekends. This can help train your body to fall into a natural sleep cycle, making sleep disruptions like sleep paralysis less likely. If your schedule is feeling off, try these eight tips to get your sleep cycle back on track.
3. Manage your stress levels
When you’re stressed, your mind can be more restless, making it harder to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep. Add relaxation techniques into your daily routine to manage stress before bedtime. This might include deep breathing exercises, meditation, stretching, or writing down your thoughts in a journal to clear your mind, which can set you up for a more restful night’s sleep.
💙 Tune into the 7 Days of Managing Stress series and learn the tools you need to find relief to keep your stress levels at bay.
4. Avoid sleeping on your back
Try sleeping on your side as this may help reduce your chances of waking up in a paralyzed state. If you find you roll over during the night, place a pillow behind your back to help keep you in position.
5. Limit caffeine and alcohol
Caffeine can keep your brain alert and disrupt your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep, especially when you consume it later in the day. Alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, but it can actually lead to fragmented, less restful sleep, which can increase the chances of sleep paralysis. Limit your intake—particularly in the hours leading up to bedtime—to help improve your overall sleep quality.
6. Avoid using screens before bed
Blue light emitted from phones, tablets, and other screens can mess with your body’s natural production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. This can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep, increasing your risk of sleep paralysis.
To promote better sleep, put your devices away at least 30 minutes to an hour before bed, and read a book, listen to calming music, or relax with a meditation to help you wind down instead.
💙 Add The Daily Move’s Screen Off, Sleep On guided exercise to your nightly routine for support in replacing phone time with quality sleep time.
7. Treat any underlying sleep disorders
If you have an existing sleep disorder, like narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or insomnia, manage it as best you can to help reduce the likelihood of sleep paralysis. Talk to a healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment if you suspect you have a sleep disorder, or if sleep paralysis happens frequently.
Sleep demons FAQs
How often do people experience sleep paralysis?
Around 8% of people will experience sleep paralysis at least once in their lifetime. For most, it’s an occasional, isolated event. However, for others—especially those with sleep disorders like narcolepsy—it can happen more frequently.
If you’ve only experienced sleep paralysis once or twice, it’s likely nothing to worry about. But if it starts to happen more often, look into possible triggers like sleep deprivation or stress.
Can sleep demons harm you physically?
Sleep demons—or the hallucinations that come with sleep paralysis—can’t harm you physically. Even though the experience can feel very real and terrifying in the moment, sleep paralysis itself is completely harmless.
The pressure you might feel on your chest or the sensation of being unable to breathe is just your brain’s way of processing the temporary paralysis that happens during REM sleep.
It might feel like something bad is happening to you, but know that you’re safe — the episode will pass on its own in a few seconds, and you’ll regain full control of your body soon after.
Are sleep paralysis demons related to mental health disorders?
Sleep paralysis isn’t typically caused by mental health disorders and can happen to anyone, but people with anxiety, depression, or PTSD may be more prone to sleep disturbances — including sleep paralysis.
That’s because stress and mental health challenges can make your sleep more restless and increase the chances of waking up during REM sleep, which is when sleep paralysis occurs.
If you’re dealing with anxiety or depression, manage those conditions through therapy, medication, or stress-relief techniques, as this may help reduce episodes of sleep paralysis. Here are seven stress relief techniques to try.
Can sleep paralysis occur during naps?
While it’s more common at night, naps can also trigger episodes of sleep paralysis — especially if you’re sleep-deprived or have an irregular sleep schedule. Naps can sometimes cause your brain to go into REM sleep faster than during a full night’s sleep, which can increase the likelihood of waking up during that phase.
If you notice you experience sleep paralysis more often after napping, focus on getting better, more consistent sleep at night and cutting down on naps.
Are sleep demons linked to nightmares?
While sleep demons and nightmares both occur during sleep, they’re not quite the same thing.
Nightmares happen while you’re fully asleep and dreaming, and you usually wake up afterward.
Sleep demons are hallucinations that occur when you’re between sleep and wakefulness, specifically during REM sleep. Sleep paralysis can be scary because you feel awake but can’t move, which is very different from a nightmare where you’re still deep in a dream.
However, both can leave you feeling shaken or anxious afterward. If you frequently experience nightmares or sleep paralysis, work on your sleep habits to help reduce both these sleep disturbances.
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