A Guide to Sleep Demons

The parasomnia, sleep paralysis, affects its victims in many different ways. Most common, are visual hallucinations that can be quite horrifying. The dark creatures seen in these episodes are referred to as sleep demons, and there are many.

Let's go over the common sleep demons one may encounter: 

1. The Hag

String like, brittle white hair brushing your face, belonging to a nasty creature literally sitting on your chest. The old woman has severely bad posture as it's hunched up, creating a ball of weight onto your rib-cage. Most people are able to feel the crushing weight of this demon, having enough power to leave them gasping for air. The Hag simply wishes for you to writhe under it in pure discomfort. The Hag is a creature that has been seen repeatedly over centuries and originates in Newfoundland. 

2. The Hat Man

Shadow people are unfortunately also common to see during sleep paralysis, and the Hat Man is quite infamous. The Hat Man is clearly a powerful being, with it's grand stance and stare that seemingly lasers into you. When you see it, you will only be able to make out the humanoid outline, and while you can feel its stare, you won't be able to pinpoint any of it's facial features. Interestingly, many people are still able to fill in the blanks and determine that he wears a kind of fedora and a suit jacket or trench coat. Like the Hag, the Hat Man has "stalked human beings throughout history, not merely within a particular society or during a specific time," according to Shelley Adler in Sleep Paralysis: Night-mares, Nocebos, and the Mind-Body Connection. Furthermore, there is a multitude of reports covering experiences with the Hat Man, which I advise should not be read at night.

The Nightmare, Henry Fuseli	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shadowman-3.jpg

3. The one with the Hood

Straight out of a classic horror movie, a shadow-man wearing a hood watches from a far...or very up close in your personal bubble. The Hooded shadow is similar to the Hat Man in that its presence is extremely ominous, but not necessarily harmful. Although, a characteristic of this figure is its radiating rage and hatred as it glares at its victims. Feelings of despair and helplessness seem to be the purposes in which the hooded figure desires to take advantage of, thriving off of negativity. 

4. Shape-shifter

This creature can take the form of your friend, family lover, partner, etc. Charmingly, this sleep demon will take form of someone you know in order to gain some sort of satisfaction. However, some red flags that you will be able to spot is its dialect, tone, and some sort of physical feature. The shape-shifter may resemble someone you know, but a gut wrenching feeling will be able to alert you that something is very wrong. When the creature speaks, it is said that a deep, otherworldly tone is heard and that its language is best described as some sort of German dialect. 

5. Mr.Incubus and Ms.Succubus 

These demons may be pleasing to the eye, but what they get out of you isn't pretty. An incubus is a demon radiating masculine energy while a succubus takes on a feminine disguise. These creatures will attempt to engage sexual activity on their sleepless humans with the desire of draining energy out of them. People who experience the succubus or incubus, have reported feeling the sensation of touch and feeling vibration all over their bodies- mostly prominent in the genital areas. Psychologists have worked to uncover such phenomena, and have even researched several unusual cases linking such activity to mental illness and deeply rooted desires. 

Pietà, Hippolyte Flandrin

6. La Pesanta 

This Spanish legend covers a demonic animal, usually taking the form of a large dog or cat with glowing red eyes. While Spain describes this nightmarish hound to break into people's homes and jump on people's chests (similar to the Hag), general encounters seem to be less extreme. These spirit animals may appear next to you, and will either remain in place or attempt to attack. 

7. The one barely out of reach

How strong is your peripheral vision? A presence sits beside you as you tremble and twitch under the pain of sleep paralysis. It doesn't move, and you hope it's just a pile of clothes you haven't put away, but hope can only do so much. This category of sleep demon tends to go along the lines of orbs and dynamic movement. Invisible or not, the mass will be jumbled together and float along your environment.

8. Creepy Crawler 

Four limbs, maybe more, race towards you with inhuman speed. The creature in this tale is known for its strange proportions; stretched out limbs with joints. This entity is encouraged by fear, and tends to get closer with every blink of the eye. 

9. Attacker

The attacker is just another shadow-man with a prop. Some may be holding a knife and wait for you to open your eyes so they can give you a bone-chilling wake-up call. Others may use their long claws against you, pinning you further down into your bed as you twitch and tremble. Several reports have had a similar experience in which a creature looms over the bed and begins to strangle them. What ever form this entity takes, it is a malevolent force that only wishes you harm. 

10. The one that speaks

This conversationalist is characterized by a deep voice that loves to taunt its victims. Think of this nonhuman tormentor as your worst enemy as it will verbally tear you down through belittlement and manipulation. Unfortunately, these demons don't just appear in sleep, as they are a reality for those diagnosed with severe schizophrenia. 

If you have encountered any of these beings during a sleep paralysis episode, note that you aren't alone! 

Comment down below which you have seen, and if there are more not mentioned! Stay safe, and please, whatever you do- do not open your eyes.