Ever felt awake in your sleep? Unable to move, or even cry for help? Almost like you’re paralyzed? Looks like you have sleep paralysis! 7.6% people will experience this in their lifetime. It can really be a terrifying experience.

Sleep paralysis is the feeling of being conscious, yet unable to move. It usually lasts a few seconds or minutes. Sometimes people even hear voices, and feel the sense of someone choking them.  As scary as it sounds it’s not considered a dangerous health problem. MD Clete Kushidsa states, “It’s not a serious thing, but it can be disturbing. It’s just simply a sign that your body isn’t moving smoothly through the stages of sleep.”

Ways to treat this is to avoid lying on your back. Also, get as much sleep as possible. Nappers and individuals with stress or anxiety are more prone to experiencing sleep paralysis.  Many people who have discussed their encounter with this happening have said, “You feel a weight on your chest, pressing you down, preventing you from sitting up”, or something very similar to that.

Not only is there a scientific explanation, but a mythological one as well. Some people believe the real story behind sleep paralysis is there are demons sitting on your chest, trying to get to you. Kind of like an exorcism.  Whatever the explanation for this is, it’s a chilling thing to undergo.