sleep demon
Paralysis hallucination visitor
A sleep demon is a malevolent presence felt during sleep paralysis—the sensation of an evil entity in the room or pressing on the chest while the body cannot move.
The term captures both the folkloric explanation (demonic visitation) and the modern understanding (a hallucination accompanying disrupted sleep).
More loosely, sleep demon describes anything that disturbs rest: My sleep demon is checking my phone at 2 a.m.
- nightmareFrightening dream causing wakefulness
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
- incubusMale demon of sleep
- succubusFemale demon seducing sleepers
- old hagUgly elderly woman
can't move · night visitor · shadow · shadow figure · haunting · suffocating · night terror · apparition · darkness · choking · dread · visitation · mare · entity · hallucination · waking dream · weight · chest
- bogeymenbogeyman, bugaboo, bugbear, closet monster, monster under bed
- evil spiritsdevils, devil, fiends, fiend, evil spirits
- Sleep SpiritsSandman, Morpheus, Dream
sleep demonguardian angel
Protective spirit assigned individually
sandman · protective spirit · good fairy · dream guide · fairy godmother
sleep demonpeaceful sleep
Tranquil unconscious rest
sweet dreams · lucid dream · pleasant dreams · dreamless sleep · deep sleep
sleep, demon, sleeps, slept, sleeping, sleeper, sleepers, sleepy, sleepless