Background

What are sleep paralysis dreams about?

Sleep paralysis is something that occurs when the brain doesn't fully disengage from sleep when it wakes up. While you are asleep and dreaming, your brain paralyzes your body so you don't act out your dreams. Sometimes different parts of the brain wake up at different times, leaving you with the feeling of not being able to move. It can feel scary. The DreamWell Dream Dictionary is based upon insights from 1,200 dream symbols in over 200,000 dreams. Let’s see what the data has to say about sleep paralysis dreams.

The word cloud above shows the words that are specifically associated with sleep paralysis dreams. These are the words that make sleep paralysis dreams unique compared to all other dream symbols. Just examining the graph and reading the words of sleep paralysis dreams can be illuminating about show sleep paralysis affect our dreams. Be sure to check out the example sleep paralysis dreams at the bottom of the page.

The circular bar chart above shows how sleep paralysis in a dream will affect dream content as compared to other dream symbols. Higher bars indicate that sleep paralysis is more related to the specific symbol in the graph. Lower bars indicate that sleep paralysis is less related to the specific symbol in the graph. Specifically, sleep paralysis dreams have more lucid dreams than 99.5% of dream symbols, more nightmares than 98.9% of dream symbols, and more fear than 98.3% of dream symbols. On the other hand, sleep paralysis dreams have less human-made places than 99.2% of dream symbols, less transportation than 97.2% of dream symbols, and less unnamed people than 96.5% of dream symbols. Notably, sleep paralysis dreams might be nightmares! Though even if these dreams are nightmares, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are bad dreams or that sleep paralysis is a bad thing to dream about. It just means that dreams of sleep paralysis are more likely to be nightmares than dreams of other things. Additionally, dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to lucid dreaming than all other dream symbols. Lucid dreams are dreams in which you are aware that you are dreaming. Of course, not all dreams of sleep paralysis are lucid dreams. But dreams of sleep paralysis are more related to lucid dreams than 90% of all other dream symbols. So, the next time you dream of sleep paralysis, see if you can be aware that you are dreaming! Also, dreams of sleep paralysis lack characters. Sleep paralysis dreams contain less characters than 90% of all other dream symbols. This is notable because dreams help us make sense of our social relationships. Dreams almost always contain characters. The lack of characters in sleep paralysis might mean something. Furthermore, dreams of sleep paralysis are auditory! They focus on sounds and hearing. Dreaming is primarily a visual medium. We see in our dreams, but hearing is less dominant. It is interesting to explore why sleep paralysis in dreams could be related to hearing. Finally, dreams of sleep paralysis are usually described as bad dreams. This does not necessarily mean that all sleep paralysis dreams are bad. It is just that dreaming of sleep paralysis might increase the chance that it is a bad dream. Every dream is unique. These are general patterns observed in an analysis of over 200,000 dreams. This analysis is a tool to help you make sense of your dreams. It is best to look at the differences. See how your dream of sleep paralysis is different than dreams of sleep paralysis in general.

2.9%

of dreams have sleep paralysis

How common are sleep paralysis dreams?

2.9% of dreams have the sleep paralysis symbol within the dream. That's about 1 out of every 35 dreams. Considering all the dream symbols, it is relatively common.

Identification

How are sleep paralysis dreams identified?

This symbol is identified by words like paralysis, unable to move, couldn't move, etc. This symbol is part of summary dream symbols events, dream events, and exotic dreams.

Most related

What is most related to dreams of sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis dreams are notable because they have substantially more sleeping, health events, Hatman, trying to scream, couldn't open eyes, opened my eyes, nightmare loops, Dobby, loss of speech, calluses, verbs than 95% of other dream symbols.

Least related

What symbols least related to dreams of sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis dreams are notable because they have substantially less antelopes, uteruses, fingerprints, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Aquaman, Yoda, R2-D2, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo than 95% of other dream symbols.

Deep dive into sleep paralysis dreams

Get an overview of characters, emotions, places, events, dream events, and senses in sleep paralysis dreams.

Who is in dreams of sleep paralysis?

Who is in dreams of sleep paralysis?

Sleep paralysis dreams are more related to fantastic beings than dreams in general. They are less related to animals, less related to insects, and much less related to unnamed people.

less than usual
less than usual
much less than usual
more than usual
much less than usual
much less than usual
much less than usual
less than usual
What are the emotions in dreams of sleep paralysis?

What are the emotions in dreams of sleep paralysis?

Dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to fear than dreams in general. They are less related to happiness, much less related to sadness, and less related to grief and sorrow.

less than usual
much less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
much more than usual
the same as usual
less than usual
less than usual
much less than usual
Where do dreams of sleep paralysis take place?

Where do dreams of sleep paralysis take place?

Dreams of sleep paralysis are less related to home, much less related to work, and much less related to human-made places.

less than usual
much less than usual
much less than usual
much less than usual
much less than usual
less than usual
much less than usual
What happens in dreams of sleep paralysis?

What happens in dreams of sleep paralysis?

Dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to health events than dreams in general. They are less related to aggressive acts, less related to friendly acts, and less related to sex.

less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
much less than usual
less than usual
much more than usual
How do dreams of sleep paralysis related to the type of dream it is?

How do dreams of sleep paralysis related to the type of dream it is?

Dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to lucid dreams, much more related to nightmares, and more related to recurring dreams than dreams in general. They are less related to weird dreams, less related to vivid dreams, and less related to good dreams.

much more than usual
much more than usual
more than usual
much more than usual
much more than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
How do dreams of sleep paralysis related the senses?

How do dreams of sleep paralysis related the senses?

Dreams of sleep paralysis are much more related to hearing than dreams in general. They are less related to smelling and less related to taste.

much more than usual
less than usual
less than usual
the same as usual
the same as usual

How can you make sense of sleep paralysis in dreams?

Sleep paralysis dreams are relatively common. Among other things sleep paralysis dreams are nightmares, associated with lucid dreaming, lacking characters, focused on sounds, and bad dreams. Do you think this is true for your dream of sleep paralysis? How might your dream of sleep paralysis be different?

All dreams have meaning

All dreams have meaning

You can gain insight from thinking about any dream, no matter how strange. Only you, as the dreamer, have final say on what your dream may or may not mean. Each dream is unique.

Look for the differences

Look for the differences

The DreamWell dictionary provides information on how each dream symbol appears in dreams in general. Finding how experience sleep paralysis in dreams can be a key to understanding its meaning.

Return to the feelings

Return to the feelings

Our emotions in dreams can help us understand its meaning. Pay attention to how you felt in the dream. Pay attention to how you feel about sleep paralysis in dreams. See how you feel about sleep paralysis now, in your waking life.

An interpretation of sleep paralysis dreams

An interpretation of sleep paralysis dreams

This interpretation is from ""The Dream Interpretation Dictionary: Symbols, Signs, and Meanings" and is provided by J.M. DeBord aka "RadOwl". He is the author of several acclaimed books about dreaming, the host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast, and is a moderator of r/Dreams, one of the largest dream sharing communities on the internet. Sleep paralysis is a state of muscle paralysis while dreaming so that you don’t act out your dreams or harm yourself. Also known as REM atonia, it’s normal, and a source of much confusion and some of the most intense experiences a person can have. The experience of waking up paralyzed is terrifying enough, especially if you don’t understand what’s happening. Add to it the fact that dream imagery overlays what your open eyes are seeing—and the feeling of terror, and that your dreaming mind responds to feelings and other stimuli by producing symbolic imagery—and you have a recipe for what’s called a “waking nightmare.” Sleep paralysis is believed to be a source of reported experiences of alien abduction and demonic presence. That’s not to say that it explains all experiences of abduction or demons, but it can explain why there are so many reports of people being in bed asleep, waking up paralyzed and seeing creatures in the room. The person experiences fear and terror because he or she is paralyzed, confused, and afraid. The dreams translate the feelings into imagery of something frightening. For some people, aliens are frightening, perhaps their worst fear. Other people see shadowy figures, demons, or something along that line. It’s simply your dreaming mind translating the feelings of fear into related imagery. If you experience sleep paralysis, focus on your breathing. Breathe deeply. The extra oxygen will wake up your system, and knowing you can control at least one bodily process helps to lessen fear. Subjects have reported that a few deep breaths breaks their sleep paralysis and dispels the hallucinatory imagery. See also: Demons, Dream within a dream, Nightmares, Ufos, Weakness

Examples of dreams of sleep paralysis

Reading dreams is one of the best ways to understand dream symbols. Even though the DreamWell Dream Dictionary is based upon data, it is grounded in the experience of reading thousands upon thousands of dreams. We invite you to read examples of sleep paralysis dreams for yourself. These dreams are actual dreams people have had. As result, they may contain racist, sexist, violent, or otherwise offense language and imagery. This can be true even for sleep paralysis dreams. Read at your own risk.

DreamWell logo

Explore your own dreams.

Download the free DreamWell app to start journaling your dreams.

Download now