The man says he experiences the terrifying sleep disorder at least once a week
A chilling homemade video has revealed what sleep paralysis actually looks like from an outsider’s perspective.
If you’ve never experienced sleep paralysis, consider yourself lucky. It’s one of the most terrifying sleep disorders out there, so much so that there’s even a horror video game inspired by it.
Picture this: you’re lying in bed, awake and aware of your surroundings, but unable to move. You might see a shadowy figure looming over you or feel as if an invisible force is pressing down on your chest, making it hard to breathe. Sounds like a nightmare, right?
The Cleveland Clinic classifies sleep paralysis as a type of parasomnia, a disorder that disrupts sleep. Episodes can last anywhere from a few seconds to around 20 minutes, though they often feel much longer to those experiencing them.
It’s estimated that around 30 percent of people will go through sleep paralysis at least once in their lives. However, for some, it’s a recurring and distressing issue.
One such person is a Texas-based YouTuber who managed to record two of his episodes on camera. His footage has since gained massive attention online.
A depiction of what sleep paralysis can feel like
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Josh, the YouTuber in question, says he experiences sleep paralysis about once a week. In a 2017 video, he can be heard moaning and attempting to move, but his body remains frozen except for a few small twitches.
Concerned, a family member rushes into his room and gently tries to wake him while recording the unsettling scene.
In another clip, the person behind the camera can be heard saying: “Josh is in a sleeping paralysis state right now.”
“The best he could do is shake a bit like that and have a little moan and try to yell.”
Josh can be seen twitching in what appears to be a desperate attempt to break free from the paralysis. Eventually, he manages to wake up and immediately embraces his grandmother.
Opening up about his struggle, Josh told his 9,000 subscribers: “I have it very often and it’s very rare someone is able to get me out of it.”
The man’s eyes looked blurry when he was able to move again in another episode
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“If you also have SP, I’m sorry for what you have to go through. Also, don’t forget to hug your grandma.”
In a 2023 update, Josh shared that his sleep paralysis episodes have been happening for years. He documented a staggering 75 occurrences throughout 2022 alone, meaning he experienced an episode roughly once every four days.
“I am now 30 years old and I still suffer from sleep paralysis,” Josh wrote, before revealing: “I’ve had it since the first time I could remember at the age of five.”
“This video is not monetized and no, I didn’t ‘fake’ this for self attention.”
Responding to skeptics who accused him of faking the footage, he explained that his head movements during an episode would be impossible for him to replicate while fully awake.
Josh added: “I hope someday that there will be a cure.”
Josh isn’t alone in dealing with this unsettling condition. Photographer Nicholas Bruno has also battled sleep paralysis since childhood. To cope with his terrifying experiences, he has used his artistic skills to recreate his most haunting episodes in surreal, dreamlike images.
As the name suggests, sleep paralysis leaves a person completely unable to move, often occurring just as they are falling asleep or waking up. The body gets trapped between sleep stages, leading to a disturbing sensation of being paralyzed.
While this might sound scary enough on its own, what truly makes sleep paralysis horrifying are the hallucinations. Many sufferers report seeing shadowy figures lurking in their rooms or feeling an overwhelming pressure on their chest, as if something—or someone—is crushing them. No wonder it’s been the inspiration for countless horror stories.