The Nightmare: Sleep paralysis documentary reveals terrifying phenomenon suffered by a third of Britons

A new docu-film, The Nightmare hopes to wake up Britain to the terror of sleep paralysis

Shadow beings: a scene from The Nightmare. Sleep paralysis can spark hallucinations

13 October 2015

The creators of a documentary about sleep paralysis say they want to raise awareness of the terrifying phenomenon and reassure sufferers that “they are not alone”.

The Nightmare, directed by Rodney Ascher, looks at the stories of several individuals with sleep paralysis.

Sufferers find themselves awake but unable to move or react. While temporarily paralysed, many experience a sense of someone else being in the room. Vivid hallucinations of shadow-like people, aliens and other figures are common. The experience is only broken when the sufferer is moved or shocked out of the paralysis.

Scientists believe the phenomenon occurs when the mechanism that causes your muscles to relax during sleep persists after waking up.

Lifetime sufferer Carla MacKinnon, 34, said: “The first time it happened, as a teenager, I awoke and felt like I was buried alive under the sand at the bottom of the sea. Later I’d wake and feel there was a shadow-like figure in the room with me. In all the experiences was an overwhelming sense of terror.

“Now I’ve learned to manage the condition better and have it less often. I found it was a lot to do with good sleeping habits and managing stress.” The animator, from Finchley, has created a short film as part of another awareness campaign, the Sleep Paralysis Project. The condition is far more common than originally suspected, according to recent research backed by scientists at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Thirty per cent of Britons have experienced it at least once. Londoners, women and people aged 15 to 24 are more likely to be sufferers.

Mr Ascher, who has experienced it on several occasions and appears in the film, said one main motivation for the work was “raising awareness” so sufferers “knew they were not alone”.

He added: “Many people think they are going mad. But that’s not the case. It is a scientific thing.”

Professor Christopher French, of the anomalistic psychology research unit at Goldsmiths, said: “There is no cure, we’re desperate to fund a PhD student to do research. Films like this could help us get funding, but more vitally help sufferers who feel isolated by this distressing condition.”

@LizzieEdmo

The Nightmare is in cinemas now and available on DVD from October 26.

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