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12 Years Old, Can't Sleep Due To Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis

by Jasmine
(Australia)

I'm only 12, just turned, and every day I just can't sleep in my own bed or really any bed. I stay up to about 3 am and I feel so restless but I still don't go to sleep anyway.


It's because earlier on my Mother and I went on the computer to see why I cant sleep because what's been happening is I've been having nightmares about ghost people coming out of graves and so on. I haven't for a long time had good dreams and sometimes my body completely freezes I can't move anything, and then I see shadows in my head and I hear voices but not very often.

So anyway my Mum and I were on the computer and looked up why my body was freezing like that and we discovered that I had sleeping paralysis. But after that I keep having visions and chills and mostly stayed up at 3 am or more so my mom offered for me to sleep in her bed for a few days while my dad's gone. So we sleep together but I still don't sleep at all till midnight.

So if u can help me cause I've had since I was 6 or 8 but still please if u can give me some answers it might be easy for me to sleep and my mum got me a worry doll to help me but still if u can help thank you.

Comments for 12 Years Old, Can't Sleep Due To Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis

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Oct 27, 2014
 Coping With Sleep Paralysis And Shifting Your Delayed Sleep Phase
by: Kevin

Hi Jasmine, Thanks for sharing your story. I'm so glad you and your Mom found out it was sleep paralysis that you are experiencing, which many other people experience as well. A helpful book that discusses ways in which you can avoid and cope with sleep paralysis and nightmares is Ryan Hurd's Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide.

You could try sleeping in different positions, as I've heard people tend to experience sleep paralysis the most while they are sleeping on their back.

Also, since you are staying up late, you may want to look into learning about delayed sleep phases. A delayed sleep phase is when your biological clock shifts forward, so the hormones your body releases to make you tired don't get released until later in the night. You can shift your sleep phase back by making sure you expose your eyes to a lot of bright light in the morning. Even if you are sleeping, having your curtains open to let sunlight hit your closed eyelids can signal to your body to shift your sleep phase back to an earlier position.

All the best, and feel free to use this page to document any updates you experience in the comments.
Nov 11, 2014
 I sympathize
by:

Wow, poor thing! Im 11 tho, and i only get like thirty minutes sleep each night. Only I dont suffer from sleep paralyzation, i suffer from the inability to sleep. This might not help, but at least you know you're not alone. Good luck
Jul 02, 2015
 I can relate NEW
by: Casey

Hi Jasmine, I'm 11, when I was 7 my mother and I watched a scary movie and every since I physically couldn't sleep, I would close my eyes for what seemed like hours to still find my self awake, there are some great sites out there though that explain ways to sleep. hope I helped
Sep 08, 2016
 My technique NEW
by: Anonymous

When I wake up frozen I scrunch my face up a few times and I Usaully wakes me up, rarely does it not, I'm 12 too, I get it every single night.
Sep 10, 2016
 Eleven Years Old And Dealing With Sleep Paralysis NEW
by: Anonymous

Ugh, same here. Just TONIGHT I've had 3 sleep paralysis experiences. Now I'm not going to sleep again. It just started LAST NIGHT! Now I can't and won't sleep. I'll have to yield my parents. I'm just afraid that they won't understand. It's so scary but mostly it's annoying. I just want to go to sleep!
Apr 09, 2017
 So NEW
by: Anonymous

I've been suffering with sp for 5 years now I'm 13 now and I still get it 9 times a month
Sep 16, 2017
 My sp experience NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm 12 and I just expirenced an sp a few hours ago and have not gone to sleep since. I've told my parents and they are letting me sleep in their room until I feel comfortable going back in mine. I have quiet a bad sleeping pattern and normally go to bed around early morning (2-3am) and then go to sleep until early afternoon. Anyway let me explain my experience , i slept for most of the day as I was at a party and stayed up until late I woke up around 7 and night and went back to sleep at around 12am, I was extremely tired and I started making a picture in my head of a male figure he had white jeans and and brown curly hair and he was just staring at me me but I don't believe I was paralysed at this point, I wasn't scared and I thought it was just my strange brain making a character in my head but then I was easily falling asleep until I started hearing music in the back of my head and mumbled voices therefore I opened my eyes and saw stars in the pitch black I then felt really dizzy/lighthead and I couldn't move, I tried talking but it just made it worse and I got even more paralysed there was then two feet moving around my room I felt as if there was people in my room with me. I knew that what was happening to me wasn't normal and I knew it would eventually end, I just need to calm down so I let the experience happen and it all finally stopped. Anyway I know feel like I have serious anxiety about sleeping to the point when I rarely do sleep. My dad told me he used to suffer from sleep paralysis when he was a kid
Mar 17, 2018
 Scared to fall asleep NEW
by: Anonymous

Hi Jasmine,I’ve just turned 12 and I’ve recently have trouble sleeping,I haavent has sleep paralysis yet,but the reason I am scared to fall asleep is because I’m afraid I might experience sleep paralysis.
Mar 17, 2018
 Some advice 👍 NEW
by: Anonymous

Hi I’m 12 to and I have nightmares and sleep paralysis very often the first time I had it I was 10 nearly 11 and had jet lag as soon as I went to bed around 2 or 3am and when I did I woke up and couldn’t move the only thing I could move was my eyes and I was like this for about 15 seconds then I saw a doll I think then I woke up and screamed it happened a few more times not just with a doll some times dark figures in the room but I haven’t had it in about a couple of months because I go to bed around 12 30 with a lamp at night nearly every night and get around 7 to 8 hours of sleep before I would get not that much sleep so gets some more sleep and don’t watch horror movies before you go to bed and get enough sleep 👍 and don’t eat big meals before bed 👍
Aug 20, 2018
 fthgnfbvc NEW
by: Anonymous

i completely understand i am 12 and its started weeks ago. i kept on thinking about this 'momo' guy and it made me go 'omg their gonna kill me' and i couldnt move AT ALL it was so scary. so i researched and turns out what u can do is start meditating or something like that, or u could try (when u r experiencing it) to wiggle ur fingers and toes and it could help and try not to go to sleep on ur back. i hope this info has helped u!
Mar 04, 2019
 Sleep Paralysis NEW
by: Aaliyah FeliX

I’m having sleep Paralysis too. I am also 12 years old. One of the reasons is you are sleeping so late and your sleeping schedule is off. It’s okay don’t think it’s a ghost or anything I first thought it was a ghost but it wasn’t it was just me. The reason I get sleep Paralysis is because I sleep one time at 4 pm and 2nd time at 10:00. I am so lost and I have no idea why it has to happen to me for this.
Jun 23, 2019
 idk NEW
by: Anonymous

Im eleven and i have it to i also see demons
Feb 10, 2021
 Sleep paralysis NEW
by:

Hello,I'm also 12 and while I was asleep this other night my body was froze and I couldn't move it at all. I also heard loud screeching and screaming noises as well and it was scary.

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