Comment by brodouevencode | Hacker News Reader

Comment by brodouevencode | Hacker News Reader

At a time in my life where I was not sleeping (at all, it's a long story) I would frequently see shadowy figures. It was very unnerving. There were no eyes or features to speak of - it would be like if you were in an already dark room and someone was standing there - you can't seem them except for a hint of a shape. Many times I would see one in the corner, stare at it for a long time, blink, then it would be in another or area of the room. It felt like if I fell asleep it would attack me, which only fueled the anxiety of no sleep even more.

It wasn't until well after I fixed those issues that I learned shadow figures are a common symptom of sleep deprivation and sleep paralysis. There's something deeply necessary yet anxiety producing about sleep. Even now I have to force myself to sleep because of all the ill effects that came from years of not sleeping.

- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33573871/

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_person

- https://www.sleepcycle.com/sleep-paralysis/sleep-paralysis-w...

If that "long story" is stimulant abuse, the shadow people are much more pronounced than in regular sleep deprivation. So is the psychosis.

I also had a few years period where I would get constant sleep paralysis during sleep. Multiple times weekly. It's a very unique feeling and you know it when it starts coming on. I trained myself to ignore it as best as possible and "go back to sleep" instead of opening my eyes. Much harder when it's incorporated into an actual dream though instead of just seeing/feeling/hearing things in your room.

After doing that for a while, I had an extremely intense episode where a vortex/black hole was at the bottom of my bed sucking me into it, and I just KNEW if I didnt fight it that I'd be dead. So I fought for my life. That was my last episode of sleep paralysis... going on 5 years now.

It did include some substance abuse primarily stimulant and alcohol (which has a stimulant effect) so that makes sense, but I think it was mainly depression (which fueled the substance abuse) and even that has sleep disrupting effects. The paralysis was strangely comforting because it felt like - and I reasoned as much at the time - that if I was able to stay still and barely breathing that nothing would happen. The problem couldn't see me because I was so still - I was so still I wasn't there.

Good job on your efforts so far. It sounds like you had a breakthrough.

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