Since she was 12 years old, Yanchen Wang has experienced episodes that most people would find terrifying. While falling asleep or waking up, she would suddenly find herself unable to move, hearing strange noises—feet stomping, people speaking in an unidentifiable language—while fully aware but completely paralyzed.
Rather than simply enduring these experiences, the now 17-year-old student at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, New York, turned them into a research project that earned her recognition as a top 300 scholar in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2026, one of the most prestigious science competitions for high school students in the United States.
Her findings suggest that sleep paralysis may be far more prevalent among teenagers than most people—including many physicians—realize.
What the Research Found
Wang surveyed 400 student volunteers at her high school about their sleep experiences. The results were striking: just over 25% of respondents reported having experienced symptoms of sleep paralysis.
That figure aligns closely with studies of college-aged populations, which have found rates around 28%. The consistency between high school and college-aged groups suggests that sleep paralysis may begin earlier in adolescence than commonly assumed and persist into young adulthood.
Wang's research points to stress as a potential contributing factor, a finding that carries particular weight given the well-documented mental health challenges facing today's teenagers.
Understanding Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis is a parasomnia—a category of sleep disorders that involves abnormal behaviors or experiences during sleep. It occurs during the transitions between wakefulness and sleep, most commonly when falling asleep or waking up.
During an episode, a person is conscious and aware of their surroundings but temporarily unable to move or speak. Episodes typically last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, though they can feel much longer to the person experiencing them.
What makes sleep paralysis particularly distressing is that it is frequently accompanied by vivid hallucinations. People commonly report:
- A sense of pressure on the chest or difficulty breathing
- The feeling of a presence in the room, often perceived as threatening
- Auditory hallucinations such as buzzing, footsteps, or voices
- Visual hallucinations including shadowy figures or movement in peripheral vision
- Intense fear or dread that can persist even after the episode ends
These experiences have been documented across cultures throughout history and are thought to be the basis for many folklore traditions involving nighttime visitations by demons, spirits, or supernatural entities.
Why Teens May Be Vulnerable
Several factors that are common in adolescent life may increase susceptibility to sleep paralysis:
- Sleep deprivation: Teenagers are among the most sleep-deprived demographic groups, with school start times, academic demands, and social media use competing against biological sleep needs
- Irregular sleep schedules: Shifting between weekday and weekend sleep patterns disrupts the circadian rhythm
- Stress and anxiety: Academic pressure, social dynamics, and the general challenges of adolescence create chronic stress
- Sleeping in the supine position: Lying on the back is associated with a higher frequency of episodes
The condition is classified as a REM parasomnia because it involves an intrusion of REM sleep characteristics—specifically, the muscle atonia that normally prevents us from acting out our dreams—into waking consciousness.
When to Be Concerned
Isolated episodes of sleep paralysis are common and generally not a sign of a serious medical condition. However, recurrent sleep paralysis can significantly affect quality of life, causing anxiety about going to sleep and contributing to insomnia.
Sleep specialists recommend seeking evaluation if:
- Episodes occur frequently, more than once a month
- Sleep paralysis causes significant anxiety or fear of going to sleep
- Episodes are accompanied by excessive daytime sleepiness, which could indicate narcolepsy
- Sleep quality is significantly affected
In some cases, recurrent sleep paralysis can be a symptom of narcolepsy, a neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles. A sleep specialist can differentiate between isolated sleep paralysis and narcolepsy-related episodes through clinical evaluation and, if needed, specialized sleep testing.
Breaking the Silence
One of the most significant barriers to addressing sleep paralysis in young people is that many do not talk about their experiences. The episodes can feel so strange and frightening that teenagers may worry they are losing their mind or that no one will believe them.
Wang's research helps normalize the conversation. By demonstrating that more than one in four of her peers have experienced similar symptoms, her work sends a clear message to affected teenagers: you are not alone, and what you are experiencing has a medical explanation.
For parents, the takeaway is straightforward. If your teenager describes waking up unable to move, hearing things that are not there, or feeling a frightening presence while falling asleep, these are recognized symptoms of a well-documented sleep phenomenon—not signs of a psychological crisis. Encouraging good sleep habits, maintaining consistent sleep schedules, and reducing pre-bedtime stress can all help reduce the frequency of episodes.
