Sleep? No Thanks!
As much as the thought of a solid 8 hours of sleep sounds beautiful, it hasn’t happened for me in quite some time. I’ve always bounced between having insomnia or nightmares. Oh well…that’s what coffee is for. But the more horror movies I watch, the more I think that sleep isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Nightmares, sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, night terrors. They aren’t fun for either the person having them or the people they live with. So naturally, the authors and screenwriters in the horror genre have used them to scare us. (thanks guys!)
The things our subconscious minds do to us in our sleep can be almost cruel. My daughter used to sleepwalk AND have night terrors. She was either screaming her head off or walking around. There were a few times that I would be watching tv and suddenly see her standing next to me. Thankfully she doesn’t do that anymore. And imagine waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to move. I never want to know what sleep paralysis is like! (anyone see The Haunting of Hill House?).
As much as the reality of those sleep problems sucks so hard, it does make sense that they were all eventually used in books and movies. So if you’re like me, and sleep isn’t your friend, here are some movies that might make it worse:
- A Nightmare on Elm Street – (1984) – Need I say more? If your insomnia sticks around don’t forget all the sequels and the remake!
- In Dreams (1999) – A housewife dreams about the man who recently kidnapped a little girl in her neighborhood. Then she dreams about her daughter and she disappears too. She ends up having a nervous breakdown and is put in a mental hospital. Then she dreams about her husband getting kidnapped and realizes that she is psychically connected to the man (sort of like Elm St.), who turns out to be a serial killer,
- Mara (2018) – A woman is accused of her husband’s murder. She tells a criminal psychologist that a demon killed him in his sleep and she ends up in an institution.
- Dead Awake (2016) – People suffering from sleep paralysis are dying in their sleep. Before they died they all saw the same creature. When a social worker investigates the deaths, her and her family start seeing the same creature. Now she has to stop it.
- Insidious (2010) – After a family moves into a new house, strange things start happening. It seems like the house is haunted. After one of the sons falls into an unexplained coma, family secrets are revealed that may explain it…and why the father has to fall asleep to save him
- Before I Wake (2016) – A couple decides to adopt a little boy. After he goes to live with them, they learn that he’s afraid to sleep. They discover that his dreams come to life…but so do his nightmares. Now they have to figure out what’s happening and how to top it.
- The Nightmare (2015) – From everything I’ve read, this is an amazing documentary about sleep paralysis. Real stories from people that suffer from sleep paralysis show the similarities and the uniqueness of each person’s experience.
- The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix) – Yes, it’s a tv show, not a movie. If you’ve seen it, you understand why it’s here. It’s an amazing haunted house story with plenty of nightmares and someone with sleep paralysis. If you haven’t already watched it, you need to! (If that’s not convincing enough for you, check out Mel’s article about it!)
So after you’ve run through all the sleeping pills at the drugstore, and downloaded all the apps to help you sleep, try watching one of these to pass the time. But if you suffer from nightmares you might want to watch them during the day. Sweet dreams my friends.