😰Sleep paralysis

In the traditional reading

Being "pressed" in sleep is an old expression, read as being weighed down by a force or visited by a spirit, with remedies such as scattering salt or moving where you sleep.

From dream research

This is less a dream than a physiological event with an explanation. During REM sleep the body’s muscles are temporarily immobile; when consciousness wakes first, you become aware of that state. A weight on the chest and a sensed presence are common sensations that come with it. Sleep deprivation and irregular sleep times are reported to raise its frequency.

Scene by scene, as it was handed down

• Your body will not move — Traditionally read as being pressed; now explained as REM muscle atonia persisting into waking.
• You sense someone beside you — Known as a sensation that commonly accompanies this state.
• You feel unable to breathe — Chest pressure is likewise a frequently reported sensation.