Strictly Come Dancing stars Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Márquez opened up about her disorder after experiencing a “frightening” moment in bed
Gemma Atkinson has opened up about her “terrifying” experience with sleep paralysis. In the latest episode of her and fiancé Gorka Márquez‘s podcast, Lost In Translation, the couple shared how her “frightening” actions left him concerned.
Speaking to listeners, the Strictly Come Dancing star said he was enjoying a deep sleep when he suddenly heard Gemma screaming.
“I woke up because I heard, ‘Ah, help me, someone is on top of me!'” he revealed. “I was like, ‘Are you okay?'” before acting out her further screams.
Laughing, Gemma recalled: “He went to me, ‘Do you want me to hug you?’ That’s what he asked me. I was like, ‘No!'”
Turning to Gorka, she added: “As if you’d ask me that in a moment of terror! I don’t like being hugged in day-to-day life, and when I’m fighting for my life, it’s the last thing I want.”
Explaining her disorder to listeners, the 41-year-old continued: “I suffered from this as a kid, though clearly I’ve had another episode of sleep paralysis. If anyone has had it, it’s the most terrifying experience. If you Google it, the images that come up are awful.
“It’s that bit of sleep where your body is waking up but your mind isn’t. You’re fully conscious, but you cannot move or make a sound. You’re lying there screaming at the top of your voice, but nothing comes out. And you feel like something or someone is sitting on top of you.”
Gemma went on to claim she saw a “black figure with red eyes” looming over her, but “couldn’t physically move”.
“I was screaming, but nothing was coming out – until it did,” she said. “I could feel the covers moving, then grabbed my crystal on the side and begged for it to stop.”
According to the NHS, sleep paralysis occurs when you cannot move or speak as you are waking up or falling asleep. While it can be frightening, it is generally harmless, and most people experience it only once or twice in their lives.
During an episode, you may feel awake but unable to move, speak, or open your eyes, sense someone in the room, feel pressure pushing you down, and experience intense fear. These sensations can last several minutes.
The NHS notes that the cause isn’t fully understood, though it may be linked to factors such as insomnia, panic disorder, narcolepsy, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Gemma is the only celebrity known to experience the disorder, which reportedly affects around eight in 100 people. During a segment on This Morning, Josie Gibson opened up about her “weird” experience with it.
“I do get really weird dreams. I get sleep paralysis which is even weirder. If anybody knows about sleep paralysis, you cannot move. You’re awake but you’re still asleep. You think you’re awake but you cannot move,” she shared.
In a previous episode, she also asked a doctor for advice on the matter after the problem left her visibly “shaking” and sleep deprived.
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