Sleep researcher explains the science behind late-night ghost, demon and alien sightings

Have you ever laid wide-eyed in bed, convinced the rattle of a pipe or the creak of a floorboard was actually caused by something much more sinister? While it's easy to attribute these spooky sounds to the supernatural, researchers now believe sleep could be the cause of late-night ghostly sightings. In an article for the Conversation, Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths University, Alice Gregory set about to determine how anxiety, REM sleep, and'exploding head syndrome' could offer a scientific explanation for late-night paranormal occurrences. It is during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep when you are most likely to have vivid dreams. At this stage your body is also paralysed, perhaps as a safety mechanism to stop us acting out our dreams so that we don't end up attempting to fly (Stock Image) If you believe in the paranormal you might not be surprised if you hear stories of deceased loved ones appearing during the night, huge explosions heard just as someone is drifting off with no obvious cause, and other peculiar occurrences.