to address jae's comment..
it's actually called "sleep paralysis" (night terror is when you wake up in a cold sweat with no recollection of the dream.. in my case, i always remembered what happened.) I found this online

Sleep Paralysis:
The characteristics of sleep paralysis are as follows:

Inability to move or speak for 30 seconds - 3 minutes
Speech is difficult or almost impossible
Happens before falling asleep or just after waking up
Can be hereditary
Can be brought on by stress
Sleep paralysis is the experience of waking up (usually form a dream) and feeling paralyzed, except for being able to breathe and move the eyes. Hypnogogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis may occur together. These conditions are common in people with narcolepsy but can also effect others, particularly people who are sleep-deprived. Although a pretty terrifying event, these events are not physically harmful. There are two major types of sleep paralysis: common (typical) also known as CSP and hallucinatory (hypnagogic) sleep paralysis known as HSP.

Differences between CSP and HSP.

CSP is common and universal, HSP is rare and seems to be geographically episodic.
CSP is only unnerving for the sleeper but HSP is accompanied by a nightmare like hallucination.
CSP is of relatively short duration where HSP can last as long as seven or eight minutes.

One of the most important differences between Night Terrors and CSP is that CSPs occurs in Stage one of sleep and Night Terrors occur in stage four.

Different cultures throughout time have interpreted HSPs as different spirits or events.

Ancestral ghosts - Southeast Asians
Hag - Irish and Scottish
Cats - Chinese
Spectral foxes - Japanese
Djinn - Arabs
Guilt - Romans and the Egyptians
Witchcraft - Mexicans
Vampires - Europeans
Demons - Medieval Europe

HSPs are usually a vision of a small creature that sits on the victims chest. The creature then either compresses the chest or attempts to strangulate the victim. Almost all attacks have been reported by people sleeping on their backs.

at least i know the cause of the sleep paralysis - sleep deprivation.

but i donno where i would fall in b/c i've had dreams of things trying to strangle me.. but it wasn't a small creature.. sometimes it was my blankets and sometimes it was a group of little demon-like looking things (think anastasia). and the time i talked to something it was a big thing with horns. i couldn't see its face.. just saw the horns. it grabbed me behind the neck and pulled me up to his face as he roared in anger (for questioning him). his face morphed into someone i knew too..

am i scaring you? i guess the time is right.. x) haha~