“Okay that’s just fucked up.”
“Alp:
This German nightmare creature is related to the mare, but is usually male. The name is variation on elf, from the so-called “old high” German that predated the current language. While its preferred tipple is breast milk, the Alp will suck blood from nipples on men and children. They can be defeated through such rituals as pointing shoes towards the bed and hiding old pieces of metal in the straw where you sleep.”
“The Hag:
If someone from Louisiana tells you they spent the night witch riding, they had a bad night. The night hag, a hideous old woman who spreads nightmares across the world, visited them. She’s traveled to Britain, Newfoundland and the south Pacific, riding sleepers’ chests and crushing out their breath. Associated with sleep paralysis, the hag is followed by bad smells and strange shadows.”
“The Jinn:
In Turkey, unwanted paranormal nighttime visits are called Karabasan. A demonic jinn enters a victim’s room and holds them still before strangling them. They will retreat upon hearing prayers to Allah or readings from the Koran. If a jinn visits, make a note if the jinn wears a hat. If you are clever and brave enough to steal the headwear, the jinn, also known as a genie, will be your slave.”
“Nocnitsa:
If you see a knife in a cradle, a mother is trying to keep the Nocnitsa from visiting her child in the night. She is made from shadows, speaks in a screech and smells like the forest in which she lives. A Russian and Slavic variation of the Sleep Hag, the nightmare monster will sit on victims’ chests but has also been known to spread out on a sleeper’s back and tightly grip the chest.”
“Pesanta:
The Night Hag cuts across cultural lines. While the form is elastic, it usually retains certain characteristics, like its female gender and humanlike form. For the natives of Spain’s Catalonia, the night hag isn’t human, but an enormous dog or cat. Despite its four legs and animal hair, it smothers sleepers like its human counterparts. Along with its bestial nature, it has like steel paws with holes, so it can touch but cannot take objects from the waking world.”
"The Domovoi:
Latvian folk stories tell of Lietuvēns, a ghost of hanged or drowned person that kills with a Night Hag-like pressure death and can be defeated if a sleeper is able to move a toe on their left foot. Latvian stories also offer a more playful, less lethal otherworldly sleeping companion. The Domovoi is a house spirit that watches over occupants as they sleep, occasionally giving families the odd pinch.