Don’t Go to Sleep

Year: 1982

Runtime: 93 mins

Language: English

Director: Richard Lang

HorrorHorror

Mary is convinced something lives under her bed—and she’s right. A year after her younger sister dies in a car crash, Mary begins seeing vivid visions of the dead girl. At the same time, the family home is plagued by unsettling phenomena, turning every room into a source of dread and mystery.

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Don’t Go to Sleep (1982) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Don’t Go to Sleep (1982), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

A family of four—the parents Phillip Dennis Weaver and Laura Valerie Harper, their son Kevin Oliver Robins, and daughter Mary Robin Ignico—move to a new home with Grandma Bernice Ruth Gordon, mourning the loss of their sister Jennifer Kristin Cumming. They hope this change will help them begin anew and put Jennifer’s tragedy behind them.

Seeking to start fresh, the family believes the house could be a place to heal and build a new life together. But soon after settling in, Mary hears a voice that seems to come from beneath the bed, calling her name as if Jennifer were still nearby. When Mary investigates, she discovers that Jennifer has returned as a ghost and begins to appear to her repeatedly, revealing a chilling wish to kill the entire family except for Mary.

This devastating revelation unleashes a sequence of twisted fates: Kevin’s iguana somehow ends up in Grandma Bernice’s bed, triggering a fatal heart attack for the elderly woman; Kevin’s attempt to retrieve a Frisbee from the roof ends in a deadly fall; and Phillip, while bathing, listens to a radio that ends up electrocuting him, leaving Laura to scramble to safety, though she sustains an arm injury in the process. Believing Mary to be the killer, the authorities place her in a mental institution as she grapples with the horror of what she may have done.

A pivotal flashback reveals the siblings’ hidden tensions: Kevin, feeling overshadowed by Jennifer, persuades Mary to join in a prank by tying Jennifer’s shoelaces together. The prank spirals out of control when a van collides with the family car, and while everyone except Jennifer manages to escape, she screams for help as Mary races to warn their father. But Phillip is unable to rescue her before the car bursts into flames, leaving Jennifer to perish in the wreck.

In the present, Mary insists that she is actually Jennifer, as the deceased sister possesses her living self, blurring the line between victim and perpetrator. Later, Laura lies in bed when Jennifer’s ghost appears at the foot of the bed and greets her with a chilling greeting: > “Hi, Mommy.” The film closes with Laura’s terrified screams echoing through the room, leaving a house full of unanswered questions and lingering dread.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:28

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Movies where the haunting is born from grief, like in Don’t Go to Sleep

Supernatural entities emerge from a family's unresolved trauma and profound loss.Explore movies like Don’t Go to Sleep where supernatural horror is rooted in family tragedy and unresolved grief. These films use hauntings as a metaphor for emotional trauma, blending terrifying moments with a heavy, melancholic atmosphere. If you liked the connection between loss and the paranormal, you'll find similar stories here.

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Narrative Summary

Stories typically begin with a recent traumatic loss, often the death of a family member. The supernatural phenomena that follow are not random but are directly tied to the deceased or the survivor's guilt, blurring the lines between psychological breakdown and a genuine haunting. The narrative explores how grief can fracture a family and invite a malevolent presence.

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These movies are grouped together because they share a core premise: the supernatural threat is a physical embodiment of grief. They blend heavy emotional themes with horror, creating a unique experience where the scares are amplified by the characters' profound sadness and guilt.

Claustrophobic home invasion horror movies like Don’t Go to Sleep

A steady, unnerving buildup of terror within the supposed safety of a family home.If you liked the slow-building, dreadful atmosphere of Don’t Go to Sleep, this list features similar movies where a family home is besieged by a supernatural presence. These stories focus on psychological torment and a palpable sense of claustrophobia, delivering a steady, relentless horror experience within domestic walls.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a family, often already vulnerable, experiencing strange occurrences that start small and systematically intensify. The home itself becomes a character, with its rooms and objects turning sinister. The story unfolds at a deliberate pace, focusing on the psychological unraveling of the characters as their safe haven becomes a trap.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their use of a domestic setting to create a claustrophobic and deeply unsettling mood. They share a steady pacing that prioritizes atmosphere over jump scares, and a high intensity derived from the inescapable nature of the threat within the home.

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