Woke up to something at the foot of my bed - still shaken

This happened about 3 AM last Wednesday (12th Nov) in my flat in Hackney, and I've not slept properly since. I woke suddenly, the kind of jolt where you're instantly alert, and there was a dark shape at the end of my bed. I'm not talking "I thought I saw something" - I mean there was definitely a human-shaped presence there, about 6 foot tall, completely still.

The room was freezing despite the heating being on. My partner didn't wake up at all, which is weird because he's usually light sleeper. I grabbed my phone torch and the shape just... wasn't there anymore. No sound, no movement, just gone. When I turned the light on properly, nothing was disturbed. Windows locked, door locked from the inside.

I know how this sounds. I've ruled out sleep paralysis because I was able to move and I wasn't dreaming. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Is this a ghost, intruder, or am I actually losing it?

Could be sleep paralysis even if you think you moved. The brain does weird things when waking. But if you're genuinely concerned about security, get a ring camera for the bedroom door? That's the practical answer at least.

Mate, classic shadow person encounter. They're not ghosts, they're inter-dimensional entities that feed on fear and disrupted sleep patterns. Check if you've had any strange electrical activity in your flat lately - they're attracted to power sources. Get some salt lines and an iron horseshoe, seriously.

The room was freezing despite the heating being on.

I had something similar in Bethnal Green about 5 years ago. Turned out to be a neighbour's cat in the window reflecting the hallway light. Sounds daft but once I worked that out I slept fine. Not saying that's what yours was, just worth checking silly explanations first before going full paranormal.

This needs proper investigation. Get a thermal imaging camera, set up motion sensors. If it happens again you'll have evidence. Hackney's got a lot of history, plenty of old properties with strange residents both living and dead.