Have you ever felt a shortness of breath while you were sleeping, or woken up suddenly with the feeling that someone was on top of you? Maybe it was just a bad feeling that plagued you in the middle of the night, but it could also be that you have received a visit from the treadmill.

A character from Brazilian folklore, the Pisadeira is known mainly in the southeast region of the country. According to legend, during the early hours of the morning, she steps on the belly of those who have a full stomach. Because of this, the figure causes shortness of breath. Learn more about the Pisadeira below!

Origin of the Treadmill

Originally from the Southeast region of Brazil, the Pisadeira is a common legend in Minas Gerais and São Paulo, especially in the countryside of these states, but the character is known throughout the country as the one who steps on the belly of those who have gone to sleep after eating a lot. This is why she receives the name Pisadeira.

In addition, it is believed that the appearance of the Stepper consists of a thin woman's body, elongated fingers, long and dirty fingernails, short legs, white matted hair, large and hairy nose, red eyes, upturned chin, and greenish teeth.

As if the figure of the Treading Lady herself wasn't horrifying enough, she also has a constant, shrill laugh. If you are unlucky enough to meet her one day, you will notice that the Treading Lady always has her mouth open and her evil eyes wide open.

Although she is a haunting character, the Treading Lady is a way of making people aware of a problem they can have while they sleep. To better understand this relationship, find out what the legend of the Treading Lady is, in the next topic.

How did the legend of the treadmill come about?

Most folk legends arise in order to explain something that apparently has no rational explanation. Thus, the legend of the Stepsawyer developed when there was a need to understand the cause of nightmares or sleep paralysis.

Since it was difficult to explain this kind of sleep interruption, which could include the visualization of a frightening creature, a character was created to solve these questions.

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Legend of the Treadmill

Once you understand what the Stepping Stones looks like, you're probably hoping you'll never encounter it, and the best way to prevent that from happening is to understand what can attract this haunting and how it can manifest itself in your life.

During the day, the treadmill hides between the roofs of houses, watching the people who live inside them. After dinner, it identifies who is going to sleep with a full belly, for having eaten too much or for not having waited for the end of the digestion process.

With a target in mind, she climbs down from the roof, enters the person's room, and prepares herself for the attack.

To make sure it will be seen by the person being attacked, the Stomp is laughed at. Despite the noise, the person suffering from the stomp is unable to call for help or move, feeling short of breath and very panicky. However, there is a way to protect yourself from it. Learn!

Treadmill in Brazil

Since the legend of the Pisadeira is known throughout Brazil, many thinking heads have come together to define a way to drive this terrible figure away. If you believe in the power of popular knowledge, all you have to do is rub your feet together three times and tap them against each other before going to sleep, then the Pisadeira will leave you alone.

On the other hand, if the Stepping Stones appears to you at dawn, the ritual we mentioned above can ensure that it doesn't return to your room. This way, you will have a more peaceful sleep, as if you had just woken up from a nightmare.

This is because when this happens, a person may visualize a terrifying creature and find it difficult to move or call for help, as the legend describes.

How to get rid of the treadmill?

You have just learned a tip from folk knowledge to keep the Stewler away, or to prevent it from returning to your room. However, if you want a more logical solution to expel this character, you should seek medical help.

The reason for this is that the Breathlessness you see can be a sign of sleep paralysis, as we saw earlier, which can only be treated by professionals. So if breathlessness in the middle of the night is preventing you from living normally, seek help as soon as possible.

Stepping Stones in Movies, Series, and Books

But you can still learn more about this legend safely from fictional works that deal with this folkloric figure. Get to know some of them:

1) Novel "Os Mutantes: Caminhos do Coração", 2007 to 2009

In the soap opera "Os Mutantes: Caminhos do Coração" (The Mutants: Paths of the Heart), aired between 2007 and 2009 on the Record channel, one of the characters represented the Treading Lady, who was able to annul the powers of other mutants and kill people by stepping on them.

2) Book "The Old Treadmill," 2018

In the 2018 children's book "The Old Treading Lady," we see an interpretation of the folk legend. In it, an old woman who scares children at dusk will find a worthy opponent, who will try to put an end to the terror that the Treading Lady spreads through the town.

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• Expand your studies about Brazilian folklore
• Understand what can cause sleep paralysis
• Identify sleep disorders that may affect you

3) Film "Pisadeira", 2017

In the film "Treadmill," released in 2017, a scientist devises an experiment with five children to investigate what occurs during sleep paralysis. Unfortunately, the result of this experiment follows one of the children into adulthood, causing a trauma that is difficult to overcome.

Taking into account the information presented, we can see that the Pisadeira is a legend widely explored in Brazil. Being an explanation for sleep paralysis or even the nightmares we may have after eating a lot, the character is terrifying and cruel. Good thing you already know how to protect yourself from her!