Nightmares

[Southern Discomfort]

I don't have nightmares but I do dream, ever single night. I don't know if it's a side effect of a medication I'm on as some tend to do that but yes constantly. I have a recurring dream where my old dog, Fergus, comes back from the dead for a little while, it always makes me cry in the dreams. Thinking about it now makes me start to cry.

 

[Kupu2]

I've been plagued with all sorts of nightmares since I can remember. I've no idea what causes them, but I've had much better coping since I did three things: cleaned my diet right up, started exhausting myself with weight lifting and meditation/audio books/calming brink of sleep things. It has only been the last 10 yrs of my 40-something years that my nightmares have had less power over me. I loathed having to sleep from when I was 10 til in my late 20s.

I suspect mine are control related, as my themes are voicelessness (those horrid scream but no voice, about to be murdered or mutilated sort), being chased by Nazis and Gestapo sort, and rollercoaster/theme park rides. Like I said, no sooner did I put more control over my biological and chemical intake (food, water, sound and movement) then these themes have died down a lot. And I cope in the state a lot better. I can run quicker, breathe, outsmart etc.

The minute I let crap food in, miss the gym more than four-five days, the more severe the nightmares become. The more I put off hard tasks, like my festering shower, the more nightmares I have.

Just my 2c worth. You are not alone and I suspect you may need to find what works for you. Journalling did nothing for me. Talking to others was horrible. They don't live in my head! And I cannot stomach medications.

 

[Valentine]

Hmm, I may be able to balance those things better once my kids are older.

 

[SpaceCadet]

This may sound a bit off-the-wall but I've had some success with Mexican dream herb (calea ternifolia). Make some tea before sleeping. It's a mild effect, for me anyway, but the dreams are somewhat better & more interesting too. It's sold on eBay & health food stores and is legal in 49 states (really, Louisiana?) and the DEA dimwits haven't freaked out about it yet.

Have always had trouble with nightmares and bad dreams. I try to learn from dreams, though - I often write them down on the pc and try to figure what the point is, what it's trying to tell me, what problem it's trying to work out. To my surprise, recently I've been lucid dreaming at times. In the middle of a disturbing dream I'll suddenly realize - hey, I know I'm dreaming! I don't have to put up with X, I'll do Y instead. Which annoys the people in the dream who are bothering me - lol. And I won't wake up immediately, I'll continue dreaming for awhile. Meditation has also helped I think, because I've been doing that for several years and the bad dreams are less frequent.

 

[garnetflower13]

I have nightmares frequently, a lot of it is due to the trauma I have experienced over the years I sometimes will scream in my sleep that my husband will have to wake me up.

I scream in my sleep too, and my husband has to gently wake me up and reassure me. I have had lots of trauma, so not surprising.

 

[midlife aspie]

I rarely recall dreaming at all these days. I used to a lot more when I was younger. Often what have been termed "dreams of knowledge", where one is dreaming very life-like (not 'detached' in some way). It happened once while I was driving, and I was driving in the dream! Fortunately, my natural tendency is to drift to the right, so the tires slipping off the asphalt and onto the soft shoulder woke me up. I was lucky! I've taken steps since then to ensure no re-occurrences.

 

[anthoskate]

I see demonic eyes and faces over many surfaces, walls, tables, curtains, even the food and the bed. What I feel is just the inverse, I just want to sleep ASAP, as these creatures are even more visible in the darkness. But the nerves are so strong, that I find it very hard to get asleep. Then I wake up the next day, very sleepy. Having more than 48 hours without slept my brain begins to flash white lights on my vision, or sometimes the creatures "flash" in front of me as well, making things worser. Epilepsy-like attacks?

I used to see eyes looking over my bed or around my room and I also had trouble sleeping, but as I got older I realized that it was my imagination and it took a while to stop seeing them.

 

[Catlover614]

Does anyone else have nightmares like I do?
I frequently have nightmares or surreal and disturbing dreams. Sometimes I feel like I don't ever want to sleep again. Like tonight, I've been putting off going to bed for hours even though I am exhausted.

I used to have such terrifying nightmares I'd be scared to go back to sleep. I totally get this!!! Thankfully, I don't get nightmares anymore because I pray before going to bed and He blesses my sleep now. Also, I have changed what I watch on TV and what I read and think about on a daily basis.

 

[Valentine]

I used to have such terrifying nightmares I'd be scared to go back to sleep. I totally get this!!! Thankfully, I don't get nightmares anymore because I pray before going to bed and He blesses my sleep now. Also, I have changed what I watch on TV and what I read and think about on a daily basis.

I'd be a nervous wreck without prayer. God gets me through each and every day.

 

[Judge]

Thankfully, I don't get nightmares anymore because I pray before going to bed and He blesses my sleep now. Also, I have changed what I watch on TV and what I read and think about on a daily basis.

I don't get nightmares all that often. But when I do and I can recall them to some degree, I find that more often than not I can correlate them to something I either saw or heard on tv the day before, or something I recently read.

It's pretty rare when a nightmare can rattle me to the point where I can't get back to sleep, but it can happen.

 

[Catlover614]

I don't get nightmares all that often. But when I do and I can recall them to some degree, I find that more often than not I can correlate them to something I either saw or heard on tv the day before, or something I recently read.

It's pretty rare when a nightmare can rattle me to the point where I can't get back to sleep, but it can happen.

Yes, whatever we feed our minds with affects us whether we realize it or not. I used to watch the Investigation Discovery channel every day because I like forensic science and I like seeing how they catch the bad guy. I thought it was harmless, after all it was just TV shows. But, man was I wrong because little by little those haunting images were being embedded in my mind and before too long, I was having terrifying nightmares about being murdered. Needless to say, I stopped watching shows like that. It affects us more than we like to admit. And this is my reason for declaring that Halloween is Hallowhell, it's all bloody-gory and scary stuff that I am just too sensitive to bear.

 

[Uncertain ways]

Yes, whatever we feed our minds with affects us whether we realize it or not. I used to watch the Investigation Discovery channel every day because I like forensic science and I like seeing how they catch the bad guy. I thought it was harmless, after all it was just TV shows. But, man was I wrong because little by little those haunting images were being embedded in my mind and before too long, I was having terrifying nightmares about being murdered. Needless to say, I stopped watching shows like that. It affects us more than we like to admit. And this is my reason for declaring that Halloween is Hallowhell, it's all bloody-gory and scary stuff that I am just too sensitive to bear.

I react very strong on horror movies or any scary tv shows since I remember. I can't turn the scenes off. At night all the scary scenes come up and keep following me till I can't stand it anymore and I have to turn the lights on to convince myself all is fine. I react on every single noise. And then I try to put the sleep off till there's some daylight.

I stopped watching these kind of movies or tv shows due to that for a long time. And then I started to watch a scary movie with my ex boyfriend. He likes those movies and not watching since years I thought I give it a try. After the first scene I stopped as it was too much and it was enough to keep me up every night and having nightmares. Dreaming that I'm asleep, I want to turn the lights on cause I can't stand the darkness anymore, but its difficult to stand up and all the lights don't work. At this point I usually realize that I'm dreaming, so I get more scared and try to wake up.

He tried to convince me that I should watch more and build up slowly to watching more of these movies and that by watching more they would lose the affect they have on me. But I would have to be motivated to do so.

I rather had the feeling that would not work on me, as I'm just too sensitive to stand them.

 

[garnetflower13]

Yes, whatever we feed our minds with affects us whether we realize it or not. I used to watch the Investigation Discovery channel every day because I like forensic science and I like seeing how they catch the bad guy. I thought it was harmless, after all it was just TV shows. But, man was I wrong because little by little those haunting images were being embedded in my mind and before too long, I was having terrifying nightmares about being murdered. Needless to say, I stopped watching shows like that. It affects us more than we like to admit. And this is my reason for declaring that Halloween is Hallowhell, it's all bloody-gory and scary stuff that I am just too sensitive to bear.

The interesting thing, is that Halloween was not meant to be a gore fest. If you read the history of it, it was merely a Pagan holiday to observe the turning of the year, and preparing for the seeming death of nature; leaves dying and falling, plant life going dormant, etc. Final harvests were gathered in, and people prepared for winter. All Hallows Eve was followed by All Saints Day. Our society and the media have turned it into something that it was never meant to be. And I still don't understand what going from door to door begging for treats has to do with it, although I enjoyed it as a child. I think I will do some reading on it.

 

[ksheehan88]

Does anyone else have nightmares like I do?
I frequently have nightmares or surreal and disturbing dreams. Sometimes I feel like I don't ever want to sleep again. Like tonight, I've been putting off going to bed for hours even though I am exhausted.

I have nightmares at least three times a month. Some have been so bad I can still remember them from 15/20 years ago.

I sometimes think when I'm awake that I'm having a nightmare and have to go through a ritual I do to check I'm not asleep.

I have learned over the years though how to wake myself from a nightmare, so at the very least they don't play out quite as long as they used to.

 

[LittleLemon]

I get frequent nightmares, and it's usually about something I've been worried about or a phobia. My mom passed a few years ago, but I still dream about her. My husband always told me that my dreams were weird, but that's normal for me. I dream most nights and they're almost always weird. Nightmares are the worst though. I have a handful of ones that are recurring.

 

[Valentine]

I get frequent nightmares, and it's usually about something I've been worried about or a phobia. My mom passed a few years ago, but I still dream about her. My husband always told me that my dreams were weird, but that's normal for me. I dream most nights and they're almost always weird. Nightmares are the worst though. I have a handful of ones that are recurring.

I have some that re occur as well.

 

[rachbttffan]

I have vivid dreams every night but the most recen i found very strange. I dreamt many times that i had bumped into my ex/best friend in a local store and it actually happened. We had stopped talking but i found it weird that my dream came true. A friend had said it was because our souls where connected and that it wasnt a coincidence

 

[orphan]

I suffer night terrors.
Wake up fighting, wet from sweat, adrenaline dump like I just dead lifted a car... fast breathing.
I'm told I will outgrow this. Must be close.... I'm 40.