Nightmares

[carnation]

You guys I CAN'T SLEEP.  At best it's just waking up every few hours, or it's having a bad dream and kicking a little so my partner wakes me up - at worst I just wake up screaming like a banshee.  The dreams of course all feature Nmom or a related theme.

Ideas?  I've tried acupuncture and that's helping some I think.  And melatonin.  I'm trying to avoid actual sleeping pills because I'm already on so many meds.  Prazosin makes me super dizzy.

Thank you, hugs all around. 

[Lingurine]

Hi carnation and welcome  I hear you on the non sleeping part. I do take sleeping aid because otherwise, like you, I can't sleep. It took me forever to accept the fact that I needed a pill to sleep, but now not so much anymore. Life gets so hard when you don't sleep, you start the day with a disadvantage and before you know it the circle is round. What also helps me is sleep hypnosis, something to look up on the internet maybe.

Wishing you a lot of 

Lingurine

[carnation]

thank you! 

i was confused when you said 'welcome' but then i remembered i'm on oots and not ootf. heh.

[Dee]

Sleep has been a major issue for me.  I've been willing to try lots of different medication combinations and I think it took two years but we finally found it.  For the last week I have been sleeping 6 to 7 hours a night and I don't remember much if anything.  If I do have a nightmare I don't wake up and it is just a very vague, confusing, non alarming memory in the morning.  I suppose the point is not to give up.  I didn't think anything could ever work and it is.  I won't take anything addictive either.   I take trazadone, clonidine, and trintellix.  I wake up feeling normal too.

I also tried IRT therapy.  I didn't get pass the nightmares but the imagery helped me relax at night and fall asleep.  I had a panic attack the other day and imagery helped there too.

[writetolife]

My nightmares have never been that bad and nothing helped them a great deal, but I'll suggest what I can. 

-Have you tried listening to a really soothing audiobook of some sort.  For me, I love to listen to the Psalms from the Bible when I'm going to sleep because it helps me relax to think about how much God cares for me. And when I fall to sleep with less anxiety, I tend to have fewer nightmares or feel less frightened by them. 

-It's obvious and you've probably tried it, but sometimes soothing music or rain/wind/etc. recordings can help. 

-Is there a soothing sensation you can try?  For instance, sometimes the feeling of a fan is comforting for me.

[TinyRhino]

Just adding in: I have had brutal nightmares for 10years now. Ive tried Prazosin and stopped it because I didn't notice any changes. Some people suggest Valerian Root to help with falling asleep but it is quite smelly. However it is better than using Melatonin which is more useful for regulating internal clock.
One absolutely certain drowsy inducing medication is Trazodone and requires a prescription.
Over the counter medicine that works is Zzquil.
None of them seem to have any impact on nightmares though.
Good luck!

[Gromit]

Hi Carnation

Could your meds be causing more dreams?
When I was on Fluoxetine I woke in a sweat every night after dreaming of the place a I grew up.
I still dream now but not so much now I am on different medication.
My counsellor also suggested a visualisation before sleeping which did help with my recurring dream that causes the sweats. It did help, I don't get that particular one anymore.