Nightmares

I'm having trouble with nightmares. I usually sleep for two hours (after tossing and turning in bed for hours before actually sleeping) and then i wake up because of my nightmares and I can't sleep anymore. I don't know what to do to stop them.
I tried some meditation techniques and I normally avoid "bad" thoughts while in bed, but it doesn't help and I feel that it's kind of a circle: I don't sleep, I get more depressed, negative and moody, and that frame of mind clearly doesn't help. Does somebody know how to make it better?

I dont know how to help, but I just experienced a suspected night Terror last night. I think I've actually been having them for a long while now. I plan on telling my therapist do to the fact I was able to drink in my sleep. So I can say I understand. I've also posted my experience just now. Your not alone.

Hi, JupiterBraytech.
Actually, knowing that I'm not the only one going through something like this helps a lot. Today I will talk to my T about it (if I'm brave enough) and maybe he has some suggestion to make them stop. It's not the first time that I go through this and they normally go away after a month or so. I guess that's some light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks for sharing your experience

I thought I was the only one who did that.

I've only had a little bit of trouble due to nightmares over the years but the ones I have had have seemed to affect me extremely negatively. Like I still get goosebumps when I recall one nightmare I had (I won't describe it here because it triggers me).

Yes I talked to my therapist about it, and yes, it may have had to do with the medication I was on, but dang, I was scared for like an entire day after that one particular nightmare happened.

I have nightmares in which I am crying nonstop on occasion and my parents can't calm me down, etc. I don't know where they come from. Trauma perhaps from having psychotic episodes and being severely depressed. I know that I don't like nightmares one bit.

I also like the idea of talking to your therapist about it. It could be something you could solve. Maybe meditation and relaxation techniques are part of the solution but they may not be the whole solution if that makes sense. I believe there is immense power in sharing these things with others, so you have already taken the right steps to solving your nightmares.

Edit: realized this thread is older than I thought. Well, oh well.

I can get pretty bad sleep paralysis, night terrors, if I get too hot while sleeping. So I make sure I don't overheat while asleep which definitely makes a difference towards the sleep paralysis.

Nightmares and sleep paralysis are slightly different things so not sure if my suggestion is very helpful.

I think you would benefit from a sleep study.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kumy I'm having trouble with nightmares. I usually sleep for two hours (after tossing and turning in bed for hours before actually sleeping) and then i wake up because of my nightmares and I can't sleep anymore. I don't know what to do to stop them. I tried some meditation techniques and I normally avoid "bad" thoughts while in bed, but it doesn't help and I feel that it's kind of a circle: I don't sleep, I get more depressed, negative and moody, and that frame of mind clearly doesn't help. Does somebody know how to make it better?