Nightmare Disorder?

[Amelie]

Hi everyone,

I recently joined this site to try and see if anyone here had the same "nightmare disorder" or "Sleep anxiety disorder" as myself. I must admit I have not been properly diagnosed but I am certain I have this disorder. A few nights ago I was sent to a sleep lab to try to figure out why I've been having so much trouble with sleep.

I've always been very prone to nightmares, however, lately they've just been escalating. I've had a difficult time coping with a breakup, I'm graduating from university soon and need to find a job, and I have a less than ideal relationship with my family. I know these could all be causes... but I just wanted to see if anyone here has had this disorder or knows someone who does.

My nightmares have almost become a nightly thing. I wake up at least once screaming. The doctor has given me a sleeping pill, zopiclone, to help get me to a "deeper" level of sleep, as she said she believed i was not getting it due to all the waking up. A few times in the past weeks I have found myself jumping out of bed an hour or so after falling asleep... unsure as to where I am or what I'm doing. I wake up panicked, thinking I'm late for something or that I have to be somewhere. I stand in the middle of the room for a few minutes before I realize exactly what is happening.

I find that my dreaming has gotten so out of hand that sometimes I have to take the time to think and see if something truly happened or if I just dreamt it.

I don't really know what I'm asking for here. I guess I just wanted to know if anyone else here has had this problem, and if so how they've dealt with it...

Thanks.

[Literophile]

:O I have horrifying nightmares, too! It's good to see someone else does. Errr, well, not really, but you know what I mean. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I get gut-wrenching gory makes-me-want-to-vomit type nightmares about people I love, so I get having to make sure it was all a dream. *hug* It sucks.

A few times in the past weeks I have found myself jumping out of bed an hour or so after falling asleep... unsure as to where I am or what I'm doing. I wake up panicked, thinking I'm late for something or that I have to be somewhere. I stand in the middle of the room for a few minutes before I realize exactly what is happening. This sounds a bit like night terrors. I don't have those, but you may want to look it up--those are treatable.

I have something that's basically the opposite of sleepwalking--it's called sleep paralysis. This is really really scary, but harmless, though it doesn't seem like it. It goes along WITH the nightmares and combines to make a lovely cocktail of NOT SLEEPING.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. *hug* Hang in there.

[Amelie]

:O I have horrifying nightmares, too! It's good to see someone else does. Errr, well, not really, but you know what I mean. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I get gut-wrenching gory makes-me-want-to-vomit type nightmares about people I love, so I get having to make sure it was all a dream. *hug* It sucks.

A few times in the past weeks I have found myself jumping out of bed an hour or so after falling asleep... unsure as to where I am or what I'm doing. I wake up panicked, thinking I'm late for something or that I have to be somewhere. I stand in the middle of the room for a few minutes before I realize exactly what is happening. This sounds a bit like night terrors. I don't have those, but you may want to look it up--those are treatable.

I have something that's basically the opposite of sleepwalking--it's called sleep paralysis. This is really really scary, but harmless, though it doesn't seem like it. It goes along WITH the nightmares and combines to make a lovely cocktail of NOT SLEEPING.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. *hug* Hang in there.

hey Literophile! Thanks so much for writing. I'm sorry you're going through this too! After a while it really starts to get to you. I know exactly what you're talking about with sleep paralysis. That's horrible too, I've definitely experienced it. Have you thought of ever telling your doctor about it? I told my doctor for the first time a few weeks ago and she was really concerned. You should try going to a sleep lab too if you see it's all really disturbing your sleep quality. I haven't gotten my results yet... but I'll let you know if they're any use... though I gotta say I only slept for 2 hours at the lab.. it's so hard to fall asleep with all that equipment attached to you!

[Literophile]

hey Literophile! Thanks so much for writing. I'm sorry you're going through this too! After a while it really starts to get to you. I know exactly what you're talking about with sleep paralysis. That's horrible too, I've definitely experienced it. Have you thought of ever telling your doctor about it? I told my doctor for the first time a few weeks ago and she was really concerned. You should try going to a sleep lab too if you see it's all really disturbing your sleep quality. I haven't gotten my results yet... but I'll let you know if they're any use... though I gotta say I only slept for 2 hours at the lab.. it's so hard to fall asleep with all that equipment attached to you!

Yes, I've been to a sleep lab twice. All they told me was that I don't have sleep apnea. Thanks, genius, I KNOW that already! >:| Anyway, no I haven't tried telling my doctors. Yeah, it really wears you down. I can count on three fingers the times I've woken up well-rested. I've tried everything--sleeping pills, meditation, vitamins, working out during the day, you name it. I'm just always tired, from dawn to dusk. My whole life I have been. It gets to you.

Yeah, they expect you to sleep the same way you would at home... HELLO! I have wires coming out of my head! *sigh*

I'm happy to have someone to relate to. :)

[Amelie]

Yes, I've been to a sleep lab twice. All they told me was that I don't have sleep apnea. Thanks, genius, I KNOW that already! >:| Anyway, no I haven't tried telling my doctors. Yeah, it really wears you down. I can count on three fingers the times I've woken up well-rested. I've tried everything--sleeping pills, meditation, vitamins, working out during the day, you name it. I'm just always tired, from dawn to dusk. My whole life I have been. It gets to you.

Yeah, they expect you to sleep the same way you would at home... HELLO! I have wires coming out of my head! *sigh*

I'm happy to have someone to relate to. :)


Sigh... I'm sorry nothing has been helping. I'm the same. I don't know about you but I think mine might be rooted in anxiety and the stress of my own life... do you think there are a lot of sources of stress in yours? Do your dreams have a theme? Is it usually just about your loved ones getting hurt? :( That's horrible. Mine definitely have a theme too. They're quite violent and a lot of them are about rape. I attribute a bit of it to my history but who knows. Maybe learning to manage our stressors can somehow help us...

Glad I have someone to talk with too :)