Question
You may be the wrong person to ask about this, but I couldn't find it listed in any of the mental health categories. I have two sleep issues. First, I'm a life-long insomniac. I don't normally sleep more than 4 or 5 hours, if I fall asleep at all. That I'm used to. My main issue is that for the past year, I have been having these horrible, over-the-top, violent nightmares. I started getting them every few weeks, then every week and now it's almost every night. I haven't changed any medications that I'm on, no lifestyle changes, nothing. I am on disability for pain issues, and take meds for that. My partner has to wake me up 3 or 4 times a night because I'm screaming, crying and thrashing in my sleep. The other night, he had to slap me because I was sound asleep, sat up like a shot and started screaming. He said I was asleep through the whole thing. He tried everything to wake me up, but it wasn't until he slapped me that I came out of it. Any suggestions? I am now terrified of sleeping.
Answer
wHAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING IS NORMAL NATURAL PHENOMENON as well as if happens all the time is a symptom of narcolepsy which is a sleep disorder where one sleeps at inappropriate times which is not what you suffer from, but when it happens once in awhile. What happens is due to meds or sleep problems, we are wired that we all need to dream. However istead of our brains and bodies falling asleep and awakening up together at the same time, one lags behind a nano second and so you are dreaming with your eyes open, dreams are so terrifying that those of us who suffer from narcolepsy and get it regularly even look under the bed 30 minutes after as we still believe that what we dreamed of is still in the room. You are also unable to move. The key though is not to shake you as when you do this you put this dreamstate back into your brain, and it will only happen again and again thru the night, what your boyfriend must do is simply call your name constantly and say its allright if he has to do it 50 times, if you can remember to move your eyeballs from right to left it will break the cycle but this is so hard to thinki of when your dreaming and peterfied, What the name calling and saying its allright so and so is here is that the conscious side of your brain recognizes the voice and pulls you out of it, and although you will still be afraid to go back to sleep after a few minutes just knowing its not real and it was this hypnangogic hallucination will put you at ease. I also am including some tips for insomnia. that may help. also the hallucinations are for you more so as withdrawing from pain meds can also make it happen more as it is a side effect from the meds. Go to sleepnet.com click on disorders narcolepsy and read about the hallucinations, feel free to email again karel here is the form letter for the insomnia
into a different room and read a book or magazine only! No computer!
When you start to doze immediately go back into the bedroom.Do this as
many times as you awaken during the night.It will lesson.This retrains
the brain into thinking that the bedroom is for restful sleep only.
30 minutes before bedtime take a hot bath and immerse hands under the
water.Latest research states that the palms of the hand when immersed
in hot water send signals to the brain to relax. 15 minutes before bedtime\
drink a glass of warm milk. Milk when heated contains tryptophan, a
natural amino acid sleep inducer. Go to sleepnet.com click on disordersYou must reset your sleep clock. Do the following religiously for
4-6 weeks though many have seen changes in as little as 2 weeks.
You must go to bed and awaken the same time every day regardless
of how much or little sleep you got the night before. This starts to
reset your sleep clock. 3 hours before bedtime stay away from
tea, coffee, caffeine, caramel colored soda like, coke,pepsi, ginger ale,
or root beer, chocolate and exercise .All these make for restless sleep.
Make sure room is quiet and dark. When you go to bed if you start to
twist and turn or if you wake up in the middle of the night and cant
go back to sleep, twist and turn for only 20 minutes, then get up, go
insomnia for more tips. Feel free to email again , Karel
