Topic: Nightmares/night terrors and restless sleep

[butchersdog]

Anyone have any experience with this? For years I've suffered with sleep problems, whether it's nightmares/night terrors, excessive talking in my sleep, or moving about/hitting myself. I often have no recollection of it the next day. I wonder whether it's a symptom of something that's bothering me that I should sort out, manifesting in my sleep.

[CraigDS]

Can't remember the last time I had a nightmare (or a dream either to be honest). Used to have a weird one as a kid where I was trying to hold something (nondescript) in my hands that was too big to grip and too heavy and stood struggling to do so - had that dream quite a few times I seem to remember but not for a long long time.

[QR350]

Can't remember the last time I had a nightmare (or a dream either to be honest). Used to have a weird one as a kid where I was trying to hold something (nondescript) in my hands that was too big to grip and too heavy and stood struggling to do so - had that dream quite a few times I seem to remember but not for a long long time.

I hate that my mind is so dirty

[redbyrdz]

Anyone have any experience with this? For years I've suffered with sleep problems, whether it's nightmares/night terrors, excessive talking in my sleep, or moving about/hitting myself. I often have no recollection of it the next day. I wonder whether it's a symptom of something that's bothering me that I should sort out, manifesting in my sleep.

Does it affect your day life? For example do you feel tired or have trouble staying awake?
Do you already follow the rules of good sleep hygiene?
Are there triggers for it?



This might also be useful: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/treatment

[Tricia Dingle]

Suffered with night terrors since my teenage years. Only experience maybe one a week these days, but they’re still horrific. The worst one was waking up and ‘seeing’ somebody standing above me with an axe about to swing at me! I screamed so loud and the girl I was with at the time started screaming as well, which made things 10 times worse!  Took me 30 seconds or so to realise it wasn’t real. Threw up with shock. That was about 8 years ago now.

Sometimes they’re comical, I’ve seen a whole host of strange things during a night terror. From dragons, to beach balls bouncing around the room. Once saw a monkey who I thought was running up to my pillow and slapping me in the face.

The most bizzare thing I ever saw was this albino fella who was a contestant on Big Brother ages ago. He was sitting at the end of my bed just staring at me. Terrifying!

[L8Craig]

I hate that my mind is so dirty

Wife has bad nightmares. Suffers with anxiety and depression in the past.
I have none. Don’t dream.

[S]

I've experienced sleep paralysis. First instance was probably four or five years ago, last time it happened was earlier this year. In total I'd guess it's happened about eight times.

For those who don't know, I'll simplify it. Essentially your mind wakes up whilst your muscles are still asleep. Your eyes are open and you are consciously aware of being awake in your bed, but you can't move a single part of your body. As a result of being suddenly roused from sleep and your own panicked state, you're very susceptible to hallucinations at this point. Most hallucinations revolve around the feeling of helplessness. For example, some of mine have been a weird creature crawling around the back of me which I obviously can't turn and fight off, or footsteps starting downstairs and gradually getting closer and closer to me whilst eerie music plays. The whole thing usually lasts thirty seconds maximum, then my muscles relax and everything's back to normal. I've gradually grown used to it, although it's still very scary. First time it happened I was of course completely unaware of the phenomenon and understandably terrified. I've genuinely never felt my heart beat so fast.

Never been a good sleeper, but in terms of nightmares I don't suffer from any nightly troubles. Your problem could be meaningless but at the same time there's a million tiny things that happen to us every day than can infiltrate our sleep. I'd maybe start by thinking about if you have been feeling different in any way recently, and examining what the causes could be. Just addressing a problem is sometimes enough to lessen it's effect. If I can't sleep and I'm anxious about things I have to do the next day, I sometimes just make a list of what's concerning me. This simple act of acknowledging these issues feels like it takes a load of my mind. Might be of help, might be completely meaningless to you!

[keano7]

I’ve experienced a few night terrors over the last decade a so. They only seem to occur when I’m sleeping in a different bed to my own (I travel a lot with work). I usually dream of being in a confined space and being unable to get out which sets off sheer panic.

As someone posted above, it usually lasts for about 20-30 seconds and scares the hell out of me and my girlfriend. It’s absolutely terrifying as everything seems a blur until you come to your senses.

[Roady]

I’ve woken up in a panic on many occasions. Not a lot and not regular but when it happens fuck me it’s terrifiying.i did wake up once on a lads holiday years ago and my mate asked immediately “ what happened? Did you do it?” Didn’t have a clue what the fuck he was talking about. He basically then went on to tell me I was obviously dreaming, I was talking in my sleep and was commentating on myself playing snooker in the crucible in the final. I was on for a 147. I got as far as the final black. I still don’t know if I potted the fucking thing.

[S]

I’ve woken up in a panic on many occasions. Not a lot and not regular but when it happens fuck me it’s terrifiying.i did wake up once on a lads holiday years ago and my mate asked immediately “ what happened? Did you do it?” Didn’t have a clue what the fuck he was talking about. He basically then went on to tell me I was obviously dreaming, I was talking in my sleep and was commentating on myself playing snooker in the crucible in the final. I was on for a 147. I got as far as the final black. I still don’t know if I potted the fucking thing.

The only way that could be weirder is if your mate was John Virgo and as you woke up he looked at you and said, “Where’s the cue ball going?”

[.adam]

Seem to be suffering with night terrors more and more these days. Don't know what's causing it.

Last one was a couple of nights ago when I dreamt that a lorry was reversing over our car and I tried to jump to save my wife. She's obviously in bed next to me and I'm screaming for her to get out and dragging her out of bed before I wake up.

I've been known to sit up in bed, shout, scream etc. it's not good.

I have a habit of dreaming about stuff which is playing on my mind a bit. So as an example, I've been trying to sort out a charger for our electric car and I lie in bed thinking about what I need to do and it can translate into dreams once I've nodded off.

I also wonder whether the way I consume media etc. is contributing too. I'm bad for scrolling on the reddit app on my phone which is just a machine gun of information. One minute I'll be looking at a funny gif, the next reading about global warming, the next a picture of a cat, the next a map from the 1700s, the next an interview with Salah etc. etc. It's just a bombardment of images, videos and articles.

Last night I decided to not touch my phone from 8pm onwards to see if it helps and I seemed to have a better nights' sleep as a result but given that I only suffer with night terrors once a month or so it's not a great sample size.

I'm planning on sticking to the 'no phone before bed' rule for a while and also getting back into reading in bed to help me to nod off.

Anyone else suffer/found a way to reduce the events?

[Andy @ Allerton!]

I had a dream years ago when a kid and it was being chased down a neon maze.

I read up about it and the article I read said it was basically your fears 'chasing you' and if you turned in the dream (Takes a little lucid dreaming ability to be honest) then it could help.


The next night. I stopped (lucid) and turned (lucid) to take control of the dream and it ended.

Never had any problems since.

You don't need to be a committed lucid dreamer to do this - you don't really need to take control and change stuff, but you need the ability to control the flow (Different things)

Quite a few good articles on the basics of lucid dreaming. I stopped doing it years ago because although I love flying and changing stuff you wake up exhausted

[Andy @ Allerton!]

If you want to have a crack at lucid dreaming then this is a reasonable guide

https://luciddreamsociety.com/beginners-lucid-dream-guide/


It's not magic and there aren't spirits or supernatural bollocks going on. It's your head and thoughts and this gives you a little or a lot of control.

When I was into it decades ago I could build dreams as I dreamt them, but it's really hard work and takes a lot of energy that you should be resting in.

For most people the best bit is being able to ;

1. Know you are dreaming
2. NOT. WAKE. UP
3. Jump and fly


2 is the bugger. Realising that you are not dreaming is something that comes to you fairly quickly. Not waking up when you realise is a bastard. Really hard not to do

[AndyMuller]

I went to bed a few weeks ago and it was quite early (around half 10) and I must have dozed off for only about 20 mins when I woke up in sheer panic and saw a ghostly man to the right side of the bed so I shot up and sat on the side of the bed dead quick and he moved quickly to the front side of the bed and then disappeared which then had me looking in the wardrobe mirror thinking I was having either a heart attack or panic attack as I was absolutely sweating and in fear. I was about to call my girlfriend who was downstairs and tell her to ring me an ambulance but I ended up lying back down and eventually nodding off until the morning after.

The fuck was that all about?!

[tubby]

Both me and my girlfriend had really nasty, horrible nightmares the week or so we got through the Chernobyl TV series.

[AlphaDelta]

I've had reoccurring dreams for a few years, always the same type, the most common is watching a plane crash, like a fighter jet type. I'm always on the ground looking up and it always crashes into a fireball.
The second is lightning. I dream I'm in a storm and trying to shelter from bolts of lightning. The third is a common one for most people, that my teeth have fell out in the night. Its quite weird.

The other night though, I dreamt about a woman in work. She's not even a good mate as such, just a woman who was on the same team as me a few years ago. I don't think I've actually seen her in a couple of years. Anyway, I dreamt we were walking arm in arm along a prom, I went to a pub and said to her, "what do you want" and she went, "oooh surprise me". The pub was like one of those old rickety fun houses at the fair, I got her a cocktail and walked back along the prom to give it to her. Absolute madness.

[Jono69]

I dream every night without fail , when i was growing up ( Around 11 ish) i had a recurring nightmare about being trapped in a coffin going down a huge conveyor belt into a furnace

My daughter a few years ago started having night terrors and this went on for around a year , quite alarming even when we got used to her doing it , her bedroom is directly above the front room and she has a cabin bed so you would hear a thud on the floor and then her running about . Her eyes were always wide open and she would just randomly talk nonsense . Quite often when we got to her she would grab one of us by the hand and lead us into different rooms in the house to look for something

[AndyMuller]

I've had reoccurring dreams for a few years, always the same type, the most common is watching a plane crash, like a fighter jet type. I'm always on the ground looking up and it always crashes into a fireball.
The second is lightning. I dream I'm in a storm and trying to shelter from bolts of lightning. The third is a common one for most people, that my teeth have fell out in the night. Its quite weird.

The other night though, I dreamt about a woman in work. She's not even a good mate as such, just a woman who was on the same team as me a few years ago. I don't think I've actually seen her in a couple of years. Anyway, I dreamt we were walking arm in arm along a prom, I went to a pub and said to her, "what do you want" and she went, "oooh surprise me". The pub was like one of those old rickety fun houses at the fair, I got her a cocktail and walked back along the prom to give it to her. Absolute madness.

I have the watching a plane crash from the ground one quite often too mate, I always wake up in shock off it. They either fly into a building or into the sea.

[Crosby Nick]

I had one recently where I woke up with a feeling I was being watched. I opened my eyes and my daughter was stood at my bedside watching over me. Creepy as fuck. I actually let out a comedy scream.

The only recurring one of sorts that I can think of is sometimes, in a very random scenario I’ll end up about to play a sports match. Lots of ore match chat, or waiting around but for whatever reason the game never starts and I never get to play. Story of my life.

[AlphaDelta]

I have the watching a plane crash from the ground one quite often too mate, I always wake up in shock off it. They either fly into a building or into the sea.

Bizarre isn't it, I've tried googling it but it all says different stuff

[rob1966]

I have the watching a plane crash from the ground one quite often too mate, I always wake up in shock off it. They either fly into a building or into the sea.

My missus has them too, usually before we are due to fly. She'll also dream about airliners landing in our street, some going as I just about got the wagon down there one time

[Andy @ Allerton!]

I had one where I dreamt I ate a giant marshmallow and in the morning, my pillow had gone!

[Ziltoid]

Funnily enough the cunting spider thread is right next to this one.

[west_london_red]

It’s been a few years but I used to suffer from really bad sleep paralysis, it was absolutely terrifying, feeling like there was someone in the room but at the same time feeling like there was a 10 ton weight on me that stopped me from moving.

[Grobbelrevell]

I've had a few over the years, albeit not too frequently, thankfully.

The one I've had several times as an adult has been waking up utterly convinced that there's a giant fly/wasp/insect (delete as appropriate) in my bedroom. On each occasion i'll wake up and jump out of bed in one motion and either run straight out of the room, or to a far corner, heart beating through my chest. Once, several years ago now, this happened and it was a wasp right above me on my light shade. The wasp was the size of my head. I shot up and out of my bedroom and slammed the door behind me and stood there with my back to the door. My bedroom was next to my roommate there and he heard me slam the door and came out to see what was happening. It was only when he started talking that I realised it was *probably* just a dream, and I said I was all good, before slowly edging my way back in. I still checked under the bed and shook the covers out before I got back into bed, mind.

On triggers, I guess it kinda goes without saying that I'm not a fan of insects of any description, really, and on the wasp occasion, I'd had a wasp nest discovered just outside my bedroom window there and one day I came home from work and found the window sill and bedroom floor alive with them. Doesn't take a lot to trace that correlation. No idea why the fly variation came from, mind you.

The thing with these dreams is they're so unbelieveably vivid and they seem so real at the time. I've had these dreams a couple of times while I've been with my wife. First time she wondered what the hell was going on as I climbed over her in the middle of the night to get away from said fly.

Anyway, not happened for a while now.

[Filler.]

I also wonder whether the way I consume media etc. is contributing too. I'm bad for scrolling on the reddit app on my phone which is just a machine gun of information. One minute I'll be looking at a funny gif, the next reading about global warming, the next a picture of a cat, the next a map from the 1700s, the next an interview with Salah etc. etc. It's just a bombardment of images, videos and articles.

My now 11 year old used to have terrible night terrors - still gets them occasionally but not nearly as bad as they were. Could be trying to talk him down for 20 minutes some nights. Was like The Exorcist. I always put it down to computer games - too much info bombarding the brain. He was born soon after Hodgson was appointed too so that can't have helped either.

Us humans really need to step off the gas more. Scrolling thru social media, hi energy games etc isn't good for anyone without a good prolonged break.

[[new username under construction]]

I had one where I dreamt I ate a giant marshmallow and in the morning, my pillow had gone!

I mean, comedy gold!

Exploding head syndrome is a common thing, love the name I have it myself, lots of fun. Mirtazapine is a solution to a lot of restless nights sleep though, not ideal of course but does help a lot of sleep conditions

[Nitramdorf]

I mean, comedy gold!

Exploding head syndrome is a common thing, love the name I have it myself, lots of fun. Mirtazapine is a solution to a lot of restless nights sleep though, not ideal of course but does help a lot of sleep conditions

What does your noises entail? I think I might have it but mine are more loud knocks than explosions like a bomb going off. I'd love to know a bit more about it. I can sometimes wake up with my heart thumping, drenched in sweat. I even got up and answered the door once at 3 in the morning as I was convinced someone was knocking my door. I then convinced myself that it was definitely a poltergeist, then I heard about exploding head syndrome. I do sleep terribly and would love to get back to sleeping normally one day.

[Lee1-6Liv]

Not had night terrors before but did go sleep walking once. Got up, put shoes and coat on but no pants so was just in my boxers. Went down to my mother inlaws house which is only down the road and then went back to our house but as I had no pants I didn't have any keys so I proceeded to try and break in through the back door with a piece of wood. Woke up in the front garden staring up at the bedroom window. No idea what triggered it.

[[new username under construction]]

What does your noises entail? I think I might have it but mine are more loud knocks than explosions like a bomb going off. I'd love to know a bit more about it. I can sometimes wake up with my heart thumping, drenched in sweat. I even got up and answered the door once at 3 in the morning as I was convinced someone was knocking my door. I then convinced myself that it was definitely a poltergeist, then I heard about exploding head syndrome. I do sleep terribly and would love to get back to sleeping normally one day.

I've had knocks, bangs, flashes of light and someone calling my name on numerous occasions....and same with the heart thumping and clammy. Doc always puts it down to anxiety...meaning they don't really have a clue but yeah Mirtazapine stopped pretty much all that for me. Used to get really stressful dreams and i'd be woken with a shock, anything from slipping off a curb to a bear pouncing on me. I started on 15mg of Mirtazapine and the shocks went away and I was left with just stressful dreams.....upped to 30mg and I don't remember a thing now on a night

I don't love being on tablets but sleeping things are so difficult to sort out, I mean you're asleep, what the f*** can you do!!!!

The only downside (I think) to Mirtazapine is it's so hard to get up on a morning, real Zombie

[Mark Walters]

I've had reoccurring dreams for a few years, always the same type, the most common is watching a plane crash, like a fighter jet type. I'm always on the ground looking up and it always crashes into a fireball.
The second is lightning. I dream I'm in a storm and trying to shelter from bolts of lightning. The third is a common one for most people, that my teeth have fell out in the night. Its quite weird.

The other night though, I dreamt about a woman in work. She's not even a good mate as such, just a woman who was on the same team as me a few years ago. I don't think I've actually seen her in a couple of years. Anyway, I dreamt we were walking arm in arm along a prom, I went to a pub and said to her, "what do you want" and she went, "oooh surprise me". The pub was like one of those old rickety fun houses at the fair, I got her a cocktail and walked back along the prom to give it to her. Absolute madness.

Did you give it to her. Did you? Oooh! Did she want it, sir...!

(Sorry! )

[Nitramdorf]

I've had knocks, bangs, flashes of light and someone calling my name on numerous occasions....and same with the heart thumping and clammy. Doc always puts it down to anxiety...meaning they don't really have a clue but yeah Mirtazapine stopped pretty much all that for me. Used to get really stressful dreams and i'd be woken with a shock, anything from slipping off a curb to a bear pouncing on me. I started on 15mg of Mirtazapine and the shocks went away and I was left with just stressful dreams.....upped to 30mg and I don't remember a thing now on a night

I don't love being on tablets but sleeping things are so difficult to sort out, I mean you're asleep, what the f*** can you do!!!!

The only downside (I think) to Mirtazapine is it's so hard to get up on a morning, real Zombie

Thanks mate. Its definitely a weird thing to happen. Ive got kind of used to it a bit now but it still wakes me up with my heart thumping at the least. Im sure it is linked to anxiety, I have that and depression at times.

Im not a big fan of pills, maybe one day it will go. At least I know im not going doolally 

All the best 

[[new username under construction]]

Thanks mate. Its definitely a weird thing to happen. Ive got kind of used to it a bit now but it still wakes me up with my heart thumping at the least. Im sure it is linked to anxiety, I have that and depression at times.

Im not a big fan of pills, maybe one day it will go. At least I know im not going doolally 

All the best 

Same to you mate can be a scary thing when it happens, hope you get sorted

[rob1966]

This one pisses me off, whenever I have an early start I try to go to bed to get 6 hours sleep, so today I'm up at 3:45 so went to bed at 9:15, fell asleep some time after half 11 and woke up at 00:52, 02:35 and then 03:20.

If I had have gone to bed after 10, I'd have been asleep in about 10 minutes

[Andy @ Allerton!]

I mentioned it before, but if you are having problems then learning the basics of lucid dreaming could help you.

It's all in your head. There is no magic or voodoo or supernatural stuff going on.

It's just you and your head.

If you can partially control that when you need to then it can obviously make a difference.

[red1977]

I’ve had sleep paralysis quite a lot of times When I was young and lived with my parents was the first time it happened, I felt my head was stuck to the pillow but my body would lift up until I’m vertical feet in the air head on the pillow and it kept doing it. I remember screaming for my dad but no sound came out, I could have sworn I was awake, then I could move normally again.

Later in life I’ve heard footsteps and been stuck to the mattress unable to move and I’m staring at the open bedroom door waiting to see what comes through and then the footsteps stop and a man with a large oversized brown face peers over the top of the door at me. Freaky stuff.

After a few bouts of sleep paralysis I’ve got used to it and will myself to snap out of it without the hallucinations, I kind of know it’s not real and let it go.

[Jm55]

I've had a few over the years, albeit not too frequently, thankfully.

The one I've had several times as an adult has been waking up utterly convinced that there's a giant fly/wasp/insect (delete as appropriate) in my bedroom. On each occasion i'll wake up and jump out of bed in one motion and either run straight out of the room, or to a far corner, heart beating through my chest. Once, several years ago now, this happened and it was a wasp right above me on my light shade. The wasp was the size of my head. I shot up and out of my bedroom and slammed the door behind me and stood there with my back to the door. My bedroom was next to my roommate there and he heard me slam the door and came out to see what was happening. It was only when he started talking that I realised it was *probably* just a dream, and I said I was all good, before slowly edging my way back in. I still checked under the bed and shook the covers out before I got back into bed, mind.

On triggers, I guess it kinda goes without saying that I'm not a fan of insects of any description, really, and on the wasp occasion, I'd had a wasp nest discovered just outside my bedroom window there and one day I came home from work and found the window sill and bedroom floor alive with them. Doesn't take a lot to trace that correlation. No idea why the fly variation came from, mind you.

The thing with these dreams is they're so unbelieveably vivid and they seem so real at the time. I've had these dreams a couple of times while I've been with my wife. First time she wondered what the hell was going on as I climbed over her in the middle of the night to get away from said fly.

Anyway, not happened for a while now.

I get this but for me I’m convinced there’s a snake in the bed, absolutely terrifying when it happens .

[Sangria]

I’ve had sleep paralysis quite a lot of times When I was young and lived with my parents was the first time it happened, I felt my head was stuck to the pillow but my body would lift up until I’m vertical feet in the air head on the pillow and it kept doing it. I remember screaming for my dad but no sound came out, I could have sworn I was awake, then I could move normally again.

Later in life I’ve heard footsteps and been stuck to the mattress unable to move and I’m staring at the open bedroom door waiting to see what comes through and then the footsteps stop and a man with a large oversized brown face peers over the top of the door at me. Freaky stuff.

After a few bouts of sleep paralysis I’ve got used to it and will myself to snap out of it without the hallucinations, I kind of know it’s not real and let it go.

I automatically will my limbs to move when I get sleep paralysis, despite being quite aware that it's sleep paralysis and that I might as well get back to sleep. I used to panic when I get these episodes, but not much so now. Similarly with dreams, which I'm in some control of now. Eg. when I dream of my parents, I'm quite aware that I'm in a dream, so I take advantage of the fact that I currently have a vivid image of them, and treasure the moment as much as I can.

[Sangria]

I mentioned it before, but if you are having problems then learning the basics of lucid dreaming could help you.

It's all in your head. There is no magic or voodoo or supernatural stuff going on.

It's just you and your head.

If you can partially control that when you need to then it can obviously make a difference.

Dreams are just you continuing to think about what you have been thinking about when you were awake. When you're awake, it's called stream of consciousness. When you're asleep, it's called dreaming. Same thing. The most vivid dreams I've had have been of my parents, and I can read them with ease; I bloody miss them. When I get one of these dreams, I usually just stop and look at them and listen to them, to engrave the image and sound as much in my mind as possible. On at least one occasion, I give them a hug and tell them how much I miss them.

[Jm55]

I automatically will my limbs to move when I get sleep paralysis, despite being quite aware that it's sleep paralysis and that I might as well get back to sleep. I used to panic when I get these episodes, but not much so now. Similarly with dreams, which I'm in some control of now. Eg. when I dream of my parents, I'm quite aware that I'm in a dream, so I take advantage of the fact that I currently have a vivid image of them, and treasure the moment as much as I can.

I suffer from sleep paralysis, although thankfully not as much anymore. When I do get it, I find that if I muster some strength I can kick out my limbs which wales the rest of my body up. It’s at its worst when I fall asleep on the sofa and your head is against the sofa and you can’t move it, absolutely horrible but I can at least usually work out what’s going on and snap out of it.