Nightmares related to early trauma can disturb a person's life for sure. Sorry you are having such a hard time with them! Dealing with the actual trauma issues may help, but it sounds like perhaps you might also want to look into seeing a sleep expert.

There are things they can look at for you such as the length of your REM dream cycle, brain chemistry (which can make very bad nighmare problems if off), and testing to see if you are properly entering deep stage sleep (where cellular repair is highest and we do not dream at all).

Until that time, you may try these things to see if they help any:

1) Do NOT eat anything 2 hours before bed. The body chemistry from eating just before bed can increase the intensity of nightmares.

2) Drink plenty of water during the day. Sounds goofy - but seriously, the brain that is improperly hydrated can cause headaches and nightmares and depression.

3) Do not use any nicotine products. If you do, do not use them 4 hours before sleep. Nicotine is a POWERFUL drug which can cause very intense nightmares. People who are trying to stop smoking and accidently leave the patch on overnight can tell you about this.

4) Journal every dream when you wake up. Even if it is just code words to yourself so you are not triggered any more than need be, the act of journaling tells the brain you are "listening" to what it has said. Many nightmares are the subconscious YELLING at the person. It will often continue to yell until it actually believes it has been heard. Just saying "I know about this stuff in the dream already!" is not enough. That is why journaling can be a great tool in this case. The act of physical motion to record the dream sends signals to the brain that are very solid.

5) Dream Power. Start working on reclaiming your dream "space." This is a skill that takes a while to perfect. It can lead to "Astral travel" and "Lucid Dreaming" if you work at it. The best thing is that you are able to take a nightmare and wake your conscious mind up inside the dream and then logically work your way through the events. You can know it is a dream or dream memory and actually take charge of the situation and change what happens in that dream. This skill is wonderful for empowerment of those who have been chronically abused as children. Dreams are primative mechanisms which rehearse events which were often life or death situations. As an evolutionary mechanism, changing the outcome of the dream through conscious effort within the dream can lead a person to a place of empowerment. To get you started in this direction, before you go to bed - think about what you WANT to dream. Another tool is to practice trying to "see" your hands inside the dream state.

Hope this helps in some way. Peace.