Within the last year, I've stopped the hormonal birth control that I've been on fairly regularly since I was 14 (21 now), and gotten a copper IUD inserted. Luckily for me, I haven't had too many side effects. I had debilitating cramps pre-birth control, and the ones I'm getting now from the IUD are pretty easy to deal with, so I'm actually very happy with it in general.

When I really thinkg about it, I suppose it's one of the first times I'm really letting my body experience it's menstrual cycle organically and I've started to notice a strange pattern.

At least once a month, about a week before my period starts, I have heart-stopping, horrific nightmares, night terrors, or worse, lucid nightmares that I can't really break out of. I originally thought it was just a symptom of my cycling depression and some sort of manifestation of the disturbed, **** part of my mind. I guess it could be. The consistency of the timing of it all is become really apparent, though. I can practically predict when they'll start at this point, and have actually started taking benzos before bed around that time to chill them out a bit.

Am I completely off the mark that they could be menstrual cycle related? I've tried to look online, but haven't really found too much. Ladies?