how to stop the nightmares?

starting again - the nightmares

how do I stop these

difficulty sleeping as it is, right now, because of some disturbances in my life re: my mother and her psychosis (and a string of problems because of this)

so I wake middle of night, me stressed, finally get myself back to sleep, with the horrible nightmares that follow

the one this early morning was a roomful of women, merrily choking me

how do I stop the nightmares?

I'm not sure...just wanted you to know that I read your post...I've been experiencing a lot of dreams some bad...I'm not exactly sure what is causing them or how to stop them...something I'm going to talk to my T next Saturday...

(((((((((((((((((Rose3)))))))))))))))))))

I know how unnerving those nightmares can be. I'm sorry you are going through them.

Many times the nightmares and dreams are extensions of what our subconscious is thinking about. They may be very fractured and hard to understand.

I'm not sure how to stop them, but possibly when you go to bed at night, listening to some calming music, or thinking about something happy that feels good just before you go to sleep might help. It's worth a try I think Remind yourself when you awaken from them that they are only bad dreams, breathe deeply in and out, try again of thinking some pleasant thoughts while you drift back to sleep.

I wish you well and hope they go away soon!

Hugssss
J

Hey.. this probably isn't a ton of help, but I am very prone to nightmares. Right now I'm trying an AD to see if they help them, but my doctor also told me about a high blood pressure medication that will also get rid of nightmares. If you really have a problem with them, maybe you can ask your doctor about that?

For me, I can try all that relaxing stuff and have a good day, be reasonably happy, etc. and I still have nightmares 3-5 times a week.

After particularly bad nightmares, I put on a really funny movie, and try to fall back asleep to that or else I'll just imagine the nightmare in my head all night.

I'm sorry you're having disturbing nightmares.

I hope you will share them with your therapist so you can explore them and understand them.

Nightmares and dreams reflect your perception of reality. E.G. if you are afraid of something in your real life, your body will render it in a nightmare.
Not suggesting this is the complete truth, but it partially is.

Why dream/nightmare? Your body needs to filter out all the impressions you get throughout the day (sub- and consciously). I also have nightmares, and bad dreams, and I know it sucks. But it's easier to accept it when I know why I have them.

*Hugs*

Rose,

I am afflicted by nightmares a great deal of the time as well. Some of the suggestions folks have made in this thread already are good ones to try and can assist your body to prepare for relaxing sleep.

Another thing that you may wish to try is keeping a dream journal. This is something I began doing myself about a year ago and I have found it to be rather insightful. It doesn't necessarily quell the nightmares, but it does help me to write them down. Then I go back, read what I have written, and find I have a better understanding of what the nightmare was truly about. With the understanding comes a lessening in the fear of them. I know this may sound stupid, but hopefully you can just trust me on this one.

I keep just a plain notebook and a pencil on the nightstand next to my bed so it is ready to be written in as soon as I wake from the nightmare. I also keep what I call a "ground" item near this notebook so I can I use it help get over the initial terror of waking from the nightmare. My ground? A little stuffed cat.

I've been plagued with nightmares since childhood... a T taught me to journal them... it doesn't make them stop for me, but it does mininze the after effects...
and sometimes I can figure out what is bothering me and that particuliar recurring nightmare will go away..

i never heard of that i just wake up 2 times at night just anxious never really knowing why but what helps is watching a bit of tv to soothe ur nerves that helps me

My nightmares are pretty vivid..and loud.. when my son was growing up... he would have friends sleep over so gradually as they got older and more aware, we had to let them know I have nightmares..

mine are wake up screaming type nightmares... I thought everyone had them..

i was told that nightmares are just our brains sorting everything out like sometimes if we have regular dream and we remember them we can sit and think what did i watch are do or hear doing the day then i say oh yea i spoke about etc.. and we watched this movie aww that makes sense so i really try and remember that so that i don't let dreams or nightmares affect me to much i know it's my brain working and sorting everything out i see it as me being a huge file cabinet and my brain being a receptionist doing the filing lol hope that helps love steph