Sleep, bad dream with triggers causing NO SLEEP

Often, mostly lately I have dreams that trigger me, things from the past and some I am not sure were real but seem real. Then I am so anxious I cannot sleep OR dread sleep, so that I jinx that night's sleep. I have tried all the sleep hygine and hate this. Any ideas, tips, just a shoulder? Thank you

Hi, Pas, sorry no ideas/tips (i don't know what sleep is either) but a shoulder and an ear are available (or even two).

( (((Pas))))

Sometimes when I have dreams like that it helps me to sleep if I turn all the lights on. Ordinarily, I need quiet and complete dark to fall asleep, but if I'm having nightmares, etc, turning the lights on helps me feel safer.

((always))) you may not know this but youre helping right now playing in that game with me way up there. Thanks for the shoulders and ears

((CandyBear))) that is true for me sometimes when I cannot sleep (I am not suppose to but) I read in bed with the light on and get my BEST soundest sleep. Thank you

Hi Pas,

My therapist is trying a few things I can pass along, I have just started them, cant say if they help yet or not..there are certain food items which activate a natural occuring tryptiline...he told me these are turkey, lettuce, and the old stand by milk..scented oils, like lavender can relax and calm..I usually dont have a problem falling asleep, although I am not relaxed when I do so..kinda go to black thing, its the staying asleep..once the rem stages hit I am up..either by nightmares or recently sleep walking..my average is about 4 hrs...because of the panic sometimes I fall asleep and dont remember if I slept at all because it lasts only a few hrs and I awake in a panic and my thoughts racing ..

But I am sorry you have the "no sleep issue"..apparently it is a huge problem with PTSD...

(((((Pas)))))))),

This is one of those nights.....no sleep. The nightmares are always there if I don't take seroquel before I go to sleep. I keep on a low light & also keep on the TV. I found that the time between sleep & wake was the worst time for the flashbacks & nightmare like visions. The one thing with seroquel is that I have started feeling real groggy the next day & it takes most of the day for me to wake up if I take the large amount I was taking right after going through the trauma. For some reason, seroquel is the only med that helps my anxiety attacks get under control. I have to take a small dose when I feel an anxiety attack coming on & within about 1/2 hour, it has subsided. Sometimes I end up crashing on the bed, but mostly that only happens at night.

I know before I found that seroquel worked, I went nights without sleep.....I just couldn't sleep because I was afraid of the nightmares & then I just couldn't go to sleep. It was really messing me up going without sleep for so long. What happens now is that I take seroquel one night & sleep most of the day.......then I wake up & start doing the things that I didn't get done because I was sleeping & then I get involved & stay up all night again until I get tired enough I take the seroquel again to avoid the nightmares & get some sleep again.....it is a crazy schedule & isn't working that great, but can't seem to get out of the cycle right now.

I do understand your feelings of not being able to sleep trying to avoid the nightmares. It seems to be somewhat normal when dealing with PTSD.....I do think there has to be a better schedule than the one I am on right now.

The main thing I found was that the TV makes sure there is noise when I wake up & then my mind goes to listen to the TV rather than off into the thoughts that cause the flashbacks & nightmares until I finally wake up fully.

Hope you can find something that works for you.....I just had to experiment around a bit, trying to determine what was happening to me & when in the sleep process.
Debbie

I take sleep meds to be able to get any sleep at all and they don't work all that well. I too sleep with the lights on and the tv and often wake in a panic. Other than that I have a shoulder that you are always welcome to. I hope things improve for you.

Thanks Evangelista , Debbie and Bipolar_Bear, I am trying hard to just hang on and not take more meds for sleep. I may have to cave. I think if the bad thoughts and dreams would stop at bed I would be OK with sleep. I was until recently. I mentioned some of that in abuse. I didn't want to post what because all my threads will have triggers and nobody will read them. I am BEAT. I am grateful for the help and keep the ideas, support and tips up because till I can crawl over this issue I do not see a much sleep ahead

Hey, I read the posts with trigger icons, I just find that I can't always respond. But I"m willing to give it a shot, if you need to get it out...

It sucks not being able to sleep, and having nightmares when you finally manage to sleep. I think reading is a great idea, no matter what you've been told about not reading in bed. It can help take your mind to a diffferent place before you sleep, or if you wake from a nightmare.
(((PasDeDeux)))

Thank you CandyBear , I am afraid to say much because I fear I may trigger you or harm you somehow that I do not think it would be safe for you if I were to say. I do not know your triggers and this is a lot for anyone.
HeartSpace, thanks yes I read last night and I did sleep well. They tell me not to read ot watch TV or any of that but

Ruminating causes the body to make adrenalin, which of course, makes us get up and do something rather than falling asleep... thought stopping and working on pleasant things helps imo

You are right Sky but I haven't been to CBT yet and do not know how to stop my thoughts My T has told me I do ruminate. I really do not want to but I do it but I do and then no sleep or little sleep ...Again you are correct....you are a smart woman Thanks and TC

Funny Sky, ruminating makes me want to sleep. If I'm allowed to crawl under the covers and feel bad, I can lay there for days, dwelling on things, and the last urge I have is to get up and actually DO something.

I suppose I'm weird, but you knew that.

CB

Yes, I believe you (((candybear))) I think when we have been depressed for so long perhaps the chemicals are just so imbalanced in our systems that nothing works as it should ??? I hope you will find something else to think about though, rather than ruminating... even if it's playing mindless computer games...or a book you can focus upon. TC.

I know for me I need to have mindless things on the TV when I am sleeping....things like HSN & QVC.....where there is nothing but talking & nothing that has any kind of plot is the only thing that works for me. Even TV shows like ER or any action TV show causes me to have nightmares even when it is going on during my sleep. I remember one night when I left the TV on another channel & the sound was low, but there was screeming on the TV & the screeming showed up in my dream just as I was waking up to the screaming on the TV.....go figure how quickly our dreams can pick up what in in our external being.

Pas, if you feel like PM'ing me......it is just fine.....I know how it feels to think that something we feel is a trigger to others. The trauma I went through was so different than most others.....it was an ID theft I caught the RN doing & then found out that she had OD'ed my Mother on morphine. Even when the Dr's were trying to find someplace for me to get help, there wasn't a place that knew how to help me with what I was going through.

I usually have pretty strond shoulders so if you need a shoulder to lean on....I will try my best to help you through what you are going through.
Debbie

Hi,
I certainly feel your pain. I have gone up & down with this myself. This seems to be a thing that is happening again to me, I know my triggers so it's making sense.

This is what I do-cut the caffiene out of your diet. Cut the sugar. Find some vitamin B enriched foods, or even take a B complex vitamin (in a nutshell B vits help with many brain chemicals etc-you can research this on the web).

I get my energy out before bed-only you can tell what time of day would be workable for you to do this without falling asleep early. If you are presently not working and need to nap here and there-do so. Your body needs it to repair itself, worry later about getting back on a regular cycle.

Journal-get those thoughts out, whenever they happen any time of the day. When you wake up write, write, write til your hand cramps if you need to, AND do NOT go back and rehash. (I know that might be hard, cause I am always tempted).

BREATHE-every hour on the hour and every half hour breathe nice even breaths for three minutes-this will reset your internal gizmos (lol, without going into the technobabble of it all).

POSITIVE self talk-remind yourself you are ok. A good think with this is to consciously do this one throughout the day so it becomes second nature when you are having one of these, waking up like that.

MEDITATE-this soooooo works, takes time to learn how to do it, and a method that will work personally for you. When you do find one, you will see that you can put yourself to sleep at night in no more than 15 minutes!!!! Seriously! Me, I always find one laying on my back works well (cause I use it to fall asleep to). You can do it with music, or without. I like without. Find a place of contentment (for me the thought of the beach, or Christmas snow works).

So, I hope some of this helps you. You might still have nightmares-or down grade to bad dreams, but they will be liveable and dealable.

hugs, Lisa

Oh, this is not a "quick" fix, these techniques take time to override your thought process, but if you are consistent, and make it a life change kind of thing you will see it will help a whole lot. I suffer from PTSD, and agoraphobia. I am still on the road to recovery as I put it...it's a slow one, cause the "hole" I got into didn't happen overnight, I reckon finding the path out won't happen overnight either. Patience right? & I have to say, this is an awesome site!!!! Only been here a day or two, and find so much interesting helpful stuff!!!! L

Sky, Candy, Debbie, Lisa (welcome to PC ) thank you all..I find I am so tired right now I cannot think of a reply. I am going to go to bed and reply tomorrow after work. YOU have ALL been very helpful and I appreciate the tips, ideas and offer to PM...Right now I am going to crash into bed . Hugs and thank you to all

Hey all, I never nap. I wish I could then I would not mind the lack of sleep at bedtime. I did have a big day today. Worked 10 hours, it was payday so then I ran errands. Late tonight we took the dog to the park and the dog and I went for an hour swim. Swim and chase the bumper I am beat which is good. I plan to try to go to bed early for me. I may just sleep. I have been reading in bed a lot. I know they tell me not to but I almost always fall asleep reading so I see no harm. IDK, seems I am damned if I do and damned if I don't. I use to play the radio VERY low where you could not hear the words and back then I use to sleep well.
I have had two people ask me if I take vitamins..I have some but never take them...doh...I should take them because my diet is all over the place. I eat mosty high protein. I do eat salads a lot but I am sure I am lacking in many things. I will try to take the vitamins and pick up on my grains and such. I do think this was all triggered by the bad dream. Then it became a vicious cycle. Thanks again, I will keep you posted

How you doing with the sleep Pas? Last night I did pretty good. Did my usual hotflash thing (up & down with the ac-hmmm, really wish I had a remote for that). Napped a bit myself today, I think I needed it. Hope you are catching some ZZZzzzzZ

Hey Lisa I am glad you got some sleep. I slept pretty well. SEVEN hours I needed it. I fell asleep watching and adoring my cat in my arms...I had my book ready to read but lol didn't happen Thanks and man I dread the hot flash thing. Have you tried soy? I do not know if it works but I have read it does for some.

Hey Pas

I have also used seroquel to get to sleep when I really needed to have a dreamless sleep. It works great, but the next morning I'm like a zombie. How about relaxing tapes or meditation tapes that you can play all night. Background noise lets you concetrate less on what you are dreading and fearing. I hope you find something that works for you!

Tanya

Pas,
I have been doing pretty good with the sleeping lately. I have tried the soy, but didn't see much of a difference for me. The only thing that I have changed, and I know this is odd, is I have been having a cup of hot chocolate twice a day. Once in the morning, and once about three hours before I go to bed. Homemade, not the premix. I don't add much sugar in it, and I use confectioner's sugar. Works for me. Maybe it's doing something for my homoans, lol!!!

Oh, and Tanya, I too like some background noise-we live right on the front road, lots of noise here & there, so having something to drown that out (along with our clutsy neighbors, that crash, boom, bang at any given hour) works well.

hugs, Lisa

((Tanya , Lisa)) hi I have been sleeping pretty good. I do have white noise in the form of a HEPA machine in my bedroom it makes a steady noise.
It's the dream that messed me up but I am doing some better. I have been sleeping pretty good for me lately. Still I want my mind to shut up and to sleep good every night like I use to. Sometimes I think its best to leave things buried
On the hot choc , could it be you have low blood sugar or it dips down and by having a snack at night it helps to keep it up or steady?

Thanks both