[LovesShelly]

Hello everyone

I have always had problems sleeping, ever since I can remember. Recently it's become more of a problem. I'm about to finish my first semester of college (just over a month left) and I'm looking for a job, both of which I need some real sleep for.

When I was younger I had some terrifying nightmares. They wouldn't happen every night, but they happened enough. I hated sleeping. I would do whatever I could to stay awake (read books, play bored games, watch tv, ect.). Soon enough it wasn't a problem of staying awake but of falling asleep. Whenever I felt safe enough to sleep (like when a friend stayed the night and we shared my bed) I found that I couldn't sleep. This was completely frustrating, but I decided it was better than having nightmares.

Now that I'm older I find that I still have the same problems. I find it nearly impossible to fall asleep, but when I do sleep I tend to have nightmares. I still have the habit of reading a book through the night instead of trying to sleep.

I'm not sure what to do. I want to sleep because I feel like a zombie some days. Yet I know that sleeping is going to start up my nightmares again. I'm terrified of my nightmares, but I want my life back already!
Any suggestions/ advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Shelly

[ayana95]

Have you talk with a doctor? Would you be willing to take a medication that helps you sleep but doesn't give you nightmares ? I sleep with some sort of light on. I take meds to sleep but it sometime gives me nightmares, so I don't want to recommend it. If you decided to try a medication, choose one that isn't habit forming. I have tried lots of things to fall asleep. Tea, a hot bath, soothing music and white noise ( like rain). Try not to eat heavy food before you sleep and avoid caffeine. I hope you get a restful night's sleep soon.

[HolisticGal]

If you avoid sleep for too long, sooner or later you'll fall asleep and have REM rebound, which means extra dreams (and nightmares for you and me!).

So it seems there are two choices: 1) go sleep deprived to avoid nightmares for as long as possible or 2) sleep with nightmares

I endured daily sleep deprivation while working and it was torturous (due to a sleep disorder). Work and the boss at work did not help in lowering anxiety and adrenaline, which added to my inability to sleep. So I'll take option 2 if I could. However, there is a third option! Some sleep meds actually suppress REM sleep so you can go that route.

Have you ever tried meditation? An hour of focused thought before bedtime might be enough to calm your thoughts, and maybe induce a deeper sleep. It seems like you're stuck sleeping very lightly, which is normal for a lot of people (many of my family are light sleepers) but not healthy if all you have is nightmares.
Also, if you watch movies or tv before sleeping, you'll be more likely to churn up dreams and sleep lighter. This might also happen if you're active just before bed: When I was waiting tables, I had anxiety dreams about the job every night after work, probably because I'd pass out as soon as I got home.
There's also lucid dreaming. I've read that it can be used to work out problems, though I'm not sure about nightmares.
The only other option would be to try different sleeping medicine. Herbal teas, aromatherapy. Or maybe something stronger that you'd talk to a doctor about...

[Homeira]

Dream-interpretation helped me cope better with my nightmares. Not for everybody, but maybe worth a try?