Anybody else afraid of dreaming?

[starinthesky]

For years now I've been having bouts of nightmares and sleep paralysis, enough to make me wake up gasping. It always ties in with past trauma, and although it does not happen every night, the mere chance makes me so afraid to sleep.

There will be times where I completely fight the urge to sleep, especially when I think of how bad it can get. I could never get into a healthy schedule like this, it keeps on switching around, sometimes I am just completely asleep all day. Melatonin makes it infinitely worse by amplifying the nightmares. I am so fucking scared to sleep almost every night.

Is anyone else dealing with this?

 

[princexhhn]

I get you. My night terrors are horrible and it makes me so afraid to go to sleep as well. It just feels too real and I don't wanna experience it, even if I'll wake up anyway.

 

[3rdworldsadness]

I don't mind nightmares atleast they are not cruel and brutal as my life :)

 

[fernstaysquiet]

I can relate so badly. Sleep paralysis is fucking debilitating. I used to get it pretty much every night, still pretty often when I'm sleeping on my own. I'm reliving past trauma while being unable to move or even open my eyes. It feels like it takes every single ounce of strength in my body to escape and finally wake up screaming and crying.

I used to get really fucked up before falling asleep to avoid it. It would help a lot.. It seems to have improved a little on it's own these last few years though

 

[starinthesky]

I get you. My night terrors are horrible and it makes me so afraid to go to sleep as well. It just feels too real and I don't wanna experience it, even if I'll wake up anyway.

It's so awful. Sometimes I'm so tired I can barely open my eyes, then suddenly I am reminded of this stupid fear, and boom, awake for the next 5 hours.

I can relate so badly. Sleep paralysis is fucking debilitating. I used to get it pretty much every night, still pretty often when I'm sleeping on my own. I'm reliving past trauma while being unable to move or even open my eyes. It feels like it takes every single ounce of strength in my body to escape and finally wake up screaming and crying.

I used to get really fucked up before falling asleep to avoid it. It would help a lot.. It seems to have improved a little on it's own these last few years though

I'm really sorry.. Sleep paralysis packs a way heavier punch than most nightmares, it's so incredibly draining. I'm happy it's gotten better for you, it tends to come in waves for me, feels like I'm never safe. Sleep should be a refuge..

 

[antihuman.]

Yes, when i was younger, i had a lot of sleep paralysis because of bad health and stress, sometimes i was scared to close my eyes lol, i know this is very hard but when you are in sleep paralysis try to stay chill and ignore the weird stuff you seeing (not easy i know) you got to trick your mind into believing youre not scared, when u see that u can kinda control it its gonna be way less scary

 

[tooBadTooLate]

Sometimes, yeah. I've noticed that my dreams in the last couple of weeks have been getting more and more realistic, almost undistinguishable from reality. Sometimes I've thought I had woken up and was pretty much controlling things impulsively. It's too close to my everyday life. I'm guessing that this is how my mind tries to cope with its situation: making up fantasies in the same old place. I don't recall seeing my dad or my sibling in them, so it's good that the two people I loathe the most hasn't appeared in them... yet... Maybe other than revenge fantasies that I might've forgotten about.

I know that it's a theory and all, but considering that the pineal gland may produce DMT while you are sleeping, that would explain the dreams a lot.

 

[EmptyBottle]

BTW, what content one consumes / thoughts one spends time on, the temperature, and similar, can influence the dreams one experiences.

I have a bit of the opposite, I look forward to dreaming, and logging my dreams, and get annoyed when time runs low to log. Tho drawing graphics to paper and brief keywords can do until I can log later... but it leads to some lost info.

 

[ConstantPain]

I'm so sorry, sleep paralysis is awful. Thankfully I haven't had it in awhile but I remember it was the worst. Now I sleep walk more often but am yet to wander into traffic or any mode of ctb, damn it all.

This sounds ridiculous I know, because I remember that fear of going to sleep, but if you can possibly get back to a semi normal routine it can help. Lack of sleep leads to more abnormal sleep and anxiety falling asleep also increases your chances of having sleep issues. I know it's easier said than done but if you can find ways to relax it will help. Muscle relaxers and gabapentin helped me, but so can relaxing music, visualizations, and breathing techniques.

If you can get to a doctor, many now realize that sleep issues are serious and lead to other health issues. Good luck and hope it gets better!

 

[fernstaysquiet]

It's so awful. Sometimes I'm so tired I can barely open my eyes, then suddenly I am reminded of this stupid fear, and boom, awake for the next 5 hours.

I'm really sorry.. Sleep paralysis packs a way heavier punch than most nightmares, it's so incredibly draining. I'm happy it's gotten better for you, it tends to come in waves for me, feels like I'm never safe. Sleep should be a refuge..

I hope it gets better for you too, being unable to sleep peacefully really makes every other aspect of your life much worse. Being too tired to enjoy anything really keeps you down.

Something that helped me a lot was not being alone, even being in a call with someone was a huge help, made me feel a whole lot safer, this might be a personal thing though. I realise that this is obviously easier said than done, when I was at my worst I didn't have a single friend in the world so it wouldn't have been possible.. Anyway, good luck <3

 

[bleeding_heart_show]

I used to avoid sleep because of the frequent unsettling dreams I had, but now all I experience when I sleep are snippets of my daily life and whatever neuroses has been most recently instilled in me combined to the point of indiscernability.

Do you journal your dreams at all? This is a topic that interests me, so forgive the potentially intrusive question.

 

[Dejected 55]

I long for sleep. It's the only painless part of my day, unless I dream of something or someone I cannot have and then that depresses me when I wake up.

I haven't had a nightmare since I was a kid. Once I got to the point that I kind of wanted to die and was dying in side already... dreams were not scarier than real life.

 

[_AllCatsAreGrey_]

I have a lot of issues with nightmares, so much so that I avoid sleeping. I've never had the experience of sleep paralysis. That sounds so scary. I'm sorry you have to deal with that.

Recently my doctor prescribed me prazosin for nightmares. I've only tried it a couple times so far, but I have found it helpful.

 

[ElTopo]

For years now I've been having bouts of nightmares and sleep paralysis, enough to make me wake up gasping. It always ties in with past trauma, and although it does not happen every night, the mere chance makes me so afraid to sleep.

There will be times where I completely fight the urge to sleep, especially when I think of how bad it can get. I could never get into a healthy schedule like this, it keeps on switching around, sometimes I am just completely asleep all day. Melatonin makes it infinitely worse by amplifying the nightmares. I am so fucking scared to sleep almost every night.

Is anyone else dealing with this?

I've always found some comfort in sleep when I could get it, unfortunately I have pretty bad insomnia, but the worst thoughts are when it's late at night and I can't sleep.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this, xanax used to give me dreamless nights though. Are you seeing a doctor for your trauma or something?

 

[starinthesky]

I've always found some comfort in sleep when I could get it, unfortunately I have pretty bad insomnia, but the worst thoughts are when it's late at night and I can't sleep.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this, xanax used to give me dreamless nights though. Are you seeing a doctor for your trauma or something?

I'm not seeing anyone right now... I heard that about xanax before, I might give it a shot, thank you!

I have a lot of issues with nightmares, so much so that I avoid sleeping. I've never had the experience of sleep paralysis. That sounds so scary. I'm sorry you have to deal with that.

Recently my doctor prescribed me prazosin for nightmares. I've only tried it a couple times so far, but I have found it helpful.

Doctors terrify me... But I guess at some point I have to really decide what is worse. I always felt like I wouldnt need a solution in the long run, though...

I used to avoid sleep because of the frequent unsettling dreams I had, but now all I experience when I sleep are snippets of my daily life and whatever neuroses has been most recently instilled in me combined to the point of indiscernability.

Do you journal your dreams at all? This is a topic that interests me, so forgive the potentially intrusive question.

No I don't. I thought about journaling the few normal ones I have in between. Maybe to fix my mind on them, expand them hopefully. I might give it a shot.

 

[fedup1982]

Yeh I have nightmares every other night or so. When I wake up it takes a while for the panic to subside

 

[ElTopo]

I'm not seeing anyone right now... I heard that about xanax before, I might give it a shot, thank you!

Working out your dreams with an analyst might even help you get rid of them, it's sometimes much more than simple replays of bad memories, wish you luck <3

 

[Lyn]

I often have nightmares. Or reliving my past traumas..
But for some reason everything feels like through a wall water. Still terrifying, but not as sharp as real life experiences.

 

[imtiredasf]

Nightmares. I rarely sleep longer than 3 or 4 hours a day/night these days.

 

[Sprite_Geist]

I rarely remember my dreams, but when I do they (usually) range from involving an awful situation (though not nightmarish) to just being downright weird. For once I would like to have a dream that involves a really happy and enjoyable event, or at the very least: a dream that is not anxiety-inducing. The closest I get to a happy dream is when I am in the transisitional state of sleep - so when I am partially awake - but never beyond that.

I just want my dreams to make sense.