Seriously bad number of nightmares

@crazychica Said

My chronic nightmare problem has increased lately which sucks. I'm just kind of wondering what to do about it. Last time I mentioned to a doctor that nightmares are a common thing for me she told me that if it continued like that to come back because she might be able to do something about it. The stuff my counsellor reccommended ages doesn't seem to be very effective. It's stuff like taking a bath, taking a long walk, having hot chocolate and reading a relaxing (not Tolkein) book before bed and it's not really happening. She told me to buy a lamp with a low wattage bulb in a warm colour and use that for light on the nights I just know I will have a nightmare on in place of having the TV on. That would be great if it actually worked. Or I don't know. Maybe it's stopping my nightmares from crossing over into actual night-terrors but it's still pretty awful. I'll have one or two nightmares a night which will wake me up and chances are I won't remember and then I'll be awake for a while and get back to sleep eventually. After a few days I'm exhausted and just drop off into (thankfully) dreamless sleep which leaves me oblivious to the world so when friends and family text me to ask me things on the 4th night or so I don't get the message until morning. It's a fairly destructive sleep-pattern.

And I actually wanted to say about last night's nightmare, the one I remember for once and it was induced by the stupid strong winds. In the dream I'd moved to the middle of nowhere to work for William Hill in a caravan park at the edge of a small village. While I went in for my first day of work I also had to look for a flat. Luckily the flat next to the shop was owned by the manager who was happy to rent it out to me (yay). So I had this tiny one bedroom flat and my parents came to visit with my little sister. While we were asleep there was an epic storm and the sea was coming way in so we had to be prepared to leave at any time. Then there was an epic tornado and while I'm clinging to my sister for dear life I'm thinking "The shop is going to be so wrecked" cos my flat definately was. Then things happened and I woke up.

So either I don't remember the dream at all or I only remember parts of it and wake up feeling freaked out. Either way it's bad. Very bad.

@Sammy650 Said

That sounds pretty bad... I have no idea really but maybe try changing your routine before bedtime? Like going to bed at a different time or eating differently, and thinking about something nice as you go to sleep.

Also I know someone who is convinced that certain foods and/or drinking gives him nightmares so it could be something like that possibly... although if its a regular thing maybe not.

Sorry thats probably not much help but anyway, I hope it gets better for you.

@crazychica Said

No problem. Thanks for the contribution. I'm not even sure what to try anymore. When I'm trying to sleep I try to think on nice things and then next thing I know I have a nightmare.

@Sammy650 Said

Thats alright.

I have trouble sleeping a lot of the time too - not necessarily nightmares but waking up in the middle of the night for no reason and sometimes just not sleeping at all, so I feel your pain, haha. Maybe just go back to your doctor? Or in time it might just get better on it's own...

@crazychica Said

I thought it would but instead it's gotten worse. I was only having a couple of nightmares a week before, now it's every night except for the ones where I'm completely worn out.

@Sammy650 Said

I wish I had some useful information but I really don't, sorry. :/

On a brighter note though, and completely off topic, you have a really adorable dog (I'm assuming it's your dog in your display picture, lol)

@sazac Said

I know it's been a while since this topic started, but is this still happening? Or has it gotten better? If it hasn't, are there (Or were there, if you can remember any of them) any patterns in the dreams you have? Reoccuring themes or people, or events?