Do You Wake Up With Bruises And Blood?

[Deleted member 33052]

Well, when I was young I once fell on my head and needed stitches. Also got dropped down a set of stair...

Oh, sael, I think you'd qualify. :(

(((Saelben)))

 

[Ally2016]

Hello

Made few posts today. Feel like its ok to open more to share.

Do you wake up with bruises...

Have you tried to record yourself? - some phone apps do this while you sleep so you can find out what it's about, - are you in therapy? I know that therapy is helpful in working things out. I have woken up punching things like a bowl that was beside my bed, the wall and my TV. All beside my bed. I was going through a majorly stressful time when I started waking up to doing that. A friend of mine use to wake up to her holding a knife to her own throat. She was going through a lot of abuse. Something's going on. These are some of the things I've used to help me work things out: journaling, therapy, mindfulness. I hope you work it out. That gp sounds like a jerky to cut you off like that when you have no control over these things. All the best.

 

[Deleted member 28403]

Oh, sael, I think you'd qualify. :(

(((Saelben)))

Didn't really get seriously injured in a way that I would classify as a serious injury though :p

 

[FireSign8]

I also often wake up feeling as if I've just been in a bar fight! It never occurred to me that this was related to my PTSD & as Mal Content mentioned in their post, YES, I did suffer a head injury when I as beaten with a big stick in 2001. I rarely ever sleep for more than 2 hours at a time & on those rare occasions when I get 4 hours...I'm full of energy & my day is joyful!

I recently put a memory foam topper on my bed & it has helped a bit with lessening my thrashing. But I still wake up bleeding from scratching & I try to keep my nails short & filed smooth to avoid tearing my face up in my sleep. The only meds I take are advil for pain, so I know that's not the cause of it because it still happens when I stop taking it. I once thought it was food related & went to a strict Paleo eating regimen a year ago. I feel better, but I still scratch in my sleep!:wtf:

 

[Deleted member 33052]

@Saelben my father used to beat my head against a wall. Nothing but bumps and bruises, so I didn't think much of it. When my psychiatrist asked me about brain injuries, I kind of laughed and said only if the head banging counted. He said it most definitely did. So I suspect that your poor brain has been injured, as well. Good thing it didn't affect your intellect. ;)

 

[FireSign8]

Oh, & to answer the question fully....yes, I was also having bruises & finding myself on the floor from thrashing in my sleep & this stopped a few weeks ago when I put the memory foam topper over my mattress. So far, I have not fallen off the bed & my aching back muscles seem to have less pain too.

 

[Deleted member 33052]

@shatter eyes what about you? Head trauma?

Oh, I almost forgot, I was given one of those machines to test for sleep apnea. We gave up after three attempts because even when I thought I'd had a good sleep, the tests were a bust because I was never still for more than two minutes in a night.

That's what got me interested in finding out what causes some people to thrash, and how I found out about the absence of sleep paralysis.

 

[anonymous]

I have to keep my fingernails short with acrylic nails on them, so they are not so sharp, as I clench my fists tight while asleep. I would wake with deep nail marks in palm of hands and scratches elsewhere. I get compliments on my polished nails now, which is a nice bonus though not many people know why I am actually getting them done

This is me, too. My "real" nails do far much more damage than my acrylics. Right now, my scalp is worse than it's ever been. I know that if I don't stop, I will get an infection, and possibly start getting bald spots. I don't do it while I am asleep, but when I am awake, before I fall asleep. It's like biting my nails...If I could find something to replace it with....that isn't bad for me...

 

[Deleted member 28403]

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna wake up with blood everywhere in about 4 hours if I manage to even sleep.
Maybe anything I can study about it?

 

[EmmaOwl]

Ouch ouch ouch. This has become a very painful thread! Sorry to the sufferings of all, be they conscious or not.

But it reminded me of a story from my childhood - the few times we took vacations were road trips - when I was very young - 4? 5? - we stopped at a motel and split up in double beds or possibly queen - me and my mom in one, and my brother and my dad the other.

Well the first time we did this, my mother claimed bruises - not to mention general insomnia - from my thrashing, and I was relegated to a cot ever after! I was a tiny thing, too, yet I managed to get to all corners of the large bed :)

Boyfriends have, well let's see. Not complained too much. I'm not sure if that proves anything one way or the other :P

 

[Deleted member 28403]

Darn, that seems familiar :p @Allie D.

 

[Iyllsa]

Don't take my word on this my memory is terrible, but I think I remember reading a research article about how some people end up acting out their dreams. It has to do with the brain not sending the correct signals to tell the body it needs to chill while sleeping haha. I will try to look for it again, but I would suggest talking to a doctor that specializes in sleep and mention you have PTSD. Maybe it's a night terror? I've woken up to bruises and bloody knuckles before because I'd punch my walls and my walls are not completely flat, not sharp or anything.

I've had my friend have to play really loud music to wake me up because I believed I was choking and I was scratching at my neck causing it to bleed. I've told her to not touch me because I'm worried I might harm her in some way.

It only happens when I have very stressful days/weeks or if I had a bad nightmare. Do you think it could possibly be due to stress? Have you mentioned this to your therapist too?