Poll Dreaming

[Naoru]

@hodge I jump up too, thinking it will, in a sense, make me jump out of that mental space and shake off the feelings. Other times I have to sit up and catch my breath for a minute. I also walk around aimlessly sometimes. It's exhausting and it really doesn't seem like anything helps anymore.

I do take sleeping medication when I get desperate for rest, but it only makes me sleep through the nightmares and finish them, rather than wake up and shake it off. I'm not sure what's better.

@theshadowoftheliving Sleeping is supposed to be our time to rest and escape, but I'm with you - it's hard! I get anxiety about going to sleep sometimes ... then I feel ridiculous and my thoughts fuel the fire.

 

[Enaila]

Lol, this thread is really making me want to go to bed. Not! I'd almost rather turn on the tube and see t...

Sorry :-/ As you may have guessed...I'm avoiding sleep myself right now.

 

[hodge]

I journalled my dreams for years. I don't know if it helped process stuff as I still have nightmares all the time. But it's definitely worth a try.

 

[sun seeker]

I've written down my dreams faithfully from time to time. But... it takes time. I remember a lot of dreams, and they tend to be long.

 

[hodge]

No worries, Enaila :-). I slept a few hours earlier this evening, so I'm good for awhile, though will probably go lie down on the couch and try to distract myself with TV before too long.

 

[Enaila]

My nightmares often feel like new traumas, too, Enaila. Do you take Prazosin or clonidine? They can reall...

I take zolpidem, which helps me stay sleep maybe hour longer and just makes it harder to wake myself out of dream.

 

[hodge]

@Naoru and @Enaila, Prazosin and clonidine are actually meds for high blood pressure, they're not sleep meds, but they have this effect of making you not remember your nightmares when you wake up. They're amazing. The trick is to not take them until you are really close to falling asleep. Ask your psych or doc about them. They really help. Most docs start you off on Prazosin. I was on that for several years, then it stopped working and my psych switched me to clonidine, which still works.

 

[Friday]

I hate sleeping, but I love dreaming. Even my nightmares? In context/comparison, in any event, I would faaaaaar rather be having flashbacks when I'm laying down in the dark not doing anything, than when I'm walking around trying to live some kind of life. ;) It doesn't mean I don't get pissed off about them at the time, nor that problems don't arise, they do. But even when my sleep is wrecked, and I'm changing my sheets 3 or 4 times a night (drenched in swear), and I'm having to sleep alone because I'm a danger to anyone in arms reach, and even I have come around to realizing the stupidity of sleeping with weapons (including lamps, and other objects, much less blades and firearms) in reach, and I'm sleeping in catnaps up for days... All the fun and excitement :wtf: of being in a bad nightmare / bad sleep cycle? I still love my dreams.

I marked down 'at least once a night'... But I have had periods in the last 30 some odd years where I either don't dream, or don't remember them. Not often. Just here and there. Days, weeks, months. Not sure what brings these periods on. But, much like nightmare cycles, it's always a relief when they end!

I have a lot of different kinds of dreams. Always have. Some are vivid, some aren't. Some I can read in / do math / etc., some I can't. Some I can feel pain in, some not. Some are lucid, others I'm along for the ride. Some I'm aware aim dreaming,mothers I'm not until I wake up. (And then there are the ones where my dream life is more "real" than my waking life??? Oy. That's confusing!) 1st person, 3rd person, multiple persons, narrator. Some have colors that don't exist in the real world (as well as tastes, scents, textures, and other sensory input. Some are in languages I no longer speak (but was once fluent in, and am fluent in the dream, but wake up remembering jack / no idea what I or anyone else was saying! >.<). Some are in real time, others span lifetimes. Et cetera. I actually have them all taxonomized :P Not so as I could write a list out, but so I can categorize any dream I've ever had as what "type" of dream it is.

Love dreaming. Really, really love it.

 

[hodge]

Lol, Friday, I'm the opposite. I'd love sleeping without dreams. I have had so few pleasant dreams in my life, I think I can count them on one hand. Glad you've had more.

 

[Naoru]

Thank you, @hodge. I think I'm finally to the point where I'm going to head to the doctor and see if I can give Prazosin a try because something has to give. The process of getting medications is complicated here, among other things, and I'm quite stubborn ... but I think it's time. I'm not sure about taking it when I'm close to falling asleep since I have problems in this area, too. Do you know if you can get Prazosin for PTSD through your primary care doctor or is it a must to go to a pdoc?

 

[hodge]

You should be able to get it from your primary care doc. I would ask him or her. I was looking for a medical link but can't find one right now as I'm wearing down. But it's a common med for people with PTSD nightmares. You might do a search and print out something from a credible source to take along with you for your doc to see if they don't already know about this.

I have major problems with falling asleep, too, which makes it tricky to know when to take it, because it's not effective if too many hours go by before you go to sleep. I'm allowed to take two a night, so that helps. Good luck!

 

[Naoru]

I appreciate the help :) You give me hope. I hope you have restful sleep tonight, hodge.

Sorry to Enaila for hijacking the thread!