Dreams Are Coming Back

[samyglo]

Over the past few days/nights, I have had many dreams that have woken me and made me feel uneasy. I have suffered with bad dreams and nightmares since I was a child. I used to have several reoccurring nightmares as a child. I still have some. It seems that more and more I wake up from a dream and the feeling that I wake up with in my dream foretells the feeling I will have for that day. Lately the dreams have been bad and have put me in a blah mood for the day. I cannot seem to just snap out of the mood.

I do not like that such a thing as a bad dream can put me in a mood for the day. I feel as if I should be able to control my mood a bit better than allowing dreams to do this to me. I will try to sleep again and see if I can wake up in a better mood.

 

[kers]

I hope you're feeling better soon. I fall into the same trap you do--feeling bad the day after a nightmare, and then blaming myself for having the nightmare in the first place. It's important to recognize that having a nightmare is not a personal failure. It doesn't mean you are weak or unable to control yourself. It's a fact of PTSD. Feeling bad after the nightmare is a fact, too; it happens to many of us. The thing that you CAN change, though, is how you cope with those bad feelings.

Often when I have a bad night and feel down the next day, I use it as fuel to beat up on myself even more. It's more helpful when I can break that cycle and instead take *better* care of myself. I treat myself like a sick kid, take it easy, be gentle with myself, make sure I eat and don't get overwhelmed. Maybe that's worth a try? You are a good person and this stuff happening is not your fault.

 

[samyglo]

Thank you for the response. These dreams and nightmares continue and are relentless. I am taking care of myself physically. Except for the fact that I am sick as a dog right now. I think I have a sinus infection or just a cold. I am going to try some meditation tapes and some relaxation strategies before I go to bed. I hope this will help with the nightmares and ongoing dreams. I had so many dreams last night and today. It was so weird. It is like they will not go away. I know I am strong and determined to not let them get the best of me.

 

[Cynthiatoo]

Hi samyglo
I know what you mean about bad dreams affecting your day. This side of PTSD has passed for me and I am sure it will for you too. Maybe it is part of the processing, I dont know. I do know what helped me with sleep and dreams. I was very careful of:-

- what I watched on TV at night.- no drama shows, no news, no current affairs --- kept to ABC chanel, funny shows
- what I read in bed - trashy mags are OK for me, but what I loved was childrens stories for children, they really calmed me
- I have my own little single bed in a room of my own. I am married but there are nights when I need to sleep alone ..this took a lot of communication and I still find it hard to say I need to sleep alone, but it helps if my husband gets me a cup of tea and a hot water bottle...its like it takes the guilt away. I sleep more deeply and it is healing
- I also have all my clothes and makeup in my room..this is because my ex would annoy me when I was getting dressed and I like to dress in privacy
- I have a bedside lamp and table and try to keep lots of books from the library
- I also try to stare at a spot on the ceiling when I am finished reading, it relaxes me. This is impossible when sleeping with a partner
- Something warm and slightly milky is good to sip in bed. Weak hot chocolate is good. Not tea.

I guess what I am saying is that a layer of ritual and safety can be started that may make your brain use the tracks to nice things while you sleep rather than the well travelled tracks to yukky things.

Hope some of this speaks to you and you can use it.