Is It Better To Let Her Sleep Or Wake Her Up?

[eternal_illusion]

My girlfriend suffers from PTSD and has frequent vivid nightmares. Sometimes she will cry out and jerk in her sleep. Is it better for me to wake her up and comfort her when I think she is having a nightmare, or let her sleep through it in the hopes that it will fade from her memory by morning?

 

[amethist]

Hi eternal_illusion

Have you thought of asking your girlfriend what she would like you to do, that would be the best way to deal with this.

That said, I wake my husband gently, just enough to disturb him from the dream, yet not fully awake to know that he has been dreaming.

He rarely remembers his dreams this way, as it is not them that have woken him. Only when he has a complete nightmare of his accident, does he wake up in a mess from it.

Hope this helps.

Amethist

 

[eternal_illusion]

Thanks Amethist. I did ask my girlfriend about this, and she wasn't sure what would be best. Your approach sounds like a good one.

 

[NIKI]

If your girlfriend is not sure maybe you could try to wake her gently and see if that helps her better than sleeping through the nightmare.

I would prefer to be woken very gently.

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

I have PTSD related nightmares, and watching me have them made my boyfriend feel very helpless. We discovered that saying my full name aloud can reach me in the dream. So if I am having a nightmare or night terror (big difference), he will call my full name and the bad dream will stop, because I will know its a dream.

 

[eternal_illusion]

What exactly is the difference between nightmares and night terrors?

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

Well, I am not a specialist, but the way I understand it is a nightmare is a bad dream, you feel frightened during it and may move or struggle and speak or mutter. A night terror is intense, vivid dreams, usually with screaming and flailing, the person may sit bolt upright without waking and may have her eyes open. The feelings associated are usually terror and horror and they are frequently accompanied by excessive sweating.
I would recommend you look them up for more info.