Nighttime 'kookiness' Out Of Control

[Still loving]

Hi there,

It's currently 4.36am and I can't sleep. I have a long history of sleep problems (from early childhood) but in the last 10 years (and since experiencing a wide variety of ongoing domestic violence and other abuses) they have really escalated. I have a wide variety of identifiable parasomnias, sleep walking, eating (sometimes things that aren't food at all), talking/screaming, night terrors, horrific vivid nightmares, violent outbursts where I've hurt myself and/or my husband, even driving in my sleep on one occasion. I haven't had much help from sleep studies I've had done, and haven't found any meds which will keep me down. I realise that severe anxiety has a huge effect on these problems and am working on that with a psychologist currently.

I was wondering if anyone else out there has experienced this kind of variety as well and how they might have achieved any relief?

I'm just so very tired. Every day I drag myself through work etc. feeling heavy and emotionally fragile. I can tell people I have problems sleeping but can't always give them context. I try to get as much exercise as I can manage and lay off the stimulants, but it's a constant balancing act.

I hope someone out there has found methods that help :sleep:

 

[Seagreen]

I have some of those problems too and average about 2 hours of sleep a night. Have you tried gentle meditation or music before bed? It helps me to relax my body as I hold a lot of nervous energy at night. It takes a bit of practice but even if you don't sleep your body is still getting some the rest that way.

 

[Deleted member 28403]

I have a lot of same problams as you, and before, during bullying I sleepwalked and ate in sleep. Now I'm pretty sure I don't. I have insomnia and average at 3 hours of sleep per night, lately mostly thanks to sleeping pills. I started a nightmare diary on here, by my T's request, as I often have nightmares, and had a series of reoccurring ones for 2-3 months. Always ending up surrounded by something, being laughed at or looked at. I'm afraid of nightmares so I can't sleep. I hate everything.

 

[Kefira]

Yeah, sounds like me. And the last 5 days I've averaged 1 or 2 hours of sleep a night. I really hate seeing 6 am while still trying to go to bed. When I do sleep I end up with a lot of nightmares.

No real suggestions just know you aren't alone. I know a lot of the people on here are very familiar with all sorts of problems to do with sleep.

 

[Still loving]

Thanks for replying Seagreen, Otakujome and Kefira :)

Meditation is a fantastic suggestion Seagreen! I am working on being able to do it properly first, as quieting my mind completely has always been a huge struggle but it's capable of helping enormously, so I won't give up trying!

Sounds like you're having a really hard time Otakujome- be gentle with yourself, sleep deprivation can make everything feel so much more intense, with those kind of ongoing nightmares as well I really feel for you.

It really does help to know I'm not alone Kefira :) thanks. I don't have many reoccurring nightmares, only themes. I try to forget them fast, but sometimes images and feelings linger- when I draw them they often don't return, maybe that is my kind of journal?

 

[Ghostybear73]

I have the same problems, my roommate asked me one morning in the last week or so if I wanted to know what I consumed when he found me sleepwalking that night. Then tells me we may have to go to the emergency room. I told him nope, I would rather not know and since I'm still alive I'm not going to the doctor....lol

I don't have a solution either but I do have an alarm to prevent me from getting out and driving. I also have a roommate that I trust enough to take me down if I get violent. And cabinet locks are not the best solution but I have found that if it's harder to get into I seem to move on to something else.

Hopefully until you can get the sleep and sleepwalking under control, these ideas might help.

 

[Seagreen]

Meditation is a fantastic suggestion Seagreen! I am working on being able to do it properly first, as quieting my mind completely has always been a huge struggle but it's capable of helping enormously, so I won't give up trying!

That's great! It gets easier. I usually just go through a few guided meditation videos on youtube until I find one I like. It also helps me to imagine being surrounded in a "white bubble of protection" at the start. That probably sounds a bit funny but it has become a queue for me to "let go" since I feel vulnerable when meditating sometimes.

 

[Still loving]

That bubble idea makes a lot of sense hey :)
I get the feeling I'm being watched a lot while home any hours (I had a peeper as a youngster + we have some pretty aggressive thieves living across the road at the moment) so that kind of imagery might really help, thanks!

Our burglar-proofing has helped a bit with getting out of the house recently too Ghostybear, my clumsy fingers struggle with too many locks ;) Have you thought about popping any chemicals etc into a box hidden or with heavy things on top?
It can be unsettling to hear about later hey?
Firstly I had to remove all my face creams etc from the nightstand, progressed on from there hehe. I try to chuckle about some things, I'm lucky (I suppose) in that my partner can easily overpower me, and doesn't judge me too much. I'm glad you've got a flatmate who's helpful.

Sleepwalking in particular runs strongly in my genes, my dad and my grandfather on the other side especially. Both of them did hyper vigilant type stuff. My dad once woke with one leg over the balcony of his 4th floor apartment. I prefer to live with my feet firmly on ground level!:rolleyes:

 

[Seagreen]

My dad once woke with one leg over the balcony of his 4th floor apartment. I prefer to live with my feet firmly on ground level!:rolleyes:

Yikes!! I'm so glad to know that you don't on the 4th floor!