Why do I still get nightmares when i go to bed dissociated?

[Candyfloss]

Hi! Sorry this is random but i've been curious of this for a while... so on the 'window of tolerance' scale - flashbacks/nightmares are considered part of the hyperarousal section... so i go to bed usually very dissociated (i usually have flashbacks around this time so the aftermath of dissociation hits around this time). So why do i still get nightmares?

 

[Friday]

Does it help to think of “hyperarousal” as “more severe”?

IE If I go to bed with a severe symptom (flashbacks), why should I have another severe symptom (nightmares)?

See how one doesn’t preclude the other? If anything it would more naturally follow that if you’re struggling with severe symptoms whilst awake it makes sense that you’d still be struggling with severe symptoms whilst asleep? Granted, it would be awesome if the more symptomatic we were awake the less symptomatic we are asleep... but it usually doesn’t work like that. Severe waking symptoms are often accompanied by severe problems sleeping. Whether that’s insomnia (of any variety), nightmares, panic attacks, etc.

 

[TruthSeeker]

If I go to sleep upset, I usually wake up irritated with similar thoughts in my head..and/ or my vision isn't clear.....and that starts my day off crappy. I try to let it go before winding down for bed....write in a journal, if something is bothering me about remembering to do something important the next day.....I make a list, that sort....get it out somehow.