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Horrible dreams and several a night

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 12/3/2012 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
How do you all cope with lack of quality sleep? I have PTSD and have had it for years, but it never has been in high gear like it is now. In the past 4 years I have dealt with work injury that has changed my life, crazy boss, lawsuit against my employer to secure medical care for my injury, the diagnosis of cancer for husband once and now possible returned, and wearing Aspen collar 16 hours a day to deal with DDD plus the diagnosis of Fibro this past summer.   I can have anywhere from a full blown nightmare to just uncomfortable dreams, but my biggest issue is I cannot sleep without dreaming. When the dream wakes me up, I am up for about an hour, the fall back to sleep to immediately dream again. I try not to nap during the day but if I do, I go right into a dream.   If at all humanly possible, I do NOT want to take medication for this.   Any suggestions on other ways to handle this?      
Posted 12/3/2012 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
Maybe try reverse dreaming (I'm not sure what it's called). As your falling asleep say something like this:
"Teddy bears, teddy bears"
"Puppies"
"Kittens"
Or anything that brings happiness.

Repeat it over and over in your mind as you drift off.
It might work, it couldn't hurt you.
Posted 12/3/2012 10:08 PM (GMT 0)
I've always had bizarre dreams but my dreams have been more 'emotionally intense' since having fibro issues. Luckily its not consistently all the time, but just sometimes. I sometimes will wake up in the midst of them with the most bizarre feeling as if my mind is not completely awake and the uncomfortable 'feelings' or tone of the nightmare remain. And I'm not talking about sleep paralysis which is something different. (which I also have)

What I do:

I talk myself through it after I awake in the awful state of mind. I tell myself "Right now your brain chemistry is really funky because you woke up abnormally out of a nightmare and in an abnormal sleep cycle point. But these feelings will pass. Just let them pass. Its temporary" and usually I can go back to sleep not long after.

Not sure what to do to actually eliminate the nightmares or prevent them.. but perhaps diet may affect it? Or your mood right before going to bed? Just some ideas.

Sorry you've been having a hard time! I also encountered a work-related injury that set me back and prevented me from working. I lost my job because of it. I started experiencing FM around that same time.
Posted 12/3/2012 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
Personally, I pray right before I go to bed, and even when I am in bed. One of my intentions is for a good night's sleep. In the past, I used to have weird, troubling, negative dreams at times, but lately things seem to be much more positive. I have to wonder if the 'bad' dreams I was having were some kind of temptation or not-so-good spirits working on my subconscious.
Posted 12/4/2012 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
Could be other things too. Ever had a sleep study done for sleep apenea? Checked out for diabetes?

I'd run this by doc.
Posted 12/4/2012 3:52 AM (GMT 0)

Luv......I do use the time between the dreams to pray and be thankful for what I have and for strength to battle all of this. All blood work is perfect; I am as healthy as a horse that way.

Spookiesmom -No apenea and all doctors are fully aware of the dreams and put them down to PTSD on which I am working with a physiologist on. On the rare day I can get 5 hours or so of straight sleep, I feel awesome. Just would like to have a few more of them each month.

Posted 12/4/2012 5:34 AM (GMT 0)
I use to have horrible dreams like someone chasing me. I would wake up yelling. I have PTSD myself. I do take remron to keep my mind from racing thoughts. Works very well. I also sleep and pray with my Bible. I write down scriptures and attend church bi weekly. I no longer have depression, but I can have some anxiety if I am not careful. I have learned to manage my anxiety and PTSD through some classes they were offering in my town.
Posted 12/4/2012 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Prayer like the others have said, and it doesn't hurt to listen to a Chronic Pain Management CD. It works wonders to relax the body and mind. Check with your psychologist or on the internet to purchase one, and there are also CDs for Stress Management and Anxiety. Listening to the Chronic Pain Management CD (from my psychologist, made by my psychologist) made me feel restless after the first couple of minutes - as though something was preventing me from relaxing, but I forced myself to listen to the full 20 minutes and at the end of it, I felt somewhat refreshed. It got easier the more I forced myself to sit thru it. My psychologist had recommended I listen to it at least twice a day, upon rising and before going to bed, and it took some effort to get into the routine but I really appreciate the benefits now, after doing it for six weeks.
Posted 12/5/2012 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
I've heard lucid dreaming is a really good way to manage nightmares because you learn to take control of your dreams. It sounds silly... but I also sleep with a big stuffed animal and my cat, and if I wake up anxious or can't fall asleep, cuddling one of the two usually helps.

Apart from that, sometimes I take ativan to help me sleep well.
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