How to stop nightmares and night terrors

This isn’t really something I talk about, but it’s getting to the point where the night terrors are a relief, because at least I’ll go back to sleep. I shouldn’t look forward to something like that.

I usually have nightmares 3 times a week, but they can frequent as heavy as 9 days in a row. Some worse than others.

I just can’t live like this anymore. The idea of sleeping can’t stress me out to the point where I can’t sleep.

What helps you?

PS I’m 28, don’t hold back on your answers.

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Hi Rix!:love_you_gesture:
Thank You For Sharing Your Thoughts!
Seems Like You Have Alot In Your Mind.
And Your Brain Is Overcompensating And Working Overtime To Try And Sort Things Out?
Just A Guess?
Care To Speak And Talk About It?
You Have The Power To Let Me Listen. :slightly_smiling_face:

As someone with PTSD I live with frequent nightmares. I’ve carried them through most of my life. I’m 34.

I still don’t have answers for them. I struggle sleeping on a regular basis. My sleep is choppy. Sometimes I’m awake till 3-7 AM in the morning. Sometimes later. Other times I stay locked in a nightmare for hours, with a sense that everything is happening is real and I wake up feeling nauseated, confused and disoriented. Often it affects my entire day. My energy is low, I fight with heavy depression from it or sometimes irritability and anger.

My greatest help was my psychiatrist who prescribed a few things to me before I found what worked. When I finally had that relief, I was able to sleep mostly through the night and feel pretty rested. With or without the nightmares. But it helped keep them at bay.

Right now I’m not on any medication as I lost my insurance. So I don’t have a lot of control over the frequency of my nightmares. So unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of feedback. Just minor things like…playing a quiet playlist. Something really soft and gentle. It sometimes helps keep the nightmares away. I try not to watch or read anything that may linger in my thoughts and provoke nightmares. So no news or scary movies before bed. Nothing majorly triggering or sensitive in subject.

I’ve tried guided meditation. It helped. Though it’s been a while. They’re really the only things I have right now. Mostly I just suggest talking to a psychiatrist and a psychologist. I was seeing both. It made a difference for me.

A lot of my nightmares come from a lot of trauma through out my life and my severe anxiety that is very dominant. It was at its best when I was being professionally treated.

I’m sorry that you too are battling with this. I know how awful it is to live with. Especially when it’s frequent.

I put together a list for people to use that you’re welcome to. It has some mind calming music. Some guided meditation audio. Lots of resource links from Heart Support. Including their books for depression and self harm and a series of mental health topics. If you’d like to see if any of this could maybe help you, you can find that Here

  • Kitty
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I’m not a professional psychiatrist but I know that nightmares and terrors are not from God. The evil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus has come so that you may have life. God has NOT given us a spirit of fear but of POWER, LOVE, and a SOUND MIND. God is greater than ANYTHING. Just go to him. He will listen to you. You are his child. Tell the devil he MAY NOT mess with the children of God. Even if you don’t believe in that, it’s the truth. I’ll be praying. God’s hand is over you. May you rest tonight and every night with no fears and no nightmares. I pray you protect the mind, body, and spirit from ALL evil for you alone Lord are greater than ANYTHING. In Jesus’s STRO NG name. Amen.
Just remember that the name of Jesus can break any chain or bond. Be brave for the Lord is with you wherever you go.