h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For the past few months I've been having ferocious nightmares. People attacking me, hurting me in the dreams, and I can't fight them off until I finally scream myself awake. Never anyone I know, just shadowy figures and demons and strangers. I'm not used to being in pain in dreams; I don't like it! Yesterday I had a creepy dream where a small helicopter type gadget crashed into large boxes filling the air with shrapnel. The fragments came through my back and out my chest, spewing blood in my face. Just a dream, but yipe!

Now I know I saw a scary movie this week and last week, but the nightmares predate that by several weeks. I think it may be a side effect of some of my medicines, but going off those is not an option. Or maybe this is a perverse part of the grieving process? Dunno.

Any advice on having pleasant dreams? I know going lucid sometimes helps, but I am not very good at that.

Well Ellen, I have no recent experience. But this site mentions some suggestions I would've made(like the milk or yogurt)- http://www.ehow.com/how_1660_avoid-getting-nightmares.html I hope that helps!

Oh & ignore step 7.

Thanks Jaz'd! I'm off to bed now, so will report tomorrow if have any doozy nightmares.

Ok & sleep well hun!

I've tried to solve this worry myself,and find it coincides with a spell of depression.I try,really hard, to watch something relaxing on television before i go to bed,and i have started reading a few pages of an iteresting , but light hearted once in bed.The worst experiences are when i wake up i the middle of a bad dream,in a panic!!The feeling lasts most of the day then.
Do let's know if you find a remedy...

Can it be traced back to any medication you're on?

It's rather scary if depression can bring this sort of thing on, too - that must exacerbate the situation. Vicious circle.

Hi, I do hope the nightmares will end soon - I find you dream what's going on around in your life, but sometimes if your dream made a big impact on your life then you are almost dreaming about your previous dream! Don't worry. Have a cup of cammomile tea and watch the sunset, take a gentle walk before bed time. Is there anything scary or unpleasant going on in your actual life? I feel you need to surround yourself with nice stuff!!
This is my first conversation entry - I'm nervous!

Hello TC I think it probably is a side effect of medication,but ,like Jellen ,there is no option of not taking it.It is scary,and even understanding what's happened to you doesn't make it any easier.Thank goodness it isn't a frequent happening for me...i hope Jellen can find what the cause is.

Hi Josie Frost, welcome to h2g2! And congratulations on your first conversational post!

To answer questions, my life is pretty placid right now, but I have been going through a depressive phase. I'm learning to live life on my own without my parents, whom I lost late last year.

Hi Trillian's Child and Smurfles! Thanks for comments. I did go up on my medicine a little bit recently, but I think the nightmares started earlier, with the onset of the depression.

A victory of sorts to report. Last night I dreamed that a stranger came up and was pushing me out of the room, holding my arm in a vise grip. I stood up for myself and said loudly, "Who are you? I don't know this person. Stop hurting me." Several onlookers responded, and hostile stranger backed down.

Hi JEllen.Please accept my condolences..
This could have been brought on by the depression,as i said i'm always worse when i'm depressed,and i've suffered from that for years now.The nasty dreams have got more frequent since my mother died two year ago.I try to think about what my dream was,the try to recall whats happened in my life in the past weeks,and usually manage to find a connection.Always here if you want to chat,and i'm sure you have my e-mail addy.

You might find that if you can continue keeping your "dream diary"; when you look back, you find a pattern emerges. For instance, when i am totally stressed out, i always have a nightmare about animals in cages, which i haven't attended to & finally i go & clean them out, horrible, dying, starving, filthy distressed little creatures.

Now: there is absolutely No Way i would do this in RL obviously! So the dream tells me "hey, there's something you are trying to pretend isn't happening, best you sort it now, before it gets to be a big nasty mess!" It's a wake up call & makes me think "Ah. Right. What does this refer to?"

Another repeat dream is that i am in a school, i am the teacher (which of course i was in RL for many years.) So: either the class is totally out of control & i am panicking; or things are great, the kids are happy & learning nicely, i am thoroughly enjoying my work. So: that dream tells me how "in control" of life in general i feel.

I had a vicious nightmare two days back, woke up sweating & very very distressed. In the dream i had somehow magically reduced le viking to around 4 inches tall, painted him blue & shoved him down the back of the sofa! Then invited people round & got them to sit on the sofa, underneath it, he was screaming "help, i can't breathe, you are killing me!" Eventually i hauled him out & screamed at him "Just shut up, i'm putting you in my handbag for now, if you make a noise, i will murder you!!!!"

Not particularly difficult to interpret!!! In fact, i came downstairs in a zombie state & told him about it & he said "Ah. i think maybe you need a little break from crazy me problems; i do not want to die as a small blue teddy bear!"

The lucid dream technique i find works is this: As you go to sleep, simply say "i am actually *still* in control, even though my subconscious is helping out. If i don't like it, if it's too heavy, i am able to realise it's a dream & either wake up; or change events."

A good example is the "falling" nightmare; i often get that, but i can now do a nice thing of "yes, you fall, but then you fly"; which is really great! I can't control the fear of bad things happening to Yoda though, i often get visions of her falling from great heights or being run over. I guess some things are just too important.

I use dreams actively, to help me find solutions. A nightmare is just a message that expresses itself badly: next time you get one; shake your fist at it & tell it "Hey: you don't need to be so nasty; i will get the damn message anyway!!!"



zdt

Heck, JEllen, that must be rotten.
I used to have recurring nightmares when I was a child,but as I grew up and had more control of my life, they ceased.

An interesting thing I found was that if I was knackered and had only 4-6 hours sleep I seemed not to dream at all,good or bad!this went on for years,as I worked late and was up early.

My deepest sympathy on the loss of your parents.It will undoubtably make you feel very sad and insecure,impacting on your subconcious too.Your natural fears are expressing themselves whilst you're asleep,probably exacerbated by any drugs the doctor has prescribed.Have a word with the doc:to see if there is another which will work as well,without these possible side-effects.

Stop watching the T.V. for a bit,and work more on your creative stuff,which may give you more of a feeling of control,and positiveness.

Everyboby else has given you much better advice ,and try it all!
I do remember that what you hear and smell whilst you are asleep does have an effect on your dreams and your subconcious will interpret it (strangely sometimes).

and s.I hope it helps to talk to us here about it.

I wanted to say something...

do not do any strains on the eyes, like watch a tv or a monitor
do not have too many thoughts that are too brainsided

...in stead try to listen to something soft instrumental or imagne to be a fish swimming in blue ocean or read children's book.

And if all else fails, imagine yourself being gently huggled to sleep by all your hootoo fiends.



zdt

Awwwww, thank you Terri!!!

Thanks to everyone for posting and emailing solutions! It occurred to me that some of the nightmares might be caused by going to sleep irritated by my noisy neighbors. I may need to detach and think of something pleasant as I go to sleep.

I've tried a bunch of medications, and the ones I am on now work the best by far, and have the least side effects. So I may have to put up with this one side effect if that's what is causing it.

I might look up Bach flower remedies -- these are flower essences which are supposed to help with all sorts of issues.

And the idea of listening to some peaceful music is a great one.

And yes, having a "hootoo dream team" rooting for me is a help too.

My medication used to give me startlingly vivid dreams, but never nightmares.

Have you tried soothing medieval music at bedtime? Hildegard von Bingen is suitably ancient and remarkably peaceful. She does the trick for me on those nights when I'm restless or in some way distracted.

I never have nightmares at all, nor any trouble sleeping, so I can't offer any suggestions, based on personal experience, other than the sorts of things I do when I'm stressed out.

Might a warm or hot bath, with nice smelling salts, help? Perhaps burning a little incense about an hour before bed? You could try dabbing a little lavender oil on your temples, or spritzing some on your pillow case?

Does "lucid" dreaming refer to the ability to change the course of your dreams? All of my dreams are like that. Of course, a majority of my dreams consist of what I call "time management dreams", i.e., I dream at night that I'm completing some task I wasn't able to complete during the day. I can't tell you how annoying it is to wake up and find out whatever it is is still there.

I hope the nightmares cease and you can get some good, restful sleep. Sweet dreams.

Hello, JEllen,

The repercussions from losing your parents may go on for a long time, and this may be one of them, as we all have to get on with life however we are feeling.

There is no doubt in my mind that depression, anxiety and the medications for such can have these effects. You are lucky you are able to wake up from them. Some people cannot, which is stifling.

It seems to me that NHS professionals do not have the time to give to patients, and time and listening can be more helpful than medication.

Gentle music works wonders as it slows the brain down before sleep, and I have a tape called 'Dolphin Dreamtime' which is wonderful for relaxation at any time. You need 30 minutes without interruptions but it is brilliant. If you look up Operation Sunflower on the Net you can find out more about it.

'Time heals' sounds trite, but it really does. Or at least it helps you adjust to a huge change in your life.

big and

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