Any tips on how to cope with nightmares??
I've been really struggling lately with very realistic nightmares. I wake up panicking, crying shaking. Each dream bringing unwanted memories to the surface. I'm trying to stay positive, and productive through the day, but then as night aproaches, I'm scared to go to sleep. I find myself very jumpy at slight noises throughout the day. It's just hard. Anyone know how to help/deal with nightmares??
Hi whisper
Nightmares can feel very real. Welcome to chat with a listener 1-1
You could reflect on if the dreams represent any fears, insecurities you have in real life ?
Whether it’s helpful to talk to a doctor or therapist ?
@GoldenRuleJG thanks jG ❤ I see my psychologist tommorow I'll talk to get about it ❤❤hugs you tightly ❤
Accepted and returned Lola ❤️Sends much love 🙏❤️
@Tinywhisper11
I just guess Tiny. Maybe many of the things you have experienced you have pressed down. Now - that you're safe and stronger your mind start to heal your memories and bring them forth to you. But please don't take notice of what I write, I'm not a therapist.
@Helgafy your probably right😟 I always try to ignore my thoughts and feelings, it's just easier that way. But sometimes you have to learn to deal with somethings. I'm just not sure how
@Tinywhisper11 Hi 👋 I’m not sure I have any good suggestions for avoiding the nightmares, but my thoughts are along the same line as @Helgafy
I do think that once we’re in a safer place our minds try to start processing the bad stuff that we couldn’t when we were just trying to survive. It doesn’t have to be all at once or quickly, that’s too much for anyone. It would be a plan you decide comfortably with your therapist. Speaking for myself, I think when we try to push it away completely while we’re awake, our minds have a way of making us face the memories through nightmares. Our minds are trying to understand what happened and heal. They’re trying to help, it just doesn’t feel that way at the time.
Most tips I’ve read or tried don’t tend to help me. The only thing that helps somewhat is when I wake from the nightmare, telling myself (speaking out loud, even) that I’m safe now. I might have to tell my mind today’s date, how old I am, where I live now. I try to stop thinking about the nightmare but instead comfort myself somehow, like tell myself it’s ok to be scared, or that I’ve been through a lot, or it’s just a flashback/nightmare that isn’t really happening. I find comfort items in my room (usually a stuffed bear with me), look at a picture on the wall, things that make me happy. I might try to sleep again if I can do relaxation visualization exercises. Sometimes my adrenaline still keeps me awake and I can’t sleep, but I will at least feel calmer and less scared.
I’m sorry you’re having these nightmares. I hope your therapy appointment went/goes well today. 🌼
@PiecesOfWhoeverIWas ok thankyou ❤ ❤❤ hugs you tightly ❤
@Tinywhisper11 hugs you back and gives you some of my calm 🌼
@PiecesOfWhoeverIWas ❤ 🙂❤ Thank you sweetie ❤❤
@Tinywhisper11 Sorry to hear friend. I get some pretty intense nightmare's from time to time. Take deep breathes and drink water. I usually get the nightmares when I feel stressed or nervous about something. It's like my mind is trying to cope and reveal those feelings through the dream state. I hope your nightmares go away and you can get some proper sleep(hugs).
@WellsFiction hugs back ❤❤ thanks sweetie ❤ I'm sure it's just a phase ❤
@Tinywhisper11 Hey Tiny. Hope you're doing well and the nightmares have gone away. We had a major thunderstorm last night. It felt like living through a nightmare actually. Love you hon :)
@WellsFiction oh wow! Are you ok?? Thunderstorms are scary. We are supposed to have a thunderstorm here later today, not looking forward to it. How have you been feeling lately??
@Tinywhisper11 Not great, but feeling better. Today's mother's day in the states, so I'm planning to do something with my mom today.
Have you thought about writing the dreams down so they have less power over you? <3
@jesusredeemedme2425 oh no I have not thought of that. Does it work??
@Tinywhisper11
I haven't tried it myself (don't have nightmares that often), but I bet it would <3 Thinking about the words to write would make you analyze it and think about the whats and whys, which would diminish its power <3
@jesusredeemedme2425 ok I'll give it a try ❤ thankyou ❤
This may sound silly, but sometimes I'll play a sound at night. Either a frequency, or a babbling brook sound. They say running water really helps the brain calm itself. And the frequencies, you could select which one you'd like to listen to. But I feel like there are multiple good ones. I have an active brain, so I'm constantly thinking.
@EmberShard
Ooh I love that idea, I used to have a sound machine <3
Also you could use a bonfire/thunder sound! I use that a lot <3
@EmberShard that's a good suggestion thankyou ❤ I do actually listen to a playlist I made of gentle ocean and waterfall music, mixed with piano music. It does help me drift off to sleep ❤
@Tinywhisper11 I suffer from bad dreams too, and wake up exhausted. Some humor helps me I guess. Of course we can't stop dreaming or choose what we dream about.
@Tinywhisper11 Distraction works best for me. I listen to radio static & imagine I'm sat near a weir or cruising Niagara Falls.
@cal1860 oh I listen to soft music and nature sounds, but I don't imagine I'm there, I will give that a true ❤ thanks cal ❤❤
@Tinywhisper11 I used to wake up sometimes in a state of panic that was so severe that at 3 AM I'd jump out of my bed, throw on my clothes, and rush out into the street. The only thing that brought me any relief was to be in a brightly lit place with lots of people. I would go to stores that are open n all night or ride the night busses all over my city. What helped was to train myself to wake up from scary dreams before the panic feeling got too intense. It worked. I'm not sure this is something everyone could do, but it's what helped me. I started to get many memories and over time the panic dreams have subsided, though lately I've been having some weird ones.
@Amelia763 I psychologist said something about training your brain during sleep. I will look into that thankyou ❤❤ you woke up at 3am? Did something bad happen at that time, to trigger your inner clock??
@Tinywhisper11 It could have been anytime between midnight and 6 AM. I said 3 AM as an example because I don't recall the exact time as it's many years ago the last time. Sometimes I would wake up from a nightmare about not being able to breathe. If I had a stuffy nose it could trigger the panic. I googled about night panic attacks and learned that some people are highly sensitive to even a tiny harmless drop in oxygen and this brings on panic. Learning that helped also. I could tell my brain No you're not suffocating and just wake up if that feeling comes. Self-hypnosis.
@Tinywhisper11
I feel you and understand nightmares. I used to have the same dream every night that would give me sleep paralysis and making me terrified and when I wake up I don't even remember the dream
@JasperTheGreat oh wow! Bless you, that must be terrifying. Do you still have that happen? Nightmares are really scary
@Tinywhisper11
Not as often but sometimes
Hi Tiny.
There is also this verse from the Bible you can quote for yourself: Psalm 4:9
9 In peace I will lie down and fall asleep,
for you alone, Lord, make me secure.
@Helgafy ❤❤ I gonna write that down so I can remember it ❤ thanks sweetie ❤
@Tinywhisper11
@Helgafy ❤❤ thankyou ❤❤
@Tinywhisper11 Don't dream at all is the best solution.
@billdan1958 actually that's impossible... people dream every night, the rate for remembering dreams is just impressively low
@AsterLight2024 I know, I was being a little facetious in a friendly manner. I am just saying, there is nothing we can do. I suffer from nightmares as well, or just bad dreams, as I prefer to call them. it takes a little power from the dreams to tone down the term I use to describe them. I seldom wake up from dreams feeling refreshed or optimistic. I often feed the dream info into Chat GPT and it analyzes the dreams. Sometimes the analysis is very interesting and makes me think in a new way about the dream experience.
@billdan1958 i figured... just trying to be a distraction from the hopelessness. <3
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” --John 16:33
@AsterLight2024 I have no clue what you're on about. Distraction from the hopelessness? Uh, okay Kierkegaard.
@billdan1958 🤔🤔 don't dream at all! I'll give that a try😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 thanks ❤😂😂😂