Howdy12

I'm sure I can't be the only one that has nightmares that, as corny as it sounds, are exactly like the movie Inception...or the same concept at least.

Multiple times a week I'll get "caught" in a dream. I'm stuck in a nightmare and during the nightmare I'll "wake up" multiple times but not actually be awake. This happened just last night and was one of the worse nightmares I've ever had. I always have lucid dreams so it seems completely real. I can always tell I'm in a dream and while asleep I'll tell myself I need to wake up...but when I wake up I'm still stuck in that nightmare. This usually happens 3-4 times before I FINALLY wake up into reality.

I used to take Benadryl to fall asleep but quickly became dependent on it. I then tried Melatonin which somehow manged to give me worse nightmares.

I've had insomnia as long as I can remember (the first time I realized I don't sleep normally I was 7 or 8 years old).

Does anyone else experience nightmares like this? I haven't drank in almost a week, is it alcohol related?

wywriter

I have had very similar nightmares for years, especially if I sleep during the day (the time I have my most vivid dreams...and also the only time I can sleep when I'm upset). Many times I've been absolutely certain I finally woke up from a dream, and then something will happen and I'll realize I'm still there. Alternatively, if I can move at all while I'm asleep then I can wake myself up -- and there are many, many times I've known I was dreaming and either got scared and wanted out of it, or been sure someone was in my house and I had to wake up to defend myself, but I just could not wake up no matter how hard I tried.

All I can say is that it's definitely not alcohol-related, or at least not exclusively. I am here as the wife of an alcoholic trying to learn to cope, but don't drink at all myself. These types of dreams have also been present since long before I ever knew my husband, and also remained when I had moved away from my alcoholic parents. I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but for me they seem to hit most often when I'm preoccupied with something...not necessarily even stressed out (though that happens a lot), but just go to sleep deep in thought about something specific.

I have a mental health history that has led the doctor to forbid me to take melatonin, but at my husband's insistence I have had Benadryl a couple of times. I don't know if it was the Benadryl or just that I hadn't slept in a few days on those occasions, but the nightmares that are normally really vivid and "out there" were even more terrifying and even worse for trying to get out of. I've always had a really weird sleep schedule, but it got really bad about age 11 and has just gotten worse from there, with the exception of a few temporary improvements before falling back into the same patterns.

dollpart

Definitely get these, you're not alone!

Soberwolf

Over the 32 years i have always dreamed

Not to go into too much detail but I have suffered extreme sleep paralysis sleepwalking,making food,talking, and other embarrassing associated with this

The nightmares were by far the worst and 13 months in I still get them but do not remember them I wake up in a cold sweat so I know I have been having a nightmare

I may have some form of PTSD

I am trying hard to get an 8 h sleep I'm determined as never in my adult life (15) have I ever managed this

Through being sober and making myself well again it is getting a lot better

The inception nightmare is so confusing and I totally relate you are not alone

andyroo72

Hey there,

I get really bad nightmares sometimes. They were a lot worse when I was younger- there's been a lot of PTSD related stuff to work through, which, I think has quietened the nightmare's a lot.

As far as drinking goes, I'm not sure how that's effected them. The classic coma-ed out drunk certainly did seem to give me few a quiet nights, but then I wasn't really sleeping- more like unconscious. I haven't drunk alcohol for over two months now (missed that one :=]) and I haven't noticed any particular change, to be honest, aside from the above.

I did have a bit of a doozy the night before last night. I got involved in a violent situation, which always freaks me out and got to have wonderful, recurring death-camp nightmares most of the night. At one point I managed to drag myself out of bed and totally head-butted the chest where I keep my clothes. I kinda knew I was awake at that point :=] Do not try this at home, kids :=]

Soberwolf

Your not alone I once woke up from a wild fight biting into my arm like I was trying to rip it off

My nightmares were always worse because of alcohol that is guaranteed my nightmares were so bad as a child I was always getting nosebleeds so had to have my adanoids out and grommit put into my ears

I have been known to hit ppl in my sleep and have grabbed my gf hair and throat i have punched her all in my sleep I feel awful but it was all in my sleep (I've heard of ppl killing in their sleep) its not like im aware I'm completely asleep I don't know what to do my doc has a record of it all I think he thinks I'm delaying things by refusing sleeping aid meds but I need my head clear

Once I answered the door asleep and during this process I woke up and was crapping myself like wtf am I doing here i shouted and swore then slammed the door shut and went back to sleep almost instantly

I once built a castle out of bathroom towls in the corner of the sitting room my mum was laughing her head off and asked me what are you doing I replied if Anyone wants to hit my dad they have to go through me first LOL

Tbh I've been dealing with this my whole life I tell ppl I'm a dreamer and they take it in the conventional sense they don't realise the chaos and the torment of it all

Then the weirdest thing happens I didn't get much sleep last week and I woke up on 2 different days with a nosebleed ??? Booked apt with doc this WK


If you like I have a blog on this would like some feedback

But yeah I really understand i thought I was the only 1 good to be able to talk about it with you as u can relate

Thanks you

Nocturnal

I have nighmares that are future based about the end of the world disaster, pestilence, mind control etc. Ive even had a dream about translocating myself to purgatory and other humans being monitored by non-human creatures thos was the most realistic one I've ever had it was like God was saying look whats waiting for you if you live in sin it was so real in fact I believe ot happened. I materialized there and the other humans that were doing some kind of farming turned and looked at me in surprise one of them said "lokk it's another one of those people they keep showing up more and more often it must be the end of the world" another said "lets stand next to him maybe he'll take us back with him" at which time they all dropped their farming tools and started running towards me then I woke up.

BrodyCrystal4

Wow. This is almost exactly what I'm going through. Some points of note.

Good luck pal! When I try all this stuff out over the next few nights, I'll post here.


Jeez, that sucks. I hope you can get a good shrink and some advice ASAP.

Soberwolf

A shrink or advice isnt needed asap as you can see i said its a lot better bud

At near 19 months sober i dont get that at all no more

i have the occasional dream/nightmare now but nothing like that anymore thank heavens