Jen31

Good Friday morning, SR family!
I have one question this morning. Did anyone have nightmares during the beginning of their recovery? Last night was brutal. I'm not talking about dreams of drinking or messing up on their road to recovery, I'm talking full blown "out to get you, going to find you" nightmares. The past few nights have been brutal, but they seem to be getting worse. I woke up a zillion times last night. I'm sure it will pass. I just wasn't sure if this was a normal part of breaking an addiction.
I hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy weekend! Here's to not having horribly, embarrassing stories on Monday!!
Jen

renaldo

I drink beer. Not even liquor. When I try to stop I can't get to sleep. What fleeting moments of sleep I have are plagued with nightmares of strangers trying to kill me over and over - stabbing me, smashing plates of glass over my head. When I realize that this activity should have killed me several times over and that it must be a nightmare, I'm stuck in it and just have to wait it out because I can't figure out how to wake up.

These people are no one I know and their grievance against me is never clear. They just want me dead. Must have something to do with suppressing my dream cycle for so long. I normally don't remember my dreams.

Jen31

Renaldo, you just summed it all up. I'm a beer drinker as well. It takes me hours to fall asleep when I don't drink. Now, when I finally do fall asleep, I have these horrific dreams. Not to mention, I hear every teeny tiny sound in the house that wakes me up.
Hopefully, it will pass!
Take care.

newby1961

My 1st few years of recovery was a nightmare in itself but at night it became something out of a horror fest. I went through a period of people chasing after me then I went into using dreams so bad I thought I was loaded when I woke up. It is all part of what they call PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome)
I suggest anyone in their 1st few years to look this up it helped me immensely. Have a great weekend.

Dee74

I had very vivid nightmares for sure Jen...they're not pleasant but they do fade and then stop in time

D

renaldo

Yup. One tiny little pop or creak in my old house and it's like a bomb going off and I twitch like a stuck pig. Same thing with any tiny little noise when I'm walking down the street. I don't feel on edge per se, but obviously my nerves are used to being sedated. A dog barking out of the blue behind a fence that I can't see and am not prepared for makes me jump out of my skin.

ChangingforGood

Jen31, I am a week into my recovery and when I sleep i also have nightmares.
Before i use to sleep and would only ever wake up to use the restroom in the middle of the night.
Now I fall asleep easily but its broken sleep. I wake up many times over the night looking at the clock wondering how long ive been asleep.
I have horrid nightmares when i sleep and often wake up and cry because i am so happy they are not real.
I am SO thankful for the weekend, even though i hate the nightmares I am slowly sleeping more and more without waking up so I hope to be able to sleep in.
Just know you are not alone with these nightmares. I know during it they are horrible but you will wake up and you will at least be happy its another day sober

Anna

Yes, I had horrible nightmares, too. I think my sleep cycle was so badly messed up. I hope you have restful sleep soon.

FreeFall

Your nightmares might be tied in to Halloween week as well, lots of scary movies on tv, previews,etc. I've had some bad dreams since I quit, and sleep is broken up, but I wake up more rested, finally, after about 3 months.

Have you tried a fan or white noise machine? I find that helps A LOT!!!

Jen31

Hi, Freefall
I have a nature app on my phone that I turn on every night (rain). I'm sure it will all pass and ill be sleeping great again, soon

JayceeL

Yes I have had terrible nightmares two nights in a row now. I also jerk and twitch awake for no reason. I have combated them using a fan and excerising ALOT so I am really tired when I go to bed. Good luck hope they go away soon!

trikuza

I've always had terrible nightmares, even before I ever drank. But the first couple weeks of sobriety they got so much worse. I didnt wanna go to bed at all because every night I was running from zombies, getting cheated on by my x girlfriends, and dealing with ****** school teachers I had over a decade ago lol

Jen31

Wow, Trikuza. If I had dreams about some of the teachers I had in the past , I'm not sure I would ever sleep again! haha Right now my dreams are of people coming into my house while I'm asleep and trying to get to me. I wake up before it gets too bad.
I'm sure my body is used to practically being sedated. If someone really did break into my house and I was passed out from a night of drinking, I would never hear a thing, nor would I know about it until 3pm that next afternoon when I was able to get up!
I think ill do as JayceeL has mentioned, and workout until I'm drained and able to sleep a whole night. Brilliant idea.

sugarbear1

Vivid, Oh So Real Dreams which continued when I opened my eyes, yeah, I had those. They will stop. Your brain is healing!

Now, those vivid and awesomely happy dreams were fully embraced by me as I could spend time with those who passed or with those I have rocky but recovering relationships with....

this, too, shall pass. Remember you are healing!