How do you cope with nightmares?

Question

I've been having nightmares ever since I was born, but I learnt to fight al the monsters, vampires, skeletons, witches... etc. However, tonight I came across a ghost, and punching and kicking doesn't work this time... Don't laugh, but the ghost is Lucy Liu... I know, I know, you wish you were haunted by Lucy Liu too, but I'm serious. It's 3 a. m. here and I don't dare go back to sleep, and I'm 24!

Answer 1

I know that feeling.
visualize taking something back into your dreams with you - like the machine from ghostbusters to trap it - and go back to sleep knowing you can defeat it.

when you are out and about this week, find someone who can bless your room and your dreams. they hate stepping into blessed places.

i wish you peacefull and wonderful dreams.

Answer 2

I have some really scary dreams and often times I have in the past gone days with out sleep just to not have bad dreams. When I was 22 the dreams got really bad and I started sleeping with a teddy bear for the first time since I was 9....sometimes I actually hold it other times its just there a comfort a safety the only time I've ever not had a stuffed animal with me since was when I was not alone in my bed...and even then if the relationship was a bit rocky I might not even notice that I was doing it but looking back I would notice that my stuffed animal was there. I'm 28 and yup I still have a stuffed animal actaully right now I have 2 that I sleep with every night and while I know they can't protect me its a comfort thing that calms me. I also go to sleep thinking of my biggest calm every night which is a very close friend of mine between his smile and his eyes he can make everything better...I've even found myself thinking of him in the middle of a bad dream and the dream just went away a few times.

Answer 3

I am sorry about your nightmares, The wierd thing about nightmares is the next day, explaining this to someone, or even after you have experienced one, the severity of it does not have the same impact as the actual terrorizing moment,,

You received great answers, and i agree with all of lthem especially "minx" she said it perfect, try what she said, and i think you will have relief,

Nightmares are something that nomatter how science describes them,,
part of us (speaking for myself) Still thinks that maybe a mysterious, other reason still lurks in our subconscious and maybe not like Freddy Kruger, but it is really really a frightening experience while it happens,

IF YOU BELIEVE IN GOD, you might ask him to put a few extra ANGEL GUARDS into your dreams to protect you..
Milk also helps , and it is true about eating at bedtime,,

You will be ok.
besides, if you can';t sleep or have a bad episode, just get up and come to yahoo answers and say hello,
and you again will have eager friendly sincere people 24/7 to help you thru this,

good luck, sweet dreams,

Answer 4

First of all, stop eating pizza before you go to bed late at night. Second, no more Lucy Lew movies, obviously. Third, turn on the lights, get something really soothing on your stereo and read the telephone book in bed. If you can't get to sleep, there's still milk and cookies. Warning: Don't look under the bed, in the closet, and DEFINITELY DO NOT Shut off the lights. 3 more hours and it's a new day anyway. Better luck tomorrow night.

Answer 5

Well, first you have to know why you have those horrible images in your dream or called nightmares?

It may be due to fear in your end. Fear of responsibilities, guilty feeling, fear of insecurity or just plain fear. Most of the times, nightmare comes from fear. if you find out the root cause, then the nightmare will be gone. Nightmares in other word recurring bad dreams, they reappear to your subconscious mind with a reason. So, to cope with your nightmares, you have to deal your with background, and personality first.

In your case,

fight with monsters, vampires, skeletons, witches = fear of death and you need protection.

Perhaps you are in a situation that you don't feel safe or secure with things or people around you. You have to slowly let go things that you don't trust. Things or people you trust, you should give them more confidence. It is not easy, but you have to go step by step.

Talk to a therapist or someone, open up, let your fear vent out in day time rather at night. Your nightmare will go always..

Answer 6

I can imagine how you feel, remembering when I had night terrors until I was ten. I talked to my doctor and he prescribed sleep medicine. If you don't like taking prescription medication, then try relaxing techniques before you go to bed, like eating something warm, or get a stereo with a remote control and listen to very soothing, calming music, and when you feel like you're about to nod off, click it off. Try to refrain from activities that require a lot of thought, like reading or watching shows that prod your brain. Sleep with something that feels good and secure, like your favorite pillow, and think positively when you go to sleep. Try to keep the bedroom a place for tranquil activites and intimacy only, otherwise your brain with connect struggling with work or bad feelings in the bedroom or on the bed. It helps to have a quiet but constant noise going on, like a fan or air conditioner. Block out all light possible because the light sensory things in your eyes detect light and wake you up. Go to bed and rise at the same time every night and morning, or close to what you did before. If this doesnt help, then you should ask your doctor for help; otherwise, sweet dreams.

Answer 7

I used to have nightmares as a child all the time. I sometimes still have them but they arent as bad as when I was younger. I would have the "old hag" nightmares about evey other day until I was about 15 years old. Then they came back when I was around 21. I pray in my sleep....all the time.

Answer 8

Hey, I`m not laughin. My fiance is 31 and she has terrible nightmares, crazy men coming through the walls, that sort of thing. She wakes up screamin and scares the crap out of me!

Go see a naturopath, they can give you stuff to calm you, and make you sleep more soundly. Good luck.

Answer 9

read up on and start practicing lucid dreaming. (and it takes some practice and focus, but those nightmares sound serious.) then you'll learn how to be conscious that you are dreaming and you will have control over what's going on.

maybe you'll move from fighting the beasts to vanquishing them altogether, plus all the other advantages of lucid dreaming--move from a surface solution (you can't fight forever and you probably don't want to) to a deeper one.

Answer 10

If you can discover the historical connection for your anger to these symbols, you may put your desire to do harm to others in its proper place and use this excess anger to more constructive activities.

Theoretically angers function was for the capture and consumption of food, but as the excersize for this function has decreased through food technologies, there is excess in our psychy. I think that is why human conflict increased as food production became more efficient and human populations increased.