I have pstd.how can i sleep and not have the terror dreams.?

Question

i wake up choking and don't start breathing intell i almost black out.this is nightly. any ideas?

Answer 1

I've had PTSD before. It's not fun. But before I make any sleep suggestions I need to say that therapy would really help you work through the PTSD symptoms faster. Less symptoms=better sleep.

One of the things that helped me was to have a schedule before sleeping that was relaxing. So maybe some tea or a small snack. Or read a book. (One that isn't triggering of course!) Or take a warm shower. It relaxes your body so it's less likely your body will go into the nightmare from stress.

I also set up my bedroom so that if I woke up it was really easy to reorient myself and remind myself that I was safe. I had music playing softly all night. (That also helped when falling asleep because I would focus on the music instead of the trauma.) I also had a night light. It let me get my bearings right after waking up from a nightmare. It also helps to have some things you can say to yourself when you wake up. Something really simple like "It's okay, you're safe now. See, there's the chair, and the dresser, and the music is still playing. You're safe."

Simplest things work best, because when you're waking up freaking out it's not like you're going to remember something complicated. And if you're still really shaken up you can always get out of bed for a bit and do something else. Some people find it helpful to journal because it just gets everything out and then they can go back to bed.

I hope some of these things help. Things will get better, I promise.

Answer 2

PTSD, I am a combat veteran, also served as a first responder in civilian life. For years I had this problem. I never believed i had PTSD. Once it was confirmed that i did have it I entered counseling which really helped alot.

What I did and recommend everyone who has PTSD is to learn as much as possible about PTSD. At the same time one has to realize that whatever the root cause may have been that brought about the PTSD. One has to learn that the event is over and done. You have to teach yourself that you have survived that situation and are safe you are a survivor.

Another common situation that accompanied my PTSD, was sleep apnea which would find me not breathing for 1 to 2 minutes at a time and i'd find myself waking up short of breath, with a headache from lack of oxygen, on those rare occassions when i was able to sleep. I dealt with it by use of a C-PAP machine which keeps the airway open with constant air pressure from a machine. Not a comfortable device to wear when trying to sleep but one that works.

Acceptance of the situation that brought about the PTSD is the only way to deal with the terror dreams. I accepted what happened, realized I couldn't change or prevent what happened, and thus was able to overcome the flashbacks and terror dreams. It isn't a quick simple process, it takes effort and time all of which must come from YOU!

In addition I take a anti-depressant drug the generic name is sertraline. I've taken others prosac, lithium bi carbonate, tegretol, but sertraline has been the best over the course of last 10 years. Drugs won't fix the problem by themselves. Unless of course you want to be so drugged up that you don't even know your own name.

Sertraline doesn't leave me feeling groggy, I don't experience side effects from the drug other than when I go to bed at night I experience un-interrupted sleep.

Now that i have addressed the emotional issues surrounding the ptsd I don't need the C-pap machine at night, the dreams, seldom wake me, and i don't have any flash-backs at all.

Once I addressed the PTSD and dealt with it my whole life changed for the better. Feel free to contact me with any questions on this subject.

I recommend that you seek counseling, because not dealing with the issues relating to PTSD will effect every aspect of your life. Believe me, I've been there and experienced it all.

I work with veterans on a weekly basis, to guide them through the process of dealing with this very debilitating disorder. I studied this psycological disorder so much that i have obtained a degree in the mental health field and have assisted the Veterans Administration in writing several publications on the subject.

Answer 3

Wow, that sounds pretty bad. Have you tried therapy at all, or medications. Some times simply the fear of having an episode is enough to trigger one. They can also be triggered by too much stress or depression. I think I would try to go to bed extremly relaxed after a hot shower and have some soft music playing all night. If you do have an episode in the night try to focus on the music to help pull you out of it.

Answer 4

possibly sleep apthia see your doctor or PTSD, I have this. My dream is a recurring nightmare of drowning where I stop breathing frequently

Answer 5

check out the post "Sleep Paralysis"
http://spirita.blogspot.com/

Answer 6

get a night job