Nightmares

[Starting-again]

They are getting less, but getting nightmares at least one or two nights a week.
Wake up shaking and sweating.
And it’s to blinking cold at the moment to be waking up drenched in sweat in the middle of the night.
I have cptsd and know this is part of the trauma, but anyone have tips on dealing with the nightmares.
I’ll be awake now for the rest of the day and being tired makes the emotions run even higher

[Marmalade]

I wish I had the magic formula for this. I also have cPTSD and anxiety etc. I have the flashbacks during the day where something would trigger a memory and I immediately am back reliving an experience. I am trying grounding techniques on that one. Focusing on something in sight quickly and trying to absorb myself in looking at that item. Sometimes it works. That might work when you wake at night, to bring you back into the present moment and calm you down.
The nightmares are tricky. I was advised to practise breathing deeply once I awoke so in through nose and out through mouth deeply and regularly. It actually worked most of the time, calmed me down and I was able to get back to sleep.
I think over time these things lessen. Are you having counselling? This can help. In the short term trauma counselling can retraumatise as you relive the experience. Some people find it helpful. It didn’t work for me so I am on waiting list for EMDR. You might want to investigate that as it is supposed to remove/minimise the memories.
Also see your GP. They can prescribe something to help you sleep.
Good luck. I know how awful this is.

[Starting-again]

Thanks for the advice.
Yes I’m doing trauma therapy, I do find it helps, I’m also trying a lot of different grounding techniques to find which one works best for me. It’s trial and error isn’t it.
Im already on medication to help me sleep, but still get maybe 2 nights a week like this. I’ve been up since 2:30am which has a knock on effect and I feel more emotional when I’m tired.
I think it is just going to be one of those things that improves with time xx

[Mellow]

I regular have nightmares but it has been better lately but I only put that down to being busy and worrying about other things .i ended up in a and e last week as I had a panic attack and tenisus and it was the most horrible thing I’ve ever experienced in my life .tenisus I think they call it is when you get this intense ringing in your ears.i thought something had happened to my kids and ended up panicking and got up in the night checking everyone was ok I got very disoriented and couldn’t walk and thought someone was trying to kill me low and behold something was funny about this panic attack the next day I got a pen letter and had to report it to the police I know who it’s from but what a nightmare it just shows that some people have a 6th sence

[Mellow]

I don’t know how to deal with these nightmares but someone on here and the doctors did mention they think I have ptsd I don’t have therapy or tablets .i asked for them a long time ago but was told they aren’t suitable for me

[Author]

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