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Hello everyone just wanted to see what others have done with nightmares. I have been pretty freaked out by some lately. Tried telling myself I am ok... but it seemed so real...(freaked me out bad enough could go back to sleep last night) and the feelings have hung with me all day.
Any ideas, techniques others have used would be gratefully appreciated.
I have periods of intense nightmares too, I find listening to meditation music and leaving it to play through the night keeps them at bay and I wake without remembering any dreams at all. Also they are much worse if I am overheated (too many blankets or electric blanket left on etc). Showering before bed helps (I don't know why, it just does) and a few drops of lavender and rosemary oils on my pillow help me relax and drift off in a happy frame of mind. They say not to eat before bed or drink alcohol or sugary drinks before sleeping too if you have nightmares- although I haven't tried this as I get the munchies at night and they are too powerful to resist
Writing them down and figuring out what they mean, what fears they symbolise etc can also be helpful, as if once you understand them your brain stops trying to send you the same frightening message night after night.
I can't take Melatonin - tried it after a sister recommended it to help me sleep through the night but after a night that seemed filled with odd dreams I looked up a connection between Melatonin and bad dreams to find it keeps you in the dream phase of sleep longer so it seems like you dream more. I work on exploring what my subconscious might be trying to tell me, what the dream meant. Of course there are still those odd times when I dream something like - I'm back in a life with an ex - those always leave me grateful that I live THIS life and not that one!
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I am strong in the broken places. ~ Unknown
All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another! ~ Anatole France
I had horrible nightmares when things were at their worst and they soon started into what was diagnosed as night terrors which involved walking around. My dreams were very symbolic. I was always entombed but the places kept becoming larger as. my freedom from my AH increased. I remember about midway through this period in one dream I was calling my husband's name for him to help me and my soul, God, intuition or whatever you want to call it told me "he's not there to help you anymore". I still get emotional thinking about it but it got better.
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"Just being there for someone can sometimes bring hope when all seems hopeless." - Dave G. Llewellyn
There are good sites for dream symbolism on-line. I like to look at them and find them helpful when I have hard dreams. My intuition generally knows when what I read applies to me or not. Generally, I don't remember my dreams - if I dream at all - but, when I do - I know its something I need to pay attention to and deal with. I don't take what I dream literally. I play with it (just think about it lightly) and sometimes the meaning of the dream makes itself clear to me in a day or two if the dream analysis sites are of no help.
Thank you all for your ideas and kindness. I have tried meditating last night and no bad dreams....just another good reason to meditate every day :)
I love this site..so nice to get such good feed back for issues and learn better ways of reacting and living :)
thank you:)
SL... I had them since I was a kid... I look for trends and themes in my dreams...