I keep having horrific nightmares

[MackerelOfFact]

The last few weeks I've started having really horrific, vivid, awful nightmares. They have mostly involved my DCs meeting all sorts of untimely ends - in one I had a few days ago, I lost my temper with DS2, picked him up by his legs and smashed his skull repeatedly against the floor. It was horrific - thinking of it still makes me feel utterly sick and frozen with shock. In another dream I accidentally pulled of DS1's legs and head. I've also had dreams where they are slowly dying of cancer or slowly bleeding to death for no identifiable reason. The images are just awful and they stay with me for days.

Like anyone, I've always had bad dreams from time to time, but the last few weeks they've been relentless. My diet and bedtime routine hasn't changed, and I'm not unduly anxious (although having these dreams does make me anxious during the day because of the memory of them).

Is there anything I could do to help ease this? I'm out of ideas really.

[Ormirian]

Are you on any new meds?

[MackerelOfFact]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've always been a non-smoker and don't take any meds at all. I haven't been unwell either, although I have been extra sleepy (time of year?)

[Elibean]

I had a run of awful dc-anihilating nightmares when they were smaller...I'm sure it was to do with finding it hard to admit how scared and sometimes furious I felt sometimes at having that huge responsibility, not enough sleep, etc etc.

Sometimes it helps me to give the most scary/sad bits of nightmares more space - instead of pushing them away, think about them, talk about them, iyswim? I know that sounds a bit obvious, but its my only solution and it works, for me. And, of course, its what you're doing here - I hope you start to sleep better as a result!

[MackerelOfFact]

DCs are 5, 3 and nearly 2. So quite young I guess, but past the really hardcore stage. I also have DSD who has just turned 9.

I definitely agree that staying away from the news and TV in general before bed would help. Thinking about it now I can definitely trace elements of the dreams back to things I've watched on TV the night before (ceiling falling in, DCs being stuck in lift, DCs falling through ice).

Last night I just watched Disney films with the DCs and then read - and I only dreamt that the Government had removed platforms from stations and you had to just stand on a tiny strip of gravel next to the tracks. I had to keep the DCs from running onto the rails. Which they didn't. So an improvement!

[madonnawhore]

Are you sleeping with the heating on? I always have mental dreams when my bedroom is too warm.

Also, if you're a bit snuffly at the moment because of coughs/colds etc, it might be because you're having trouble breathing at night. Nightmares are designed to make you wake up because you need to roll over to breathe or untrap your arm/leg and that.

[Teddynberk7416]

I have a horrific chronic terrifying nightmare it's always the same one it's about me going to the bathroom getting a razor shaver and slicing my cheeks my face and body skin deep I don't know it feels like I wake up I feel the cut marks on my whole body and like I'm on top of a pool of blood and I slice my tongue in half and like you know tally mark my arms skin deep I don't know do I need help do I need to go back to the hostipal