To be fucking terrified of these nightmares?

[GreenFieldsOfTipperary]

Hi! Bit of a random post but does anyone have any advice for nightmares?

im normally fine but just recently graduated and about to start a new job soon and I think its the stress of it all that’s causing it, but it’s really freaking me out and I’m dreading going to sleep. I KNOW it’s just a nightmare and there’s a logical explanation for it but it really shakes me up when it happened.

Last night I went to sleep around 11 ish and it’s like I go into a weird half asleep half awake state. I could feel myself lieing in bed and I remember actually having conscious thoughts (I remember thinking about how I felt like I was about to have another nightmare and I had to try and fight to stay awake and I remember thinking hey this is weird, I can think and control what I do). Then I must have fell into a deeper sleep because then i was looking at myself sleeping and I actually noticed a patch of fake tan on my leg which I had missed when applying before going to bed and I remember thinking aw shit that’s going to look terrible in the morning haha. Then I must have woken up slightly because I was lieing down again in my bed and I could hear several whispery voices in my head all at once saying things like she’s awake, she’s waking up, shhh shhh she’s waking up, then I remember thinking I NEED to wake myself up now because something felt really scary and I had this horrible feeling and I forced myself to move my toes but couldn’t. Then I heard a weird screaming siren sound in my ears and I woke up gasping. It was 11.20 ish when I woke up so I’d barely been asleep at all

I’m not easily frightened and I don’t believe in spooky stuff like this but it’s really freaking me out and happening a lot more regularly recently. The weird thing is when I woke up the patch of tan on my leg I saw whilst asleep was exactly the same in real life and it looks terrible haha. I must have subconsciously looked at my leg while half asleep and noticed it but I would have sworn I vividly remember seeing it in the dream (impossible I know and it must have been a dream but it was SO freaky, I remember looking down at myself and actually thinking how it would look bad in the morning!)

does anyone have any advice? I’ve cut out caffeine, my sleep pattern is regular, I’ve tried sleeping with the fan on in case I’m getting too warm, I stop eating around 4 hours before bed and I usually run most days (2-10km is normal for me). This happens a few times a week and it’s usually like this, I’ve had dreams where I’ve seen myself in the kitchen and actually noticed things I wouldn’t have otherwise known (eg my parents left out a bag of crisps on the table) so I think I must be sleep walking too and sort of half awake/half asleep remembering things

Accidentally cut off before finishing sorry!

usually after I have these dreams I either lie awake all night scared or if I manage to go back to sleep I just sleep like normal and don’t have any other issues.

im definitely not pregnant, otherwise fit and well (I take an asthma inhaler before bed but I’ve been on it for years without any issues) so I think its just stress but its really freaking me out. Sometimes ill just get such a horrible dark feeling during it even though its not the traditional nightmare (no monsters etc haha) but it just feels so frightening when it happens

if anyone has any advice or experience or tips I’d be really grateful!

It sounds like sleep paralysis. I ended up in a really bad cycle where this happened every night for 2 weeks (I ended up at the doctors as I was too scared to sleep)

i got so desperate that I found a protection prayer online (absolutely not religious) and said it every night before bed and it stopped them completely.
i think I put so much belief into the prayer out of desperation that it actually worked. I still say them now as I have had the odd few over the years

I get this when I'm stressed. Like you, I'll be telling dream me to wake up, but I can't always do it. The only thing that really helps is sorting the stress, so hopefully you'll feel better once more settled with your job. Reading an engaging book before bed helps a bit but not reliably.

If you are sleeping lying on your back you are much more likely to have nightmares. Are you sleeping on your back?

After my parent died i wasn't having great dreams. I found it helped to fall asleep listening to youtube podcasters- I particularly find Hannah Alonso easy to fall asleep to- and I think it helped my pre dream thoughts not to be about the things I didn't want to dream about.

I have dreams like this at times of stress and anxiety. If I'm going through a difficult time and having disturbed nights with bad dreams, I try to - stop watching the news or anything scary/stressful and instead watching old comedies that are comforting and familiar.

Put your phone away a good hour before bed and read or listen to a podcast.

Have a cool-ish shower before bed - lowering your body temp will help you fall asleep and get a better night's sleep.

If you do wake after a nightmare, try listening to a guided meditation or sleep story to help you drift back off - Calm app has some great ones.

Hopefully when you're through this period of stress, your sleep will settle down!

Thanks so much! I’m sure it’s the stress because I’ve never had issues with it until recently. It’s to the point I actually dread going to sleep now because of it happening

Sleep paralysis.

Yep sleep paralysis. It’s absolutely terrifying. I had it as a teen/ young adult at stressful times. I developed a little bedtime routine- hot drink, read , think about some nice things that I’m looking forward to then consciously remind myself that I’m in control of the paralysis and that I can snap out of it at will.
It’s a bit of a mind game but I now am confident that I’m in control of it . It’s almost like i talk myself out of it! I’ve not had it in decades. Good luck.