Night terrors as an adult

[Sparklesandglitter]

I've had night terrors since a teenager (now mid 30s) and they are a regular occurrence ie most weeks at least once during a normal week or more when stressed out. They happen regularly when staying away from home.
They include seeing things/people in the room, sometimes I wake myself screaming or crying other times I wake myself when I leap out of bed.
Ultimately they are linked to feeling out of control or trapped.
I have had previous history of anxiety/depression/self harm and insomnia although I have been well for nearly 10 years.
Basically is there anything that can be done about it? I've never gone to the drs as when I previously had insomnia I had sleep tablets and they made me really groggy in the morning which I can't have these days. Does anybody have any advice or do I just have to suck it up?
TIA

I don’t have any real advice, but wanted to say I have these too!

Mine are linked to a past trauma, but I often go through periods where I wake up screaming. I find if I’m over tired, stressed or have had alcohol it is worse. I try and listen to meditation headspace apps before I go to sleep, but I also accept that it just is the way it is. I usually only have 1 episode a night, so when it happens I calm myself down and then tell myself at least it’s done for the night now and I can go back to sleep. I also have a nightlight, which is ridiculous as a grown up - but helps me come around quicker to realise no one is actually there.

I will hang around in case anyone comes along with further suggestions for me to try too!

I find a light helps too I only "see" things if it's dark plus when it's light I can gage my bearings more and work out where I am

I have these too - much worse and more frequent when I am stressed.i wake myself up screaming, but can generally settle again pretty quickly. I think it is more scary for my DP than me. Sometimes I shout the most bizarre things before I start screaming which he relays to me the next day. The thing which has helped me the most is the This Works Sleep + spray.

I have phases of night terrors and 'exploding head syndrome' when I am stressed and find that making sure I don't lie on my back helps to avoid them. Sometimes I'm half asleep and can feel a night terror brewing, if I ever try and turn over in bed at this point I get 'stuck' at the point where my back makes contact with the mattress and the night terror will always start, whereas if I force myself not to turn over it'll pass and I'll fall back into a normal sleep.
Also keeping a dim lamp on helps for me, and trying not to get too tired before bedtime.
I've read online that moving your eyes side to side when you're experiencing tea terror can help you wake up (as if you're watching a really fast tennis match) but I can't say that's worked for me yet

Yes to it being scarier for a partner - i once woke up screaming, so my ex screamed back in my face through fright. It’s sort of funny when I think back to us both just lying in bed screaming at each other for no reason

I co-sleep with ds and he’s brilliant, he pats my back and tells me it’s just a bad dream 💗

There was a series recently on Radio 4 about sleep including night terrors. There was a doctor who specialises in this area.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09hrkwd is the programme

Any history of trauma? This could be PTSD. In any case, go see a counsellor. There are ways that things that cause nightmares can be addressed. You don't just have to put up with them and accept them as normal.

I have had sleep problems recently. I feel like I am trying to wake up but can't, and something is trying to strangle me, something evil. Had about 5 episodes. Looked it up and they are classic sleep paralysis episodes. Terrifying but they are stress related - and having no control. Mine is to do with my job. It has signalled that although I thought I was coping with being the target of a bullying bitch, my body thinks otherwise. It is showing me that the lack of control is having a detrimental effect on my health. They are terrifying enough, having sleep terrors is another level.

Interested in responses as I get terrors too, although thankfully not as frequently as you OP. Mine almost always involve me seeing insects or reptiles on the bed or in the room, I used to terrify DH waking him up with my screaming but he's used to it now. The worst part for me is the bruises I've had from leaping out of bed during them.

Really surprised at the number of replies thought I was the only one, everybody I have spoke to have no experience passed childhood. It is possibly due to childhood stress or (mild) anxiety (I've been off meds for nearly 10 years and as it doesn't impact on me daily in general life I don't want to go back on meds). May consider seeing the dr in the new year but I bet the waiting lists for counselling are huge! I was previously on the list for cbt but moved house and felt a lot better so didn't follow it up. Thanks

I suffer from night terrors and have done all my life. Mine also get much worse when I'm stressed and I also do wonder if they can be hormonal because I had them very badly after each child was born.

Have to make sure that I don't get too tired and have to keep my life really balanced and then they're not so bad. When I saw my doctor about them he suggested that in children they advised the parents to wake them up just before an episode would happen. The thought is that you fall asleep and then 40 minutes into that sleep get the night terror. The idea is to set an alarm for 30 minutes time so you fall asleep and wake yourself up again in 30 minutes and then you go back to sleep again and hopefully you will have missed the night terror. I don't know what this will work or not as I haven't tried it but just passing on what my doctor suggested.

I don't know whether sleeping tablets would help but they do have much better ones nowadays with much less /no hangover effect in the morning .I doubt taking them long term would be a good idea but maybe useful if you are staying away or have an important day ahead .
I would definitely talk to your GP .