Nightmares/Sleep Paralysis

[JamieLeighC]

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed a link between getting pregnant and nightmares?
I'm having such realistic ones I think it's borderline Sleep Paralysis.
The dreams feel so real - always in my house, always starts doing things I would normally do such as turn all the lights off downstairs and go to bed. But while I'm doing it I have this overwhelming sense of fear. Then in my dream I'm fixated to one spot and every single time I'm trying to scream for my OH but no sound is coming out. It's at that point I wake up and I'm always lying on my back which is why I think it might be borderline sleep paralysis.
I'm 11 weeks and it's happened 3 times since I've got pregnant - don't ever remember having this when I was pregnant with my son!

Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

It's terrifying when it happens!

Yes I did in the early stages. It's horrific isnt it???
It stopped when I got to about 5-6 months pregnant.
I don't know how you can stop it, I wish I could advise you.

It's terrifying I'm scared of falling asleep on my back now but I can't sleep on my front anymore! Hoping it goes away it's a horrid feeling.

Sounds awful OP. A family member has had them, they said they were terrible. Is there anyway you could sort of get a few pillows/cushion at the front and back of you when going to sleep laying on your side, to try and stop you rolling onto your back.

My son used to get a recurring nightmare, then after having it many times, he faced the monster/fear. He didn't get it again after that.

There's nothing wrong with sleeping on your back. You're only 11 weeks.

Do you mean on my front? It's not that I don't want to it's that I'm uncomfortable and it makes me pee more!

I am 12 weeks and I too have had awful nightmares since around 4 weeks, some nights just strange dreams but most nights are absolutely terrifying and will be people looking in through my windows etc which when i wake up at 3 in the morning is the last thing I want to be thinking about...

Would you rather pee more or have sleep paralysis? I haven't slept on my back for a decade because of my intense sleep paralysis. Sleeping on my back triggered it every time

Wasn't asking if it's ok to sleep on my front I can get a pillow to help sleep on my side I was just curious to see if anyone else had experienced similar :)

Hey, I've has sleep paralysis all my life during stressful/painful times. Sleeping on my back is a massive trigger and also if I snooze in the day (very light sleep) or if I'm too hot. It's horrible but I just avoid these triggers. That's all you can do really. Sorry not much help xxx

Erm. Okay.

I was just trying to reassure you because you said
"Im scared of sleeping on my back."

And there's no need to be.

TheDay - sounds like OP is scared of sleeping on her back because of the sleep paralysis (apparently more likely if you fall asleep on your back - my partner gets it), rather than anything to do with the pg at this stage.

I’ve had sleep paralysis since a teenager. It stopped completely when I was sleep deprived bf twins (every cloud has a silver lining I guess!). Deep breathes when it happens works for me. Slow deep breathes. I found this out when I was doing yoga daily and I naturally started breathing deeply during sleep paralysis, I just drop back off to sleep.

There was a bbc radio 4 programme discussing sleep paralysis and some research that was taking place. I filled in a survey a couple of years ago. They also were looking at the loud bangs (that are not real) that wake up some people- can’t remember the name for it - I’m very lucky and get that too!

Exploding head syndrome! That apparently has never been researched very much.