I suffer from night terrors, is there any way to avoid them?
963617
I also suffer from night terrors and I notice when I am either under lots of stress or when I am very tiered I get severe ones. However I've had them since I was a child, and what I've learnt is that you have to tell yourself it is not real and it's just a dream.\nI am 26 and only in past year or so I've been able to deal with them better.\nMy solution came to me when one day (yeah I get them in the day too) I had night terrors and I realized I was dreaming. I wear glasses and I knew that is had to be a dream because there is no way I could see so clearly. Since then I have been able to pull myself out of my night terrors easier because I am almost certain they are dreams.\nYou need to learn to control them in you sleep. \nThere is no way to predict when they are gonna happen but good things to do is try and rememberr things in your room like a painting or a mirror on the wall and look for it in your dream and focus on it. I know it's hard but it gets easier with time.\nGood Luck and I hope it works out for you.
1053395
Lots of things can cause recurring nightmares. Really hard to say. Maybe your worried about something. Maybe you need to talk to someone.
1110431
The scariest dream I ever had was when I dreamt of how I died in a past life.  I woke up in the most intense panic I've ever felt in my life.\n\nIf you talk to your doctor, he/she can prescribe a medicine that keeps you from remembering your dreams.  I have a co-worker who takes medicine because she has night terrors like you, and she's almost 50.
1059892
turn off the lights...take a deep breathe\nRELAAAAAAAAXXXXX
17377
I have sleep paralysis, but that isn't what a night terror is.  I am a registered sleep technologist, and know what these two are.  One is completely different from the other.  Sleep paralysis does make me awfully scared, though, even though I know that it won't hurt me!  If you are having either of these two disorders, you need to speak to your doctor ASAP and have a sleep study done.  The sleep study doesn't hurt, or anything- worst it does is makes ya look silly!  :)           Sleep paralysis is when you go to bed and just fall asleep when all of a sudden you didn't even realize you were asleep and now you can't move.. ANYTHING... your heart races, you sweat, you breathe like you were just in a marathon- you can't speak or blink at will- it stinks. It can also happen when you are woken up in the middle of the night.       Night terrors are when you wake up screamin in the middle of the night and don't remember doing it. Usually only kids have it.  Adults usually get it when they've been abused ( but not always true- it can happen to anyone).
1052684
Use your computer for an alarm clock. Try one of the free online websites and it will play an MP3 for you in the morning. Or use Task Scheduler on a PC to play a music file. Turn the speakers up really loud and it will scare you and make you jump up and go across the room to turn it off.
454159
yes. dark always make us paranoid, it's something psychological. you have to make efforts to get over this phobia, and try to spend more time in some dark spaces, little by little, just to try to get used to dark. i succeeded in getting over my lightning phobia. good luck ;)
218266
I had regular nightmares until I was 27 - usually made worse when different areas of my life were causing me stress. \n\nTo stop having a nightmare during the night - try to wake up fully and jot down some things in a notebook you kep beside the bed. \n\nthe things you write don't have to be genius - just write whatever is on your mind. It could be something you need to do at work, an overdue bill or even a few words about what happened in your dream. \n\nJust writing down something can clear your head.\n\nBest of luck
604128
Oh THANKS A LOT!  Now I'll be having nightmares for weeks!  LOL
38935
WebMD provides a good explaination of this phenomena:\n\n"A person experiencing a night terror or sleep terror abruptly awakes from sleep in a terrified state. The person may appear to be awake, but is confused and unable to communicate. They do not respond to voices and are difficult to fully awaken. Night terrors last about 15 minutes, after which time the person usually lies down and appears to fall back asleep. People who have sleep terrors usually don't remember the events the next morning. Night terrors are similar to nightmares, but night terrors usually occur during deep sleep.\n\nPeople experiencing sleep terrors may pose dangers to themselves or others because of limb movements. Night terrors are fairly common in children occurring in approximately 5% of them mostly between the ages of three to five. Children with sleep terrors will often also talk in their sleep or sleepwalk. This sleep disorder, which may run in families, also can occur in adults. Strong emotional tension and/or the use of alcohol can increase the incidence of night terrors among adults."
298685
I have had night terrors on and off since I was about six or seven (I am now 27). They seem to generally be triggered by stress although not exclusively. Two of my cousins also suffer from them so I guess there might also be some genetic factors. \n\nA typical episode will usually involve coming into wakefulness very rapidly, whist at the same time experiencing some 'terror' scenario. These can vary from nasty insects, snakes, strange people / figures or just the feelings of a malevolent force in the room. The thing which sets these experiences apart from typical nightmares is the fact that these things happen during apparent wakefulness i.e. they are like waking nightmares. \n\nFor many these experiences are accompanied by sleep paralysis, but for me I am usually totally mobile and up and out of bed faster than a cat of a hot tin roof. It will then take me a few minutes to 'come down' from the event, during which time the scenario will continue to play out, and I will be able to see, hear, smell or feel whatever is occuring as if it were totaly real. As my fear subsides I will gradually realise that there isn't a scorpion in my bed or some evil figure in the room to the point where I am able to recognise it for what it is i.e. just a night terror. Once I am back to normal I am then able to return to bed and go back to sleep as if nothing happened.\n\nInterestingly they are not always 'terrors' and sometimes the events will be accompanied by intense feelings of joy and happiness, but on the whole there is usually some kind of nightmarish quality to them.\n\nPersonally, over the years, I have learnt to deal with them and accept that it will happen from time to time. My girlfriend is very understanding and knows not to freak out if I suddenly leap out of bed at night! I know from talking to my cousin that she wasn't so comfortable and would often avoid spending the night with people in case she had one. I guess it could be quite frightening if you weren't expecting it!..\n\nI hope this helps! If you want any more information, please feel free to contact me.
582155
DO THE SAME THING EVERYNIGHT. YOUR BODY WILL ACTUALLY SLEEP MORE DEEPLY ONCE IT ADJUSTS TO A BEDTIME RITUAL.\nWRITE DOWN YOUR WORRIES. WORRIES WAKE US UP WITH OUT OUR REALIZING IT. WRITING THEM DOWN WILL HELP YOU LET THEM GO.\nSTRETCH BEFORE BED. GENTLY STRETCH YOUR MUSCLES TO RELEASE TENTION FROM THE DAY- TENTION THAT CAN WAKE YOU LATER.
633029
If you have a subconscious worry that preys on your mind, this can result in nightmares. In addition, nightmares can be seen as symbolic of other things that are going on in your life. You need to do a bit of navel gazing. Is there an important issue that you have been trying to ignore? Are there any changes going on in your life that you are frightened of? Do you worry about being placed in certain scenarios? If so, your nightmares are giving you an opportunity to confront your worst fears. Take the opportunity. Open that door that you are scared of. What transpires in a nightmare can sometimes help you to resolve any issues you have in the real world and the worst that can happen is you wake up...\n\nGive it some thought because many schools of thought say that nightmares are the gateway to our subconscious mind. It sounds to me as though yours is trying to tell you something - and you are busily trying to re-submerge it.
969
Exercise could help, but don't do it later in the evening.  It will release endorphins that will keep you up.  Exercising in the morning or afternoon should do the trick.  If the above doesn't work, take some nyquil.  I had two different prescription medications as sleep aids that didn't work the way they should and gave me nightmares or left me foggy the next day, but the cheap old generic nightime cold/flu medicine similar to nyquil knocked me out like a light and didn't leave me feeling sleepy the next day.  If it's a chronic case of sleeplessness, perhaps you should make a visit to your doctor.  Don't use anything for extended periods of time to help you sleep, it can become a habit and those aids will eventually become less effective.
17432
Yes, it can be normal for you to dream vividly.  You might not be able to stop them, but you can certainly start to control them.  We know when we are dreaming.  When you get to a part of the dream that makes you feel anxious just repeat over and over to yourself "This is just a dream."  If that doesn't help, start to try to wake yourself up.  You can control that rather then the dream.  Say to yourself, "I am dreaming" then "Wake up!" You may have to do this many times but it will work in the end.  This is what I did.\n\nAlso, I don't know how old you are or what is going on in your life.  Sometimes talking to a therapist can help with nightmares and if there is an underlying issue some drugs might be in order.  Or, it could be drugs that are causing the nightmares.  Read the "For Adults" in the Sources.\n\nHope this helps!
369047
It's called sleep apoenia and is a normal but odd glitch in your nervous system.Panic will make it worse.Just remember it's normal,you won't die and relax and breath deeply.I have it too.It's what explains legends of vampires and night-hags,succubus etc.
1043384
Yes, I get them occasionally.  It's horrible, because in the few moments before I wake up completely it's incedibly scary not knowing what's happening.\n\nSounds like you're in a really stressful time at he moment, so that's why it's happening.  You could try cutting out caffeine (including chocolate) and not drinking too much alcohol before you go to bed - I find that helps.