Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if anyone out there experiences night terrors the way I do. Maybe I should explain what they are first:

Sometimes I remember the dreams and sometimes my husband has to tell me what happened. I wake up terrified, because I can see things (people, animals, whatever) that are trying to hurt me. I'm always trying to run away. My husband has become really quick at grabbing me before I run out of the bed. Sometimes I just point at the wall and say "What the hell is that?!" I'm seeing an image (obviously he can't see anything), but I'm scared. Sometimes I talk, sometimes I laugh, sometimes I actually move things around the room (pictures off the wall, books, etc...)It's really a state of mind where a person is trapped between being awake and being asleep, so they usually aren't even awar that they've had a dream until the next morning when their spouse or family tells them what happened. It's NOT sleep walking. That's different. I've seen shows about Night Terrors and some people are violent. I'm not. My husband says that I appear to be totally awake, but I'm actually still sleeping. I'm always running away from someone or something. We can laugh about it now and as I go through the program, I have them less and less. My husband is sleeping better anyway! I find that stress is a big trigger. A lady that I work with has them too and we always have a chuckle at some of the things we've said and done in our sleep. I realize it's a serious matter, but I find that humouring it works well for me.

I would really like to hear back from anyone who has had experience with this sleep disorder.

My sister suffers with depression and anxiety. In addition to that she has night terrors also. She was held at gunpoint to her head twice during two separate robberies at a bank two years apart. It has been at least 6-8 years ago and and ever since then she has had them.

I have noticed she gets them more when under pressure at work.

I told my sister that I am doing the program. She has never asked about it so I don't want to press her.

My sister drinks caffeine ALL DAY LONG and eats chocolate every day. I am sure this doesn't help her any as we know how caffeine, chocolate and sugar can affect our sleep.

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Always Hopeful, Betsy H.
Marietta, GA (East Cobb)

[This message has been edited by EastCobbGABetsyH (edited 07-14-2001).]

Betsy,

Nice to hear from you and I hope your sister recovers somewhat soon. I'm not sure what triggered mine. I started having them in my late teen age years and I've had them ever since. Job stress is the worst trigger for me. I've cut caffeine out of my diet completely and opt for de-caf tea or coffee instead, but I drink mostly caffeine free herbal tea. The relaxation tape has helped me a lot, but the dreams seem to be triggered by events throughout the day, so even if I'm calm and relaxed before bed, the terrors can still happen. The good thing is that I'm still asleep while they're happening. Sometimes I'll wake up standing in our hallway or beside the bed, then I realize what's happened. Most times, I just wake my husband to tell him something or show him something (of course, he can't see it, but he humours me anyway ). Support from a loved one is what has helped me. My sister-in-law has had to grab me a couple of times when we've stayed in hotels. I seem to be quite the escape artist!

I think we both know that sister would benefit tremendously from the program. Maybe lend her your relaxation tape for a couple of days and let her test-drive it. It may help her. Any relief is better than none.

Take care,
Suzie-q