Woken up by nightmares if I try to sleep in

[geminigal]

I really need some insight on this one. For the past 6 months at least I have been woken up by nightmares, not the same one. It only happens if I try to oversleep, if I only sleep 8 hours and get up it doesn't happen. If I try to sleep longer, no matter what I am woken up by some sort of nightmare. I tried googling and I couldn't find anything this specific. The only thing that related was that I do take a medication (trazodone) that is known to cause nightmares. The nightmares aren't all out fright fests, they can simply be something that causes me stress. Just anything that jolts my heart pounding and I'm up. 

[zep73]

Need a little more info.

When you only sleep 8 hrs, do you remember your dreams?
When do you take your meds? Right before bedtime?

[geminigal]

@zep73 When I sleep 8 hours I do remember my dreams sometimes, only after just waking. If I try to recall them later that day I usually can't remember. I do take the medication right before bedtime, it's a medication to help me sleep since I have insomnia pretty bad. 

[zep73]

1 minute ago, geminigal said:

@zep73 When I sleep 8 hours I do remember my dreams sometimes, only after just waking. If I try to recall them later that day I usually can't remember. I do take the medication right before bedtime, it's a medication to help me sleep since I have insomnia pretty bad. 

The most likely explanation is that the side effect is delayed by 8+ hours.

[+Grim Reaper 6]

3 hours ago, geminigal said:

I really need some insight on this one. For the past 6 months at least I have been woken up by nightmares, not the same one. It only happens if I try to oversleep, if I only sleep 8 hours and get up it doesn't happen. If I try to sleep longer, no matter what I am woken up by some sort of nightmare. I tried googling and I couldn't find anything this specific. The only thing that related was that I do take a medication (trazodone) that is known to cause nightmares. The nightmares aren't all out fright fests, they can simply be something that causes me stress. Just anything that jolts my heart pounding and I'm up. 

I joined the US Army in 1978 and Retired in 2003, I have PTSD and I also take Trazodone to help me sleep but it’s not always effective. I normally no matter the circumstances only get about 4 continuous hours of sleep per night. My suggestion if you get up from a nightmare, is to take a little walk around the house, watch a little TV, drink something and go back to sleep.

Also, Trazodone doesn’t work well on an empty stomach, have a little snack before you sleep, I think fruit is best then take the medication. It’s more effective if it is digested with food, doing it this way will normally make you tired in about an hour to an hour and thirty minutes.

Oh and by the way, don’t over sleep 8 hours is plenty of sleep. The reason you could be having bad dreams is because your mind is telling you to wake up!

JIMHO

[Ell]

1 hour ago, Grim Reaper 6 said:

The reason you could be having bad dreams is because your mind is telling you to wake up!

I agree.

[Ell]

3 hours ago, geminigal said:

@zep73

 

Quote

it's a medication to help me sleep since I have insomnia pretty bad. 

Try to yawn or take a deep breath that is as near a yawn as you can get, that may enable you to sleep without the medication.

Also clear your mind, try to imagine yourself to submerge.

 

You can also try to take half the dosage of the medication.

Edited March 13 by Ell

[geminigal]

13 hours ago, Ell said:

 

Try to yawn or take a deep breath that is as near a yawn as you can get, that may enable you to sleep without the medication.

Also clear your mind, try to imagine yourself to submerge.

 

You can also try to take half the dosage of the medication.

I already take only 1/4th of the tablet, lowest does as well. I can take naps during the day but falling to sleep at night especially at a certain time is hard for me. Like for example if I need to be on a schedule. I haven't always been like this, it happened to me after my mom died. It was a time of extreme stress. Once you take that medication you can't really stop it messes with your dopamine levels. I am not even sure it's the medication really, because it doesn't happen all the time. Like today I needed to wake up a certain time and I set my alarm so it didn't happen. It only happens if I get lost in the dream world and try to stay too long. 

[Occupational Hubris]

It's most likely the medication. I quit taking it years ago because of the nightmares and vivid dreams

[Alchopwn]

23 hours ago, geminigal said:

I really need some insight on this one. For the past 6 months at least I have been woken up by nightmares, not the same one. It only happens if I try to oversleep, if I only sleep 8 hours and get up it doesn't happen. If I try to sleep longer, no matter what I am woken up by some sort of nightmare. I tried googling and I couldn't find anything this specific. The only thing that related was that I do take a medication (trazodone) that is known to cause nightmares. The nightmares aren't all out fright fests, they can simply be something that causes me stress. Just anything that jolts my heart pounding and I'm up. 

To give you a clue geminigal, at night your brain sets about the chemical uptake of all the neurochemistry that you have used to pay attention with during the day.  Your brain resets as much as it can, and short term memory gets edited and goes to long term.  Then in the morning, your brain begins to release some adrenaline to wake you up.  Adrenaline triggers your fight or flight response, and this means that your dreams will often shock you awake by making you recoil.  This we call a nightmare.  Nightmares exist to help you wake up.  Apparently if you sleep in, your body doesn't like it and likely puts more adrenaline in your system.  You need to have some harsh words with your Amygdala about letting you sleep in imo.  Naughty ! Naughty princess amygdala this poor geminigal needs to sleep in !

[geminigal]

15 minutes ago, Alchopwn said:

To give you a clue geminigal, at night your brain sets about the chemical uptake of all the neurochemistry that you have used to pay attention with during the day.  Your brain resets as much as it can, and short term memory gets edited and goes to long term.  Then in the morning, your brain begins to release some adrenaline to wake you up.  Adrenaline triggers your fight or flight response, and this means that your dreams will often shock you awake by making you recoil.  This we call a nightmare.  Nightmares exist to help you wake up.  Apparently if you sleep in, your body doesn't like it and likely puts more adrenaline in your system.  You need to have some harsh words with your Amygdala about letting you sleep in imo.  Naughty ! Naughty princess amygdala this poor geminigal needs to sleep in !

Wow, that explanation was amazing and much appreciated! Thank you very much for these insightful words. This is exactly what I was looking for <3

[Guyver]

Well, this one’s easy.  Just don’t sleep more than 8 hours.  That’s all your body needs anyway.

[cancreanmoon]

Maybe it's a subliminal-like message where sleeping in causes you unwanted stress since you believe you should be doing something else. I don't get nightmares' when I sleep in, but I do get stressed so I don't allow myself to sleep more than 8.5 hrs unless I've accumulated sleep debt.