Readers Respond: What Kind of Sleep Problems Do You Have?

If you have PTSD, you may find that you experience significant problems sleeping. You may have troubles falling asleep or staying asleep. You may also have frequent nightmares that bring about anxiety and worry about falling asleep. Sleep problems are a common experience among people with PTSD. In fact, they are considered a symptom of PTSD. However, there are ways of coping with sleep problems.

What kind of sleep problems have you experienced as a result of your PTSD? What coping skills have you found helpful in improving the quality of your sleep? You can share your experience with and learn from other readers here.

Endless dreaming about stupid stuff...

After a fatal officer involved shooting in 2009,I didn't seem to have any issues with the event itself. But now I seem to dream all night long about stupid stuff that really makes no sense. It seems to keep me from what I would consider an good, restful, deep sleep. I wake up with complete recall of as many as a half dozen different dreams...none that I would consider violent,but some could be considered survival-oriented. Most make no sense!

—Guest Greg

Falling asleep

I have a really hard time falling asleep unless I am really tired and even then sometimes I have too much nervous energy although I feel ready to drop - once I lie down, I have to get up again. When it is like that, I find, that nothing helps much, other than to get up and do something to work the energy off... clean something, read or play some games, depends on how much focus I can muster... sometimes I just listen to music and walk up and down inside my home. Then I can get at least 3 or 4 hours... Other times when I am 'just' keep worrying or can't stop my mind from thinking I imagine myself at a calming, beautiful place or doing something that I find relaxing, like a mind-mini-vacation until I drift of. Those nights I sleep like dead, only I twist and turn so much or kick, that I am almost alqays tired and I often have bruises from or even muscle aches from my nightly 'fights'. For that I have not yet found a solution. I hope that maybe my falling asleep exercise helps someone.

—Guest Orphea

Children

I hear children talking to me but I could not make out what they were trying to tell me. i don't sleep with the light off because I KNOW it will happen again. The first 5 or 6 times made me wonder if I have slight PTSD from my IED experience in Iraq.

—Guest Fletcher

Bad Sleep!

I still sleep on the edge of the bed. I wake my girlfriend up, yelling, crying, nightmares, thinking I am in a fire fight. I did not have very many friends, cause in war they seem to die quick, so you don't get attached. But I had a couple close friends, and they got killed. I have night sweats about that.

—Guest X SGT JDM

Trouble sleeping

It's been 14years now since my traumatic attack, but there are times I still shake when I think back; I still have nightmares sometimes, I still wake up crying and disorientated, heart racing. At times I can still smell the liquor on his breath; taste the blood in my mouth..then I remember he's been put away, where he belongs where he cant hurt me anymore. I still have to take meds to fall asleep, but prayer helps. I wake every morning to see his handy work in the face that stares back at me; all curtsy of my husband, well ex-husband now. I dont know if these nightmares will ever stop, but it has strengthen me. I now know I may be able to help others through their ordeals; but not yet...I still have a lot to learn, more to overcome; but I will.

—Guest redms

PTSD and ANXIETY

After a violent attack upon me, I could not understand why my flashbacks regularly occured. Could it be because a knife very similar to which I was threatened with is the same type of knife I used during my regular job on a consistent basis.... Unbelievable! I actually just realized why I could not concentrate for any length of time trying to perform my regular work set without becoming distracted quickly to the point of almost experiencing out of body numb like and disorientating experiences. I will discuss this with my therapist Saturday.

—Guest Walter

sleep problems

I have a lot of trouble falling and staying asleep. I have had a recurring nightmare for years. In the dream I know I'm asleep and I think someone is standing beside me and they are going to hurt me. Sometimes I even open my eyes because I can see what is in front of me, but I can't wake myself up. I can hear the person breathing. The last time I had this dream was only a few days ago. I had fallen asleep on the sofa (didn't get enough sleep the night before). This dream was so real. I felt the person sit behind me on the sofa and put their hand on my head and squeeze my head. I felt like I was having trouble breathing and there was a part of me that kept trying to wake up, but also a part of me that thought I was awake and just paralyzed and it was really happening. Sometimes when I have this type of dream I wake up with my legs kicking because I've been trying to wake myself up. I also try to scream in these dreams but I don't know that I always make any noise.

—Guest Ann

Radio call sign "PACO" remembers

It's been now 38 years and 2 days since I last was in combat. I was wounded on that day, so my exit from country was swift. I was a helicopter crew chief with MAG-15 so we were engaged pretty much every day. I am very proud of the work we did, and consider myself fortunate. I have over the years, several persistant dreams that have sort of 'morphed' into this scenario where I cannot move quickly, or speak clearly, like a palsey, and I am in what could be described as a desperate situation. On rare occasions such as last night, my mind seems to choose not to mess around, and I simply relive the last desperate hours I experienced after being shot down while attempting to extract a SOG team near Con Thien, we fought the entire night and were over run before daybreak when support was able to drive them off. This only seems to happen when I experience some major difficulty or trauma in my life, which is the case now. It is vivid and horrorfying beyond description.

—Guest Frank R

Response to sleep problems with PTSD

Hey, thanks for the SLEEP TIPS! I tried: watching TV! The warm drinK before bed. Success and peaceful sleep. Thanks. Denise

—Guest Denise

I have nightmares too.

I dream every month: About family members popping up! I feel afraid! The dreams continue with a family member trying to force me to do something silly (like jumping off a building). I have these dreams routinely even if I take a sleep med. My only way to cope is to catch a nap. Does any one else have nightmares where you feel powerless?!?

—Guest Denise

Jane

I also have terrible sleep problems. I get to sleep at around 5 to 6 am. Then I'm waking all the time with nightmares...I take sleeping tablets at night with a hot night drink, try to relax with a bit of reading, or watch something calm on the television -- this sometime helps. My pets relax me a lot, and they are also good company.

—Guest

Bad sleep

I have had a really hard time falling asleep since my second traumatic experience nearly 5 years ago. A lot of the time I don't fall to sleep until 12:30am - 3am and I'm normally awake within a few hours from bad dreams. Also, when I wake I am in a cold sweat. Once I am awake I can't get back to sleep at all, and sometimes I have been awake for a few days at a time.

—Guest Haleigh