nightmares

[keltic 1]

Does anyone else here have heart-stopping, you can't move because you are absolutely terrified, kinda nightmares? I seem to go through weeks at a time of them and then I won't have them again for a long time. Recently, I am having them again and feel like I have been driven over by a Mack truck in the morning. Any suggestions as to what I can do to prevent them? I have tried not eating close to going to bed, reading my favorite books (poetry), and meditation but nothing seems to help. After a few nights of these horrible dreams I am almost afraid to go to bed at night. Any suggestions? Thanks!

from my experience, if you do not deal with these, they will worsen and until you do... talk to your doctor about them... medication may not be the answer... you may just need to see a counselor and talk thru what happened to you and help your mind get some closure... your mind and body will not give up trying to get your attention to try and heal themselves...

i went thru a traumatic experience and thought i could just deal with it... i started with little nightmares and ignored them... they got worse... i still thought i could just see the doc and get some meds... they persisted even thru taking meds until it got bad enough (full blown panic attacks) that i went and saw a counseolor... it took years before i listened to what my body and mind were telling me...

i have several recurring ones. one i'm being chased by cows (dunno why, i've never been chased by a cow) and the other a boat i used to have a long time ago sinks while i'm on it

for what its worth:

"Cow

To see a cow in your dream, signifies your obedience to authority without question. It symbolizes your passive and docile nature. Alternatively, it represents maternal instincts or the desire to be cared for. For some cultures, the cow represents divine qualities of fertility, nourishment and motherhood.

To see a cow with a skeleton face, suggests that you mother or motherly figure in your waking life is displaying a lack of emotions. She is being unresponsive to your needs.

To see a herd of cows, indicates your need to belong."

"Chase

To dream that you are being chased, signifies that you are avoiding a situation that you do not think is conquerable. It is often a metaphor for some form of insecurity. In particular, to dream that you are chased by an animal, represents your own unexpressed and unacknowledged anger which is being projected onto that animal. Alternatively, you may be running away from a primal urge or fear.

To dream that you are chasing someone, signifies that you are attempting to overcome a difficult goal or task. You may also be expressing some aggressive feelings toward others."

http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/

Im at someones grandmas house, and there are these cats with spikes on their backs, spitting tomatoes at me.

"Cat

To see a cat in your dream, signifies much misfortune, treachery, and bad luck. However, for the cat lover, cats signifies an independent spirit, feminine sexuality, creativity, and power. If the cat is aggressive, then it suggests that you are having problems with the feminine aspect of yourself. If you see a cat with no tail, then it signifies a lost of independence and lack of autonomy.

To dream that a cat is biting you, symbolizes the devouring female. Perhaps you are taking and taking without giving. You may be expressing some fear or frustration especially when something is not going as planned.

To see a black cat in your dream, indicates that you are experiencing some fear in using your psychic abilities and believing in your intuition. You may erroneously associate the black cat with evil, destruction, and bad luck. If you see a white cat, then it denotes difficult times.

To dream that a cat killed a spider, suggests that you are expressing your femininity in a seductive and cunning manner rather than in an overtly and almost destructive way."

"Spit

To spit in your dream, signifies an aspect of yourself that you need to get rid of. Alternatively, spitting may represent anger and contempt."

[littlepoem 0]

You could be right. I thought I had dealt with it and got over it long ago. Maybe not. All I do know is the nightmares suck. On the lighter side I do have a dream occasionally where I am sleeping inside a big peanut butter cup and all I have to do is lean my head to the side so I can nibble on the edges.......YUMMY

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Something practical to try . . .

overnight our endocrine system keeps working and often, around 3 or 4 am we can have more insulin in our system than there is food left over for it to use. It is part of the process of the body preparing for the next day's waking requirements and is known as the Dawn Effect. Most people's liver will secrete glycogen to cope with the extra insulin but sometimes there can be a delay between the body registering low blood sugar and realizing it now has sufficient blood sugar levels. One of the symptoms of low blood sugars overnight is nightmares. If your nightmares are occuring around 3 or 4 am you may be feeling a reaction to a Dawn effect. Many diabetics have to deal with this regularly. The way to counteract it - and one way to test if this is happening - is to have a small snack before going to bed of a protein and a long acting carbohydrate - half a peanut butter sandwich, cheese and crackers, something like that. You are not suppposed to have a heavy meal before going to bed, but a light snack can actually be beneficial. Good luck and hope this helps.

Edited November 27, 2006 by Kathryn41

[littlepoem 0]

Something practical to try . . .

overnight our endocrine system keeps working and often, around 3 or 4 am we can have more insulin in our system than there is food left over for it to use. It is part of the process of the body preparing for the next day's waking requirements and is known as the Dawn Effect. Most people's liver will secrete glycogen to cope with the extra insulin but sometimes there can be a delay between the body registering low blood sugar and realizing it now has sufficient blood sugar levels. One of the symptoms of low blood sugars overnight is nightmares. If your nightmares are occuring around 3 or 4 am this may also be a factor. One way to test is to have a small snack before going to bed of a protein and a long acting carbohydrate - half a peanut butter sandwich, cheese and crackers, something like that. You are not suppposed to have a heavy meal before going to bed, but a light snack can actually be beneficial. Good luck and hope this helps.

Thank you for that! I will give it a try.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Something practical to try . . .

overnight our endocrine system keeps working and often, around 3 or 4 am we can have more insulin in our system than there is food left over for it to use. It is part of the process of the body preparing for the next day's waking requirements and is known as the Dawn Effect. Most people's liver will secrete glycogen to cope with the extra insulin but sometimes there can be a delay between the body registering low blood sugar and realizing it now has sufficient blood sugar levels. One of the symptoms of low blood sugars overnight is nightmares. If your nightmares are occuring around 3 or 4 am you may be feeling a reaction to a Dawn effect. Many diabetics have to deal with this regularly. The way to counteract it - and one way to test if this is happening - is to have a small snack before going to bed of a protein and a long acting carbohydrate - half a peanut butter sandwich, cheese and crackers, something like that. You are not suppposed to have a heavy meal before going to bed, but a light snack can actually be beneficial. Good luck and hope this helps.

Very interesting, Kathryn. I had read that we need a minimum of 4 hours of solid sleep for pancreatic health.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

for what its worth:

"Chase

To dream that you are being chased, signifies that you are avoiding a situation that you do not think is conquerable. It is often a metaphor for some form of insecurity. In particular, to dream that you are chased by an animal, represents your own unexpressed and unacknowledged anger which is being projected onto that animal. Alternatively, you may be running away from a primal urge or fear.

To dream that you are chasing someone, signifies that you are attempting to overcome a difficult goal or task. You may also be expressing some aggressive feelings toward others."

mooo?