Night Terrors

The food mares that I was having are starting to subside. Far Guy brought me home a Pizza Hut pizza one day, and the next day I made some chicken and dumplings. So some of those food related cravings have been laid to rest. I rather enjoyed those dreams.

When I was little I was a sleep walker, a sleep talker and a bed wetter. Thank goodness I grew out of the bed wetting. It was always a problem, an embarrassing one if you happened to be staying over at someones elses house. One time I wet the bed so much that one of the little girls that was sleeping in the same bed as I was woke up with wet curlers.. very embarrassing.

I am still a sleep walker and a talker. I have a REM behavioral disorder, most people when they go into Rapid Eye Movement sleep are paralyzed and can not move. I never reach the paralyzed part. So this coupled with my Night Terrors makes for a few interesting stories over the years.

It is particularly hard for Far Guy, his sleep is interrupted by blood curdling screams. Sometimes I sit up and scream sometimes I scream and run at the same time. Sometimes I wake up at the stairway, sometimes outside. It is a fight or flee situation. FYI ..the cold snow on my bare-feet usually wakes me up.

Sometimes I fight...one time Far Guy awoke to me straddling his chest, hitting him with a closed fist just like a boxer. Another time he very innocently rolled over and gave me a sweet little kiss and found himself in a headlock. Then there was the time that I dreamt Far Guy died, in bed. I was screaming..he reached for me, just what you want to see a dead body reaching for you. Since that night he no longer touches me during a Night Terror, he tells me to go back to sleep. I usually go back to sleep quite readily, but poor Far Guy is wide awake. Sometimes I remember the Night Terror and sometimes I do not. Far Guy reports that I look like I am awake..but it is quite obvious to him that I am not.

Many are repetitive terrors that I have had all my life. Snakes covering a sidewalk, thousands of them, and a sign on the grass that says "Keep Off The Grass." Of course there are no snakes on the grass. A few years back I finally told myself " Self, you CAN ignore all stupid signs when dreaming." My common thread is snakes, flying, falling, slithering, snakes in toilets, snakes in the living room and me jumping from one piece of furniture to another.

The other repetitive dream is a dark shadowy figure who tries to kill me and the girls. I cannot out run him or lock all the doors and windows fast enough to save us all. I am getting better at out smarting him..usually I throw stuff at him..one time I vomited all over him.

I do not have nearly as many episodes of Night Terrors as I used to. They seem to come in cycles, if I am over tired or a bit claustrophobic or sleeping in a strange place they are more likely to occur.

The only "cure" I have found is doing crossword puzzles, or playing word games on the computer before going to sleep. I think it puts my brain in a different gear. Sleeping with the television on all night works well also. I have far less episodes when I sleep on the couch.

I have never met anyone else with Night Terrors, I guess it's not the kind of subject that comes up very often. I do know that I am not nuts, crazy or a raving lunatic. My Doctor is and has been very supportive with my Parasomnias, offering medications (which I would never take anyway) and a referral to a Sleep Clinic. I have lived with this most of my life, what would the point be? I have it under control, with the help of a very supportive husband:)