Lebber,

If when you wake, you remember a stressful dream, not necessarily a nightmare, it can indicate a breathing issue.

Have you done everything you can to be comfortable in bed ? The PCS brain is more sensitive to minor sensations. Have you tried sleeping with foam ear plugs? Many of us use them.

You should be trying to regulate your sleep patterns by getting up at the same time every day. Do not nap during the day. Shut down stimulation levels an hour or 2 before bed. Do not get in bed unless you are sleepy. You should fall asleep within 5 minutes. If you lie awake for 10 minutes, get up and do something mundane until you feel sleepy again. Do not fight to go to sleep.

Do not read anything that you cannot finish before going to sleep. Get all of your tasks done. If you have tasks to do in the morning, set them out or write notes about getting the task done. You do not want your brain thinking about "I need to put xyz in the car before going to work" or any other things you would normally remember over night. This routine of getting things ready for the morning can be part of your settling your brain down.

If, as you lie in bed, a morning task comes to mind, get up, write a note or put the item on the counter. For me, I might have a thought that my brain wants an answer to. I'll get up. Find that answer and write it down.

I sleep in all cotton. No synthetics, too much sensation to trigger my brain.

I used to have to be watching a movie that I had seen before to get my mind into the sleepy mode. I still do sometimes but not always. I would watch a simple music video or listen to the same singer. Foreign language singers worked well for me because i was able to not focus on the words, just the music and beautiful voice.

As you can see. Sleep is important and can take work to do well. Until I figured this out, I dreaded trying to go to sleep or stay asleep. Now, my systems make it easy.