Hi friends,
I found a link here in the PsychCentral forums. There's no specific sleep board there.
So, I have nightmares due to stress. No psychiatric condition. I work with middle school students with mental illnesses, which is the source of about 85% of my stress.
I started having nightmares when I started my job last September. I had an unsuccessful trial on Cymbalta and requested a referral to a sleep specialist. Here's what he suggested:
1. reduce caffeine
2. careful selection of reading material and tv shows before bed
3. more time in bed
4. switch to new allery medicine
I was supposed to call him two weeks later. It's been a month. I've been so overwhelmed with work and also a little scared to call. Here's what happened:
1. I switched to tea, instead of coffee. It's really hard to reduce caffeine when you get little or crappy sleep, so it's been hard to cut caffeine. Feels like a vicious cycle. I've never had it after 3pm.
2. I stopped reading about mental illness and substance abuse before bed. Those are my favorite premises for novels. I've basically stopped reading because nothing else can hold my attention. I've hardly watched TV for the last 6 months, so I didn't change my viewing habits.
3. This suggestion annoyed me. My issue is that I don't get in bed until I'm absolutely exhausted. That way, I know I won't lay there and worry about whether or not I'll have a nigtmare. If I'm in bed before my eyes start drooping, I'm worrying, which inevitably leads to a nightmare. I told him that I feel like I'm just not capable of going to bed early or on time. He told me to try again. I tried. I can't.
4. The new allergy med doesn't list drowsiness as a side effect. I don't think I've noticed a difference in my alertness, but I'm more stuffy and sneexy than before.
So, I've hardly made any progress. I don't want to call back because I feel like I'll be admitting weaknes. Shouldn't I have more self-control?
He suggested that I try making the lifestyle changes before we try medication. If medication is next, I'm afraid of that, too. My stupid GP put me on Cymbalta when I saw her for my nightmares over the summer. It didn't work, so she just kept upping the dose. That was a terrible experience. Also, it seems like most meds for nightmares run the risk of actually perpetuating the nightmares.
Anyone have a similar experience? I'm in need of some guidance. Thanks.
BBT