[Lisamay71]

My MVA was in September, but for the last couple of months I have been having traumatic dreams and none of them are about my accident, in fact most of the people in the trauma don't exist or aren't people I am very close to. Does anyone else experiance this, if so how do you deal with it? I find myself waking up very anxious and as we all know that's not a good combo with PCS!

Dreamer

[Hockey]

Studies have documented altered dream patterns in TBI patients.

Those with severe injuries sometimes stop dreaming. Other patients report an increase in nightmares and/or dreams with sexual content. There is no definitive explanation, but, for the most part, things improve as the patient recovers.

Although you don't dream specifically about your accident, you might still want to seek professional help to make sure that you are not suffering, unbeknownst to you, from PTSD.

[lyndianne]

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I too started having constant terrifying nightmares unrelated to my first accident about 6 months post accident. We found my cortisol levels ran high at night and low during the day, hence the daytime fatigue. I think a whacked out circadian rhythm is part and parcel of PCS. I also found that sensory overload during the day (and not much) contribute to the poor, disturbed sleep. I use medications, supplements, and monitoring my activities and do ok most of the time now. I was diagnosed with PTSD because of this, but I'm not sure of this diagnosis. I just treat the symptoms. It is a terrible way to wake up in the morning.