I could suggestion many techniques in lucid dream to help with the nightmares, as well as IRT (Imagery Rehearsal Therapy) and melatonin has been found to help get the right amount of deep 'REM" sleep.

also there are techniques to to reduce pre-night sleep so one does not have latent anxiety when Hypnagogic*. This anxiety of daily or weekly stress being there before you go to sleep can -pop- up and wake one or torment one during sleep and dream.

Try going into light meditation and saying the affirmation. "while i sleep i turn it over to my higher self and Divine power to reveal the answer to what troubles me.'.
the mind will be solution oriented and not problem oriented. get and keep a dream journal and get used to interpreting your dreams based on your own inner psychic language and symbology.
these things may releave your troubled heart.

studying a deep, advanced meditation can also help undo your demons. 'if you do you demons long, they will do you.'.

this is a lesson, if you do not solve your problems, they will dissolve you.

Littlebear41

Littlebear41,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Have you suffered a head injury/concussion ?

The issues we are discussing are very common to Post Concussion Syndrome. Do you have experience dealing with these issues and PCS ?

The combination of nightmares and body twitches are common to a struggling brain.

my first was at 4, my father slammed me against the wall and i lost consciousness. since i have had numerous ones totaling nine, maybe more if i have forgotten some. a few involved unconsciousness but not all of them.

Littlebear41

I couln't reply earlier as I had some really tough days.

Well tonight it happened again and the headache in the morning worries me a lot. Head shaking is known to kill brain cells, and now imagine what it does to an already injured brain.
It could be that I aggravate my injury each time it happens.

I had this shaking also before my PCS. I searched in some other forums and it looks like a quite common technique to get out of the nightmares.

Littlebear, thanks for your advises.

IRT, would be very difficult for me. I wake up so often during the night, that I cant write down all the dreams. If I do so, I would not be able to sleep in again or it would take hours.

I will try meditation as a first step. Is it worth to see a doc, or is there any med that would could help me here?

Chris,

You said "Head shaking is known to kill brain cells, and now imagine what it does to an already injured brain."

This is not true. It takes a violent motion that continues to cause damage.

As little bear said, melatonin can help sleep but I'm not sure it will help you since you appear to fall asleep OK. Magnesium can also help. I need to feed my sleep. That means I eat a complex carb before going to sleep. Otherwise, my blood sugar drops and my sleep become erratic.

How long before going to sleep do you have something to eat ?

The headshaking I do is quite violent but only short. It does of course not reach the intensity of headbanging, but it is nonetheless very worrying.

I take 150 mg trazodone and get very tired. A lot more tired than melatonin would probably make me. Although it takes time until I nod off. During the night I wake up at least 5 times with plenty of nightmares and the days are complete horror.

I eat very late and also high carb. My problems are all psychological and my recovery is almost completely on hold.