Sleep violence (edited)
I wrote this in the very early hours of this morning as a private post, but thought I would share some of it with the rest of you. Anybody else known anyone to do this kind of thing?
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I've finally gone and done it... I've hit Allie in my sleep. To be honest I've been waiting for it to happen for some time, ever since I first swung out in my sleep trying to swat an imaginary bee. Things seem to have just progressed from there over the past few months with me punching various things like the books on the bedside table and the wall. It was just a matter of time before I managed to wallop Allie.
I was dreaming and had no idea she was there. Fortunately it was just a glancing blow to the forehead and she managed to get her hands up to stop me on the next swing, but... It still bothers me even if it wasn't my fault. The whole thing is very curious. I've always been a vivid dreamer, but ever since I started counselling last autumn I've started shouting in my sleep (at Mother and at God and in terror) and acting out physically in my sleep (at bees, at Allie and Da). Is this all because my mind has been stirred up by the counselling, is it a side effect of my anti-depressants or is there some other sleep disorder going on here? I'm already aware of having restless legs and night sweats and both of my parents have sleep apnoea, so a sleep disorder wouldn't surprise me.
I've found some interesting information online where people have been looking into connections between anti-depressants and sleep violence, but so far nothing's been proven. It's been suggested that some types of meds mess with REM sleep though and shut off the body's self-paralysis when it's in this sleep mode allowing dreams to be acted out. It seems relatively plausible to me, but I don't know that there will be any answers forthcoming as we really know so little about what the body does at night.
Perhaps I should talk to the doctor? I'm concerned about going off Citalopram as it's really worked for me if that's not the reason. It would be a shame to switch to something that might not work as well if I'm going to have the stress of a new job soon. I'm of the opinion that I just need further counselling to work through some of the issues that are bothering me. I feel like if I could lay those to rest - anger and frustration with my parents, my own inadequacies, etc - I might be able to sleep a little easier. If, of course, it's not some other unrelated sleep disorder completely unrelated to my other stresses and anxieties.
I just don't know. It's all so confusing and a bit scary.
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I've finally gone and done it... I've hit Allie in my sleep. To be honest I've been waiting for it to happen for some time, ever since I first swung out in my sleep trying to swat an imaginary bee. Things seem to have just progressed from there over the past few months with me punching various things like the books on the bedside table and the wall. It was just a matter of time before I managed to wallop Allie.
I was dreaming and had no idea she was there. Fortunately it was just a glancing blow to the forehead and she managed to get her hands up to stop me on the next swing, but... It still bothers me even if it wasn't my fault. The whole thing is very curious. I've always been a vivid dreamer, but ever since I started counselling last autumn I've started shouting in my sleep (at Mother and at God and in terror) and acting out physically in my sleep (at bees, at Allie and Da). Is this all because my mind has been stirred up by the counselling, is it a side effect of my anti-depressants or is there some other sleep disorder going on here? I'm already aware of having restless legs and night sweats and both of my parents have sleep apnoea, so a sleep disorder wouldn't surprise me.
I've found some interesting information online where people have been looking into connections between anti-depressants and sleep violence, but so far nothing's been proven. It's been suggested that some types of meds mess with REM sleep though and shut off the body's self-paralysis when it's in this sleep mode allowing dreams to be acted out. It seems relatively plausible to me, but I don't know that there will be any answers forthcoming as we really know so little about what the body does at night.
Perhaps I should talk to the doctor? I'm concerned about going off Citalopram as it's really worked for me if that's not the reason. It would be a shame to switch to something that might not work as well if I'm going to have the stress of a new job soon. I'm of the opinion that I just need further counselling to work through some of the issues that are bothering me. I feel like if I could lay those to rest - anger and frustration with my parents, my own inadequacies, etc - I might be able to sleep a little easier. If, of course, it's not some other unrelated sleep disorder completely unrelated to my other stresses and anxieties.
I just don't know. It's all so confusing and a bit scary.