Night Terrors.... is this real ?

My live in girlfriend experiences "night terrors".
I think that's what they're called.

every couple of months, sometimes sooner, she will wake up, screaming and fighting... throwing punches, kicking, trying to fight and get away from someone or something.

She says that she is still asleep while this happens, I wake her up my telling her it's okay and that she's okay.

Usually, she'll ask me something like, "are we alone" or "is there anyone else in the room" ?

Last night was another "typical, night terror".

Just after 11pm, I'm laying there sleeping and suddenly she screams out... I wake up and she is down in the middle of the bed, kicking and swinging her arms.

I touch her on the shoulder and she jumps away and looks at me, I tell her it's me and that she is okay. She layed back down and asked " who else is here"? I told her no one, she was dreaming and to go back to sleep.

Once I get her calmed down, I realize that my leg is hurting. I figure she must have kicked me during the "struggle".

Then this thought entered my mind....

What if, "something or someone" really is trying to get her ? what if she was fighting them off and in the fight, "they / it" grabbed my leg ?

What if, I'm right and "it/they" are trying to take her and she starts to fight and when I wake up, "it / they" go away ?

I know that someone is going to say, they would just take me too, or kill me or something, but what if..

Have you guys heard of these "night terrors", what are your experiences ?

ideas, suggestions ?

I have experienced them myself in the past. Off and on, but only for about a two month period. here's a lot of info on the subject-
www.nightterrors.org...
www.sawka.com...
dreamemporium.com...

it's more common in children.

good luck

thanks exdog... I'll read the info.

something you said caught my eye, these are more common in children....

My gal, says that she doesn't remember much of her childhood, before 8-9 years old ? I asked about abuse when she was a child, she assured me there was none... so I ruled that out... hmmm interesting.

I woke up about a week ago scared out of my freakin mind, but I didn't what of or why...

I know a girl who got pregnant in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield ('90). She kept it from her command with the help of a couple friends (looking out for her) and carried the child through Desert Storm. She recounted some traumatic experiences like the convoy up the highway of death, rolling over dead bodies, the vehicle bouncing.. She had her daughter four months after she got back to the U.S. Her daughter had terrible night terrors her first three years. The doctors assumed it was because of the stress her mother endured through the war. In essence, the child absorbed her mother's trauma.

exdog, one of the web sites that you suggested..

states that night terrors " are not dangerous" but my gal says that she read online somewhere that a woman was experiencing one and killed her husband right there in the bed.. she woke up the next morning and had no idea what had happned !

I keep all sharp objects away from the bed..

Originally posted by elevatedone
exdog, one of the web sites that you suggested..

states that night terrors " are not dangerous" but my gal says that she read online somewhere that a woman was experiencing one and killed her husband right there in the bed.. she woke up the next morning and had no idea what had happned !

I keep all sharp objects away from the bed..

when i used to have night terrors, i wouldnt remember anything either, but would always have this felling that something wasnt right, like that someone was in the house or that my parents had dissappered or something. your gf is probably having similar terrors since all she asks is "is there anyone else in the house" and probably cant recount the terror enough to disregard it as you would a normal dream

I know that it scares the hell out of me, when she firsts jumps and screams... takes a moment for me to realize what's going on...

It's probably a good thing that I don't experience them..
she and I would probably beat the hell out of each other..

I've had some pretty scarry dreams though... a few times I have woken up very scared, but I immediately knew that I had been dreaming....

i used to have night terrors when i was younger too. they lasted for about four years from when i was about 5 or 6- around 10 years old. they scared the hell out of me and my family. i would wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying. according to my dad, who would be at the edge of my bed trying to wake me up, my eyes would be wide open, crazy looking, screaming at the top of my lungs, but i was still in a dream state. sooner or later i would calm down and drift back to sleep, usually not remembering what happened the next morning. but what i do remember is just being TERRIFIED. not of anything in particular...just this overwhelming feelling of being stuck in this position and not being able to get out of it and wake up! my mom thought i was possessed, she would always be peeking around the door while my dad was there trying to comfort me. thank god thats all over though.

yeah, but what I find interesting about my Gal's terror's, is that, she always thinks that something or someone is tyring to get her, she doesn't just get scared, but is actually kicking and trying to fight "something / someone" off.... it's very strange.

My gal, says that she doesn't remember much of her childhood, before 8-9 years old ? I asked about abuse when she was a child, she assured me there was none... so I ruled that out... hmmm interesting.

Interesting... I can't remember a stitch about my life before age 5... I see the pics, and it seems like I'm looking at another person's life. Also, as some here know, I had a history of night terrors and sleepwalking as a child/young teen. (though the terrors were more rare than the sleepwalking). I am certain I was not abused, but I am curious if there is a link between the missing memories, and the phenomenon.

I kind of did my own counciling through reading up on it, and learning how to take charge in my dreams, and use the lucidness of them to my advantage. Perhaps this will help her? Look into controlling lucid dreams, and this may help her fight back in the dream, rather than in reality.... Otherwise, it's quite possible she may hurt you...

Wow, I didn't know anything about "night terrors." Now I realise what my brother was encountering back when we were really small. He used to go to sleep relatively early being a kid, then he would come screaming, running into the lounge crying about monsters. His eyes were always wide with terror and my dad used to pick him up and carry him around and he would be paranoid of every little thing and be like, "WHATS THAT?!" It was so weird, like he was tripping really hard. What always got me wondering was how he could run down the hallways and stairs while he was still asleep. Kinda creepy, the mind works in mysterious ways.

yeah Gazrock.... I'm really concerned that I might end up on the receiving end of some of those kicks..

about a month ago, we went to sleep and I was "spooning" her and started snoring... all of a sudden, she sat up in bed, I realized that something was wrong so I sat up too and said "what's wrong"

all of a sudden, WHAM and elbow to the chest... and she says.. " you will quit snoring in my ear"... I told her
"you hit me like that again, and I'll knock you off this bed".. ( I really wouldn't though )

she layed back down and immediately started snoring...

the next morning, I wake up mad as hell, questioned her about hitting me... she didn't remember a thing !

I think I better go buy twin beds..

Watch out if it elevates to sleep walking.... I actually once drove to school, took a test, and then came home...in my sleep!!! What many don't realize, is that sleepwalkers can have their eyes wide open, but still be asleep!!!

Dude, she could actually get up, get a knife, and do something to you....all while asleep!!! If she starts to sleepwalk, I'd suggest a therapist...or at least, sleeping pills. For some reason, many sleeping pills lessen the severity of dreams and sleepwalking, and night terrors... Perhaps because it slows the activity more...I don't know, but they usually work. I don't want to panic you, but I also don't want to underscore the threat if she's already violent in her sleep....

thanks Gazrok, I might have to seek "help" for her.

I'm a very light sleeper... she's usually asleep 30 minutes before me and it seems like I wake up 5-6 times a night...

the slightest noise, light or anything wakes me, she can just barley move or anything and I'm up... so I should be okay !

that or I'll start wearing body armour to bed...

I'd try the sleeping pills first, hehe....

i have night terrors a lot, both me and my mother do. and, if we're sleeping with someone, they'll wake up and also feel the presence of another person as we do. and they'll swear we never kicked them, only punched them, and they'll have weird bruises on their calves. it's REALLY weird. and the bruises aren't even shaped like they would be had we kicked them.
i never really thought of what you're saying though... but now that i think about it.... it's kind of scary.
i hope no one's trying to take me...

[Edited on 25-11-2003 by effigyrelease]

I think I better go buy twin beds

I would encourage you to go ahead and get separate beds. That will solve the problem without much doubt.

We all have beings around us and sometimes we awaken slightly in the in-between worlds and panic when we find ourselves being touched by strange beings. Actually the beings mean no harm and are with everyone at some time or another. It's just that our consciousness freaks out due to ignorance.

Get separate beds and even sleep in separate rooms. If your love is strong then it won't matter too much.

I also live with my boyfriend and he often wakes me up in the same manner as you with your girlfriend. The past year or so, I have been having really horrible nightmares, and have been seeing "shadow people" in my house. I am alone 5 nights a week (my boyfriend works graveyard) and I've noticed that these night terrors happen mostly when he is at home with me.

Does your girlfriend experience sleep paralysis? Are there times at night when she has you shake her or has you listen for any sounds that might indicate a bad dream? This is another type of night terror that plagues me. I close my eyes to sleep, and in an instant I feel like I have fallen into deep sleep before my mind has had the chance to catch up. I try to scream but I cannot speak. I try to move my arm or my leg to get my boyfriend's attention, but I cannot move. Then I suddenly break free and wake up. Most of the time, it happens like 2 to 5 times before I fall asleep for good.

I hope that I can discuss this with you further. It's nice to know that you're out there.

My older brother suffers from night terrors once and awhile, its very creepy seeing it happen to someone.

........ It can also be pretty funny to watch