Scratches While Sleeping

Hey sorry for the lack of information on this subject.

Right, my dad keeps waking up with these scratches on his arms and I know what they are as he used to always cut himself with blades. I would like to learn more about what happens. He first thought it was down to the mattress but over the last week we have had my mums friends family staying over so I have had to give my bed up and sleep downstairs.

The scratches also appear while sleeping on my bed. He hasn't had a good childhood at all and when I asked him what he dreamed about he would mention most of his dreams consist of being chased by other people and sometimes they would catch him, and sometimes he can see himself committing suicide.

He doesn't know what causes it and he doesn't scratch himself at night also he doesn't have any nails to scratch himself as he bites them like myself, but I have read before about this kind of thing where things in dreams can physically appear in real life.

Don't start asking for loads of information as I don't have it nor will I provide pictures.

All I would like is a bit of information about these sort of things as I would like to understand it more.

Thanks.

Merry Christmas.

Hiya Spacedeck,
That's tough to have to deal with. Self harming is a law unto itself. People on the outside find it hard to understand. It can sound harsh, but there's not much you can you do about it. Usually, self harmers grow out of it by their early 20s. I've found the best way way is to just be honest about it with them. Don't try and talk about it and don't ignore it. Easier said?

Just make sure that he keeps the scratches clean. Sterile wipes are cheap and safe. Sometimes they'll talk about it and sometimes they won't. It's their business. As long as he knows you and the family still love him, he'll be okay.

This isn't about his self harming as I know about that. It can look very bad but I'm not someone who likes to talk about these things.

These scratches only appear after sleeping. He sometimes doesn't remember the dreams he has had but they only appear like I say when he is being chased down by people. I know all about his childhood and everything what has happened in his life and it ain't pretty.

It's the scratches he keeps waking up with I would like to learn more about. I still don't understand the self harming fully but this isn't about that.

We don't know what causes these to just appear and I would like to try and understand how it is caused.

Now I haven't a clue how to control his dreams to help him but if there was anything I could start reading to understand what causes these scratches because it's not something he does to himself.

I used to wake up with scratches but I wouldn't notice them till someone would point them out. Mostly on my back, I put it down to feathers from my pillow or the comforter. I figured when I moved in my sleep, the points from the feathers would scratch me.

Hey bud
I dont really know much about the subject, but is it possible that he is doing them to himself and too embarrassed to say he did. If you think that might be the case, i would suggest seeking some professional advice.
Letting him know that you love and care for him will help.

all the very best for the coming year

kx

Hi again,
You don't say if he still self-harms? I work with two girls that do it and an ex-years ago was quite bad. The girls have it under control as they grow out of it. If he still self-harms, the scratches are often caused by scratching cuts before they've healed properly. It's also not unknown for people with restless sleep patterns too scratch themselves. It's a feature of a sleeping disorder.

There are no means whereby anything supernatural can be doing it. It's very much an earthly cause. Rule out a pin or piece of broken glass lost in the sheets. Rule out a restless sleeping partner with a broken nail. Rule out the cat. If you can do these things, it's your Father. You don't say how old you are? There comes a point where our parents are just people. We love them as parents but accept they can be as crazy as anyone.

There are guys on here that believe Santa is a reptoid that keeps Hitler in a cupboard dressed as Senator Palin. Doesn't mean they can't be good dads and love their kids (although they prefer mom to pick 'em up at school:lol Have a good Xmas, dude.

Originally posted by Kandinsky

Sorry, he has not self harmed for some time and trust me I know these aren't scratches from blades. He slept downstairs in the chair a few nights ago as I also was downstairs most of the night playing the PS3 before sleeping on the sofa and these appeared again when he woke up. He did think it was him who was inflicting these scratches on himself while he was sleeping. He currently goes to a place where he talks abut his past and stuff and at the start of it he did start self harming again but hasn't done it for awhile now.
I'm 18 btw.

I get them also.. tho i dont know how i just figure im itching when im asleep or something and i just scratch my skin with my nails..

i dunno but something simple like that unless there like some razor cuts or really deep then that sounds more carzy

could even be like the other poster said just stuff in ur bed when u roll over or jiggle about in bed as we all do

hope i helped in some simple way or give atleast a reason

Merry xmas

Do you have a cat? Does he do physical work as a job?

Originally posted by _Phoenix_
Do you have a cat? Does he do physical work as a job?

No we have no pets and he doesn't work as he is under the health thingy whichever it's called. And the doctors won't sign him off so he can work.

reply to post by Spacedeck


OK just asking, because I have a cat and sometimes if I do something physical I don't notice any scratches until the next day I have scratches all over my body haha.

There have been times when I have no idea how I got some scratches, but I don't know how I can help.

I used to wake up sometimes and, upon feeling some pain in and around the back of my neck would find scratches, quite long. Then one night moving about my bed I discovered it was the zipper on my memory foam cover that while I moved would sometimes scratch me. When you find scratches, even though they are probably nothing, be sure to look for signs that they have a meaning, for example 3 marks parallel usually represents the mark of the trinity from what I've heard, and in which case, I would look for some help from someone who has studied the matter