I have crazy nightmares a lot that pertain to what I am going through in my life. For instance, when I divorced my husband, that night I had a nightmare that I lost a puppy and knew it was dead but kept looking for it. The night I told my boyfriend about all I'd been through I had a nightmare that I was singing kareoke in front of him and his friends and sucked. I've had far worse nightmares than those, those are PG.

Just see it for what it is. Your mind processing shit. Wish it would just stop but it doesn't apparently.

I think you answered part of your own question with, "I know when I get going/get happily distracted, I'm fine/great."

Getting myself going is an important part of it. I slept most of the afternoons this week. Tooth problems. My dreams are already getting weird. Like boognish said, I "just see it for what it is." I accept it as a part of sleeping too much.

Then there are the PTSD nightmares that can set me off on a pattern of up most the night, sleepy all day. Those I tackle with journaling and sketching the dream images. The nightmares typically let up when I get a handle on their source.

I just experienced this for the first relating to the abuse I went through. I am right with you. Today I cried and tried to reach out to others and then took a drive which probably wasn't the safest on my part. Very traumatic for me today but am doing better now. Weird!!! Hope you get some good dreams tonight.

I would suggest seeing your doctor. if you are just having problems at night really than they could give you something.... I was just informed and recommended something that specifically helps nightmares. so far, for me, so good. 2/3 nights I have had no nightmares compared to nightmares every night for the past 30 days.
it sounds to me something like that may greatly help you.

I struggled with nightmares for years. One thing to do is make your bedtime regime relaxing. Don't watch emotionally charged TV before bed. Don't eat a heavy meal right before bed. No working in the bedroom. Try meditation before bed to relax. Also there is a medication for PTSD nightmares called prazosin (mini press) It is an alpha blocker blood pressure med. You will need to talk to a psychiatrist about it- most family docs don't know anything about it.

Thanks everyone. I will look into the medication, that's a good idea. Like I say, going to sleep is usually very positive for me (I feel happy and relaxed). It's just a part of my life, that most nights I have nightmares. It is waking up in that shaken, terrified, miserable state that is my problem. I can't really function in that state, and I don't know what to do to come to a good place again so that I can get up and function ok. Any suggestions/advice would be much appreciated.

Getting going is tricky for me, too. From nightmares after nights or after naps, like you. From dissociative experiences, too. Sometimes I literally have to talk myself into the next task, saying to myself "OK, time to take out the trash" or "time to wash the dishes."

I know that may sound weird, but I'm proud of myself for doing it. 13 years ago I got stuck in that mode when other things like a divorce were added to my PTSD coping. I ended up hospitalized for a few days then. No fun.

So after I take out the trash or do the dishes, I also say to myself, sometimes aloud, "good for you--you took out the trash!" or "good for you--you washed the dishes!" "Look how you take care of yourself!"

I know, again, it sounds weird. But that's what it takes to be functional. There are all of these terribly accurate video tapes of really bad war experiences & such in my head. All my life they play over and over again. Nothing can erase them. Now that I've got friends here who have such video tapes, too, I'm not sure I want them erased as much as I want to learn their meaning.

But in the meantime, the trash needs to be taken out. The dishes need to be washed. Functioning needs to happen. So that's how I do it without meds. I know, talking to yourself is supposed to be a symptom of mental illness, not a way of coping with the mind, right? But I live alone, so no one can have me committed for it, and it works for me. Blessings.

I have nightmares too I'm always running or levitating somehow in them. the same hill and tree are there. I wake terrified of what? I don't know but tired like I really ran a marathon. So I hear you.