sleep fighting

[misshaide]

my bf is 20 years old and i have been with him for almost 4 years now and within the last month he has started to act in his sleep. He starts to want to yell and starts to swing and punch and kick. The first time i tried to calm him down and hold him down and try to wake him up and i ended up with bruises all over my legs arms and even my face and left very sore and with a bloddy nose. He finally woke up and thought that someone was in the house and had attacked me before i explained what had just happened he felt horrible and said that hadnt happened since he was 16. He had nightmares but very rerley did he fight in his sleep.  That was the first time i had seen it and since then it has happened two more times and i jump out of bed as soon as i realize he is dreaming again but not with out him getting good hits in first. I feel so bad when this happens because he acts so scared like he is fighting for his life but I know bettert then to go near him before he wakes up. He is a very healthy young man but not on the best schedule. His day goes like this. He wakes up at 8 30 to get ready for the day but has no breakfast between 9 and 4 he goes to shool and work. and barley eats in between. He gets home and eats however. Then he helps around the house or relax depending if there is work to be done or not. Then at either 7 or 8 he is at the gym. Then comes home and eats ( if he eats before the gym he gets a stomachache) then he doesnt go to sleep untill around 1 or 2 in the morning. This is only on weekdays. On the weekends he goes to sleep even later so ihe sleeps in when he can but still goes to the gym. I am sure that his routine has something to do with it but im not sure how big of a factor it is. Does it have to do with just nightmares? Is it a mental thing? Is he stressed? What kinds of things cause him to fight in his sleep? Is there anything we can do because to be honest I'm starting to fear getting into bed with him. I have considerd sleeping elsewhere. I love him but im not sure its worth a black eye or bruises here and there every so often. I appreciate you taking your time to read this and i want to thank you in advance for any answer or advice you might give me.

[bfpop]

Just my suggestion..Move into another bedroom for your safety. He should understand that and it might help if goes to a sleep doctor and a psychiatrist. I am a woman and cry, curse, yell, and fight really hard, when I am sleeping. I have hurt my hand (almost broke it) when I was swinging once because I hit my wooden head board. Sleep study saw me swinging also. Thank God I am single, because if I had had a spouse, I know I would have accidentally hurt them if not killed them. Sorry so graphic, but evidently I was fighting for my life in my dream stage. Anxiety disorders can cause this such as PTSD. Can he identify who he is fighting? I could. And in real life, this person poses a threat to me. Pyscho therapy can help tremendously however your boy friend or husband must want to get help. There may be underlining issues he has never resolved. Since he makes good money, he should have good insurance. Hope this has helped some. Good Luck to you Both.

[hzeducator]

Hi,
My husband within the last three weeks after a move from one state to another has begun talking, yelling, kicking and swinging his limbs, and throwing punches towards me in the middle of the night. The first incident occurred before the move. Since the move one month ago, it has happened every night. One night he actually hit me in between my shoulder blades. I put a barrier between myself and him and have threatened to move to another room? He has these night terrors consistently. Recently while sleeping I felt my pillow go out from under my head so fast as he held the barrier and the pillow up laughing out loud. It was freaking scarey!!! He watches nothing but gore on television. CSI, ID, you name it. Last night there was another incident as he began talking out loud in tongues or something, kicking heavily. I yelled his name and yelled a big "NO" It stopped! The ironic thing is -he says he remembers absolutely nothing-ever-at all? Our lives were suppose to get easier where we live now-but because of this...... it's worse. When I tell him that I am moving out -he becomes angry with me? He has a very , very stressful, but lucrative job which he refuses to give up .

[Weedeecato]

My mate symptoms are similar he wakes at night hollering and starts to swinging at me most time I have to jump out of bed only recently he attached me before I jump out of bed because I was sleep. My question is he has been to a sleep therapist who prescribe sleeping aid but I think his problem goes beyond that because he drinks beer when he gets home and then alcoholic beverages before he comes to bed. I think he is drinking instead of taking his sleeping pills and also he likes to watch scary movies which I think is also part of the problem. my email: ***@**** if you can respond back

[Dr Rajput]

Hi, your symptoms are suggestive of Nightmare disorder, or dream anxiety disorder, which is a sleep disorder characterized by frequent nightmares or vivid dreams. Nightmare can be defined type of a dream wherein the individuals will be left in a situation where it jeopardizes their life or personal safety, usually occur during the second half of the sleeping process, called the REM stage.

It can occur normally in persons but in this disorder it occurs at higher frequency. Stress, anxiety can be precipitating factors for his symptoms.

This disorder can be managed by self by alleviating the home and personal life related stress particularly before going to bed.  A regular fitness routine, Yoga and meditation can also help to eliminate stress and create a more peaceful sleeping atmosphere and provides a relaxed state of mind. Psychotherapy can also help him to learn how to cope and deal with the various stressors in his life.

Do not worry, let him follow the above mentioned methods and the symptoms will alleviate soon. I suggest him to consult psychiatrist. Take care and regards.

[harrald]

Persons who have nightmares, and  worse, night terror(s) can attack their mates and do harm to them. Other people who take some sleeping aids, walk and eat, and drive cars while sound asleep. These people can gain weight because of early-morning habits, and it has been confirmed that some of the asleep people eat weird food combinations. I have had sleep apena all my adult life, and I spent two nights in a sleep lab with electrodes taped to my face and head. The sleep clinic helped, but today, I sleep about 4 hours a night. When I was in the sleep lab, a man was in the room nex to mine, and he suffered with night terrors. After he was asleep, a scientist placed a female mannequin in his bed and after a few hours. the man went crazy in a night terror and chocked the mannequin and pushed it out of the bed. I never learned the name of the man's sleep illiness.

You may wish to inquire with sleep laboratories that are in medical centers. The sleep clinic I visited was in the department of Psychiatry. Inquire there and ask questions about whether your friend can be helped.

Harrald