Adult night terrors- why don't the doctors listen?

butler_helen

PasturesNew wrote: »

There was a telly programme about that, about 2 years ago. From memory (which can be flakey), I think there's a sleep disorder unit that is trying to find an answer, based in (maybe) Papworth Everard (or thereabouts), Cambridgeshire.

People on the programme slept there and were videod and they take all these readings from sensors stuck onto you.

Edit: Memory not as flakey as I thought... here it is:

Source: http://www.papworthhospital.nhs.uk/content.php?/our_services/

thank you! I shall print and ask the doctor.

To Torry who suggested an alternative doctor - I can try to the drop in clinic and see if they know more than my surgery.

joolsybools

Sorry to hear about that. A friend of mine has similar although it seems to have improved after she has gone on anti-deptresants. I think it's caused by stress in her case, not sure if this is what causes it generally. Exercise might help.

mrbrightside842

butler_helen wrote: »

Mrbrightside - I only get the paralysis when I am extremely tired, so tired that I cannot keep my eyes open... then I end up 'trapped' and it can last hours... I only know they last hours because I got it on a coach trip back from france once and was physically unable to get out for the toilet stop and my friends thought I was being 'lazy'.

I'm pretty sure mine is only minutes, but to start off with it felt a very long time. I'd get scared not knowing when it was going to pass, but now I know it will. I can open my eyes and look around, I often don't as I'm worried I'll be tricked in to seeing something (I once thought someone was stood over me and I couldn't move and so was terrified). I can kind of feel myself 'slipping under' in to it, and can sometimes catch myself and stop it from happening, but other times I can't. Sometimes it feels as though it lasts longer, and I start to get a bit panicky, but most times it doesn't seem so long and I can stay calm as I know it will pass. The noise I get is annoying though, I don't know why I hear the noise.

butler_helen

mrbrightside842 wrote: »

The noise I get is annoying though, I don't know why I hear the noise.

ahhh yes... noise... I can make the noise appear... I could induce the noise this evening if I wanted to... but I couldn't make a night terror appear. I think perhaps I'm a little strange!:rotfl:

peachyprice

I get night terrors when I'm stressed, the only thing that stops them is being pro-active and dealing with whatever is is that I'm stressed about.

I tend to be one of those people who, if I have a problem I carry on as normal during waking hours as a distraction so I don't have to deal with it, then the terrors start at night, so I have to deal with it. There have been times when I haven't realised something was bothering me so much until I've forced myself to think about it.

I'm usually being murdered in my bed by a knifeman. I even fell down the stairs once trying to get away.

butler_helen

peachyprice wrote: »

I'm usually being murdered in my bed by a knifeman. I even fell down the stairs once trying to get away.

I'm usually being attacked by snakes or spiders... or the bed is shaking. a knifeman sounds worse!

meritaten

OP - tell your doctor that the night terrors are on a scale of one to ten - eleven! insist he gets you help! they are bad hun and you are downplaying them to him/her.
if night dreams affect your waking life then you should always get help.............as the OP has tried to do. but GPs are NOT psychiatrists and unless they cause physical symptoms are unable or unwilling to help.
some things you can try in the meantime are - try to become aware you are dreaming - tell yourself when drifting off to sleep that you are in control - that you want nice calm dreams about (anything which appeals to you).
practice this!
meditation can help as it can help you enter your dreams and control them.
do NOT watch the news or any program which may upset you at least an hour before bed! or any scary books!
I insist upon what I call 'quiet time' for the grandkids for at least half hour before bed - try that yourself - no tv, no action or horror books, just soothing music and bland stories or feel good stories!.
I hope the above suggestions work for you.

Violetta_2

I have a sleep disorder, a life threatening one too. For what must be almost 20 years I would mention the problems I was having to various GP's I saw who dismissed me with "everyone's tired" Turn's out I had severe sleep apnoea & stopped breathing over 100 times an hour. The only reason I was diagnosed was because my husband mentioned something that happened to me whilst I slept to the specialist I was seeing at our local hospital for another matter. I had classic symptoms & was diagnosed & treated pretty damn quickly after that appointment. If it hadn't been diagnosed then, I don't think I'd be around now.
I don't think your sleep disorder is as dangerous as some, but don't let them brush you off for another 20 years. Explain how badly this is affecting you & ask if you could be referred to the sleep clinic at your local hospital. Good luck

jenniewb

I don't have a sleep night terror disorder (insomnia is bad enough- I really feel for you people!) but when it comes to treatment for things that go wrong and cause me pain, it normally boils down to cost. If something bothers me enough, I make an appointment. If I get no joy (pills, advice or referal) I go home, try to live with it, find I cant and go back. This cycle happens a few times before the doctor ends up referring me or giving me some form of pills as they are aware the problem is not going away and I also feel that maybe I am a pain in the ..... for them! (I don't mean to be, I just want help!)

I would keep making appointments, keep the doctor in on whats happening, if possible get a second opinion. Night terrors must be very scary to deal with alone and this is without it affecting your every day life, work and relationships. I think doctors know they must affect you but maybe cannot see the degree unless its pointed out to them.

peachyprice

butler_helen wrote: »

I'm usually being attacked by snakes or spiders... or the bed is shaking. a knifeman sounds worse!

It is pretty awful, as it's in my bed in my bedroom and everything is exactly as it should be, I'm sitting up in bed screaming the house down, but it takes ages for me to come to and realise it's not real. Poor OH, he's sure I'm only doint it to give him a heart attack

OP, it sounds like you have you got to the awful situation of the stress of the terrors giving you terrors. From that aspect I can see where counselling might help to break the cycle. I'm wondering, and this is just my thought, whether hypnotherapy might work?