Are nightmares common when you are off meth?

mtgl7771

nightmares after meth

Are nightmares common when you are off meth?
My husband says he is having awful nightmares, all different, mostly about being attacked.

He's been clean for 7 days now.

Sfj

Not uncommon

Drug dreams and nightmares are not really common or uncommon. Mostly maybe. Some have them, others don't
The longer the clean time, the less frequent are the drug dreams.

Rubyy2zday

Re: nightmares after meth

When using drugs/alcohol, the sleep we get is more like passing out, so rarely do we go into the REM stage of sleep where dreams take place. We have a biological & psychological need for dreams, for REM time. So when cleaning up from drugs/alcohol, it is common to have more REM time & more dreams to make up for lost time. These dreams can be quite intense.

I suggest he keep a journal by his bed & write down the dreams. After thinking them through, he may find that they have meaning, and may come to fear them less. There may be an important message there.
Also, if he could stay in bed for a few minutes after waking to think the dream through. In this lucid state, he can end the dream however he wants, giving it closure.
The dreams will even out after his body & mind have caught up on the REM they lost out on. It'll get better.

Kellhappy

Re: nightmares after meth

I had the nightmares. They were scary, but I think the worst part was just after waking up, especially if they seem really, really real while you're dreaming, then in those few moments when you wake up.

The trick, for me, was to learn to let go of them. The brain does weird stuff in dreams. For me, some of my detox dreams were really awful, but once I was awake and then back in reality (to where I was sure it was "only a dream" and I hadn't actually done the things I dreamed) I had to learn not to dwell on the things that happened in those dreams. They get better and go away eventually.

It might help to vent them out, just talk them out and then it might be easier to let them go. I would tell my husband sometimes, "oh my god, I had this dream....etc" and then I could let it go more easily.

Peace and Love,
Kelly

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