Nightmares!!!!

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I have been a nurse now for nine months now and finally feel like I can "handle" my title. My main problem is having a hard time sleeping, and when I do sleep, i wake up every hour until it's time for work. I have also noticed that when I go back to sleep, I have had wicked dreams involving blood, knives, my own surgery on a broken, bloody leg and so much violence. Has anyone gone through this? And is there anything else besides Benadryl and Ambien for good sleep? Thanks in advance...Amartin1

Specializes in Gerontology.

2 things

1. Get a noise machine - mine makes sounds like a running brook, rain, ocean. I love the ocean sound! It really helps me relax and fall asleep.

2. Get a dream catcher and put it my your bed. Honestly! I used to have terrible nightmares, got a dreamcatcher and hardly ever have nightmares any more. Gave one to a friend who was having bad dreams - worked for her too! Don't know if its all psychological or what, but it worked!

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To the OP....do you work in the ED or other stressful unit?

I give medications to the mentally/developmentally challenged and my dreams are centered on med passes usually.

I dream many times that I'm late giving my meds, that it is already 8pm and I still don't have my 4pm's passed yet. That kind of stuff for me.

I'm always glad to wake up from those dreams, because that can be stressful, even if it is just a dream. With as many people I have to get around to everyday, at work, just thinking I might not make it is stressful.

Oh, well, gotta live with it. lol

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2 things

1. Get a noise machine - mine makes sounds like a running brook, rain, ocean. I love the ocean sound! It really helps me relax and fall asleep.

2. Get a dream catcher and put it my your bed. Honestly! I used to have terrible nightmares, got a dreamcatcher and hardly ever have nightmares any more. Gave one to a friend who was having bad dreams - worked for her too! Don't know if its all psychological or what, but it worked!

What is a dreamcatcher?

Is that an Native American belief.......and hey, I'm not trying to be offensive.

I'm not saying it couldn't work.

I read Dr. Gott in the newspaper............maybe you've seen his medical advice column.

He advises that if you have nocturnal leg cramps to put a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of your bed linens, down close to your feet and in alot of cases it will stop your leg cramps. It stopped mine.

So maybe this Dreamcatcher......maybe I need one of those, too.

Where do I get one?

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Specializes in Gerontology.
What is a dreamcatcher?

Is that an Native American belief.......and hey, I'm not trying to be offensive.

I'm not saying it couldn't work.

I read Dr. Gott in the newspaper............maybe you've seen his medical advice column.

He advises that if you have nocturnal leg cramps to put a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of your bed linens, down close to your feet and in alot of cases it will stop your leg cramps. It stopped mine.

So maybe this Dreamcatcher......maybe I need one of those, too.

Where do I get one?

Yes - A Dream Catcher is a Native American (or Canadian!) belief. Its a web of threads with a hole in the middle and a crystal. The theory is, the good dreams will make it throw the opening, the bad dreams will get "caught" in the web. As for where you get one - I see them often in small gift-type stores, I know our hospital gift shop sells them. I just "googled" dreamcatcher and got tons of web sites, so there is always that route too.

Good Luck!!

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..

My dreams usually involve finding out I was assigned patients that I didn't know about until the end of the shift. Once I dreamed I was really sick, and couldn't have a room for me until the end of my shift, and discharged somebody, but they put someone else in MY room before I could get there.

I did a search for threads on "nightmares" and came up with this one. Mine was a "daymare" during a 2 hr nap I took this morning - WEIRD!

I haven't worked hospital nursing for quite a while - 3 years I guess. I dreamed I was working on a unit similar to my old one and I was happily organizing, helping other nurses, comforting patients and just doing odd jobs. It was about 1 in the afternoon. Suddenly it occured to me that I had NEVER LOOKED to see if I had an assignment! With dread I went to the assignment board and saw my name, with I forget how many names under it, but I had indeed had an assignment since morning. I imagined how they could have been in tough shape, all the things that could have gone wrong, and, mostly, the fact that they'd not had their meds all day. Come to find out, I'd had an assignment the day before and not done that either! So, no meds, no treatments, etc...

I tell a nurse I work with and she told me not to worry about it, just to go ahead and give the morning meds now. And as for the previous day, I can discuss that with the nurse manager after I get the pts taken care of.

So I go to look at everyone and they seem ok - I don't do assessments, just make sure they are all breathing and not in distress. Then I go to the med sheets to start giving meds and lo and behold, most of the pts are there with OB/GYN problems. NOT my area as I did respiratory most recently, and before that a lot of geriatrics. I am pretty stunned, I haven't touched an OB/GYN since 1981 (nursing school) and that was only for a semester.

So - I'm looking and looking for the list/schedule of meds and all there is is a green sheet with the list of meds, what they are being given for, side effects, desired effects, etc. I can't find out when they were supposed to be given, dosages, exact names of the meds, etc! I am so overwhelmed and of course feeling like the worst nurse in the world! Meanwhile I want to make some headway on this task but I have to pee in the WORST way!!

So I run around this unit looking for a bathroom, can't find one. I even enter this old abandoned unit (like a huge room that might have been used for ICU with drapes separating pts., only the drapes are gone). No bathroom there either. I exit the room from the opposite side of it...

Meanwhile as often happens in my dreams, I am trying to wake myself up because this is HORRIBLE! OB? Hospital? Totally irresponsible nursing? :nono:

I think the dreams were a combo of posts I was reading before my nap, LOL! and the fact that I do hope one day to go back to nursing - but the very idea seems WAY out of reach ...

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I'm attending a CNA course right now - and, our instructor (LPN - 30 Years) works in an independent living facility - and shared that Ambien (CR I think) affects some of their residents with nightmares and hallucinations. I have no experience with any of it - but, just thought I would pass along the information. I would definitely talk to a doctor about all that you are experiencing.

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Specializes in ER.
Meanwhile as often happens in my dreams, I am trying to wake myself up because this is HORRIBLE! OB? Hospital? Totally irresponsible nursing? :nono:

Can anyone say abandonment? Wait until I talk to your nursing board!:uhoh21:

I've done dream shifts with my legs cut off at the knee. Trying to keep up, trying to not let anyone know there's anything wrong and keep the patients happy, and then someone assigns me the next admission, and the house of cards falls.:(

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Can anyone say abandonment? Wait until I talk to your nursing board!:uhoh21:

I've done dream shifts with my legs cut off at the knee. Trying to keep up, trying to not let anyone know there's anything wrong and keep the patients happy, and then someone assigns me the next admission, and the house of cards falls.:(

Oh my gosh that sounds TERRIBLE!

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After 29 years as an LPN, and 27 in LTC, I still have occasional nightmares. Alot of my dreams have to do with med pass and not knowing the patients names.PTSD for being a LTC survivor.

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
After 29 years as an LPN, and 27 in LTC, I still have occasional nightmares. Alot of my dreams have to do with med pass and not knowing the patients names.PTSD for being a LTC survivor.

Yes those passes are quite something (shudder). It takes FOREVER!

The worst part - having to rush those poor souls who have their meds (a ton of them) crushed and given in applesauce or pudding - and they can barely get them down ...

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Specializes in Hospice.

Lavender vanilla pillow spray seems to lessen nightmares for me. I know it sounds goofy... but it seems to work.

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Lavender vanilla pillow spray seems to lessen nightmares for me. I know it sounds goofy... but it seems to work.

I assume it smells good? LOL! I don't know if I'd be able to hack it - but it's worth a try!!

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