Sleep Deprivation

So, I don't think I'm dealing with straight up insomnia, but I'm definately experiencing sleep problems! I've had nightmares and sleep walking for years. The nightmares are painfully intense and when i sleep walk, I'm almost always in a state of terror.

The problem is that I am never rested anymore. I thought a lot of this was from medication, but now that I'm off of it, I'm wondering if its more than that, and also I experienced some of this BEFORE meds. I don't drink very much caffiene, except for that cup or two of coffee IN THE MORNING. I'm still experiencing the horribly vivid nightmares. I often can not remember what I've dreamed and what has happened. I've been losing things all over the place. I can't remember simple words which is really tough for me (that seemed to start with meds but hasn't gotten better yet. I've been off of them for about 4 weeks maybe). I'm quite often out of it. I just sit and stare and I don't realize I'm doing it until someone points it out. I sometimes have a hard time understanding what people are talking about because I'm so exhausted and I before VERY agitated very easily. I've had at least two hallucinations but I'm assuming more that I don't remember. I generally "see things" a lot, though they aren't vivd like the hallucinations. The hallucinations, to my knowledge, have only occured when I had just been asleep or thought I was asleep, but they take place with the EXACT background of what I am facing, which leads me to believe that they are in fact hallucinations rather than dreams.

I fell asleep on the train the other day after what was truly an exhausting day, and i was lying in my bf's lap, and he told me that my eyes were somewhat open when I slept. He syas he heard that that could indicate a problem in sleeping but he doesn't know. And neither do I.

I would really appreciate some insight here! I'm litterally tired all of the time! I go over to my bf's and just ask to nap because i'm so tired. I often wake up in teh night, but I generally go back to sleep afterward, and I sleep for a normal amount of time each night if not MORE. The other day I slep for about twleve hours, but I'm never rested. And I'm never very alert. This is just becoming very stressful and overwhelming for me.

I've also become very paranoid. At night, I get very scared. I'm always afraid that something or someone is goign to come into my house at night and hurt me. I feel like things are going to happen a lot.

Thanks,
ELEMENT

I think you have some fear somewhere that hasn't settled. Has anything happened in your past that could be causing you to be afraid? I think the nightmares come from this same inner fear. Maybe you don't even know what it is. It could be something that happened when you were very young and it never got settled.

As far as the hallucination goes, that is just your brain getting out of dreaming. Many times I will wake up after a nightmare of someone chasing me and I will start to close the window because I think he's still there! I've never seen anything, but it's basically the same thing. I wouldn't worry about that.