My boyfriend tried to strangle me in his sleep - please help

My boyfriend has night terrors. He used to sleep walk as a child, and currently, on occasion, he'll toss and turn and yell in his sleep like he's really angry. He is not a violent person. He has never even been in a physical fight. He is not and has never been in the army or military.

Last night, we were both sleeping and I noticed that he had been tossing and turning a lot. I was woken up suddenly when he climbed on top of me and started strangling me. He had his hands wrapped tightly around my throat, and I almost passed out. I was screaming and trying to hit him to wake him up, but it wasn't working. It wasn't until I bit his thumb so hard that it drew blood that he finally woke up - utterly confused and not sure why his thumb was hurting and bleeding.

Later, I asked him if he had been dreaming and what he remembered. He said he had dreamed that I told him to choke me and to keep choking me, even if I asked him to stop, and then he woke up with his thumb hurting.

Needless to say, I am very shaken up, and now terrified to sleep in my own bed. Where do we go from here? Who do we see about this? Is there anyone out there who has been through something similar? Please help!

Goodness, I can understand how scary that must've been! I think his doctor would be a good place to start. Since they can give the quickest assessment and pass you on to a specialist.

Something I read in another forum here. Which is NOT to be relied on, just a thought. Was that surrealism helped to break that person out of the dream. They were the one in the dream. And their partner asked them if they'd brought the milk in from the garden [or something like that.] Which their brain tried to analyse and took them from the dreaming state to awake. But where physical violence is concerned. I think professional help is by far the best advice possible.

And if you don't mind posting to say how it goes. Others have had [or will have] the same issue. Good to share what the outcome is. [Or share what really doesn't work!]

Good luck!