As it’s National Mental Health week, I (Vicky) thought I would tell you a bit about something that affects me. Night terrors. Although not a formally recognised mental health disorder, there is a strong correlation between them and psychosis. Night terrors are usually something children grow out of. However, mine did not start until I was in my mid-20s. They are very different from nightmares. They are thoroughly terrifying, feel very real and last anything from seconds to a few minutes. In my dream world I am always in the room I’m actually in and they all include a person or people (unknown to me) silently stood at the foot of my bed before they jump right at me. I shriek, I thrash and I cannot be woken. In my world, things are quite serene. Therefore, in reality, Mr ESLT is the one who suffers from my night terrors more than me. Sorry, darling!
Over the past decade the frequency of my night terrors has fluctuated and currently (touch wood) I’ve not had one for a few months. However, at one point I was having one nightly. My night terrors have also over the years scared the bejesus out of a number of people. So much so, we nearly got kicked out of a luxury hotel in Brisbane and I woke an entire lodge of girls when we were glamping in the middle of nowhere – they genuinely thought I was getting murdered in my bed. They definitely intensify when I travel, because of that I worry about travelling alone. What if I have one and I don’t have someone there to shake me awake and calm me down?
Therefore when I travel I have a few things I put in place to try to reduce the likelihood of having one and as I mentioned above, I’ve not had one for months. Although now having said that, what’s the betting I have one tonight!
Routine
Having a routine is majorly important to me. As soon as it is disrupted, that’s when my sleep is affected which in turn triggers a night terror. And what is a massive, if not the biggest disruptor of routine? Travel of course, especially when travelling long haul. That instantly knocks everything out of kilter. Therefore, whenever I travel I always try to stick as close as possible to my usual routine. It can be tough depending on where in the world I am, but I do try.
Stress
Travelling can be stressful and when I’m stressed that effects my sleeping pattern. My mind races and I often find it difficult to get to sleep. Things whirl through my mind and the more I think about things, the more stressed I feel. I think that’s why I have to plan everything down to a tee. I need to know what we are doing and when we are doing it. Therefore I think by having a detailed itinerary in place, it alleviates stressful situations and helps me sleep better.
Tiredness
Travelling can be tiring. From the actual journey to trekking and sightseeing, it’s easy to rack up the steps. Exploring and learning about new places can be exhausting. Long days and information overload can leave me feeling drained, especially if done repeatedly over a number of days. The first sign I’m tired is an annoying twitch in my eye. When I’m overly tired I don’t sleep right, I fall into a deep sleep quickly which I’ve identified as a surefire night terror trigger.
Screen time
As a travel blogger and self-confessed social media addict you’ll normally find me behind my laptop or with my phone in my hand. When travelling more often than not it’s either first thing in the morning or last thing at night when I have a spare few minutes to do a bit of writing or share content. However, I’ve identified screen time before bed as yet another trigger. Therefore now I don’t charge my phone next to my bed to avoid the temptation of picking it up.
Things hanging up
Probably the strangest thing on the list but actually my biggest trigger. If something i.e. an ironed shirt or a coat, is hung up on the outside of a wardrobe or on a door handle, 9 times out of 10 I’ll have a night terror that evening. Mr ESLT and I have even tested the theory. Therefore, whenever we travel I either have to live out of my suitcase or unpack properly and put everything away in drawers and cupboards or failing that in the bathroom out of sight.
As I have never been abused, I’m not on any medication and the doctor has given me the all clear in respect of things like schizophrenia (night terrors can be a symptom), the reason for my night terrors is a mystery. Therefore, the doctor cannot prescribe pills or councilling etc as a treatment. As they are literally all in my head, it is a case of managing them both on a daily basis (which is relatively easy) and while travelling, which because of the disruption travel can cause, can be a lot harder.
Do you suffer from night terrors? Please let me know if you do, I seem to be the only grown-up I know who has them. If you do how do you cope, both on a day to day level and when travelling with night terrors?
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