Mysterious Glow

I suffer from Night Terrors, which is an unpleasant sleep disorder. I usually have one episode at least once a week. I’m about to be laid off from work this week, and so I feel that is acting as a “trigger” to these episodes. I’ve been having them almost every night.

It’s not a nightmare, but something different. There are no bad dreams to remember. It usually hits me in early sleep. Without any warning –and I realize this sounds absurd and looney — I will wake up screaming and terrified. I am breathing hard and hyperventilating and there is a distinct feeling of being smothered or choked. My ritual is to run to the bathroom sink and drink water. It feels like being awakened to your own murder. My wife is used to this by now, and will ask me if I’m okay, which I never answer, because I’m far from being okay.

The two most famous sufferers of this annoying disorder are horror author H.P. Lovecraft and the Swiss artist, H.R. Giger. Think about that for a minute. It doesn’t take a genius to see a connection with their work and their sleep problems.

I’m not sure what I can do about this. I have no desire to fiddle with my neurochemistry, which is one route. I guess I will endeavor to create happiness in my daily life, which will hopefully spill over into the other half of my life, the night.