The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Has Been Scaring Me and I Feel Alone

by Holly
(Flint, Michigan, USA)

I had no idea that this sort if disorder even existed. Most recently (within the past year) I have noticed it getting worse. When I was younger (around 14 or 15) I would wake up punching the bed or couch, flailing violently, or screaming in my sleep, but can never fully wake up. I remember it happening when I wake up and it messes with my head all day or days on end.


About 2 years ago I was sleeping with my husband and vaguely remember waking up to him shouting in pain asking what I was doing and I was in fact biting extremely hard on his back/shoulder. It freaked me out and I left welts.

We had our son Oliver in Dec 2013 & he is now 4 months old. I co-sleep with him and my husband in our bed and never had much of any issues until about a month ago I was having a bad dream about spiders and was flailing in my sleep and head but my son and didn't realize the extent until I woke up and seen a slight bruise on his eyebrow. I cried for hours.

Just last night I barely remember my dream and hardly remember waking up to his crying. I realized I bit him on the forehead but couldn't bring myself to fully wake up. However when I woke up this morning I realized what I had done because of the large red mark on his forehead.

I looked into it and found that this is my problem. I don't know what to do and am scared for the safety of my baby, husband and myself. I feel so awful and can't let it go. I can't stop crying and need help. I am sharing my story hoping I'm not alone and that I can get some help. I plan to see a doctor for help but don't know if anyone has tried anything to help at home. Thank you for reading this. Im glad I can put a name to what I'm going through.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Stories of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.



Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.