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Why Am I So Aggressive In My Sleep?

by Sleeping Beauty
(Florida )

Hi, I'm a 19 year old female. My family and friends have made me aware that I am extremely aggressive when there is a disruption in my sleep. I am a very light sleeper and do not usually stay asleep for more than 3-4 hours before waking up and sometimes going back to sleep. I have insomnia and usually won't fall asleep until around 4 am on my own.


I was prescribed trazodone 50 mg and that helps me fall asleep and wake up feeling well rested. It hasn't helped with the aggression. If someone or something happens to disturb my sleep, I lash out terribly. Apparently I swear, make threats, say horrible things, and even hit if I am touched. The severity of this depends on how close I was to the normal time I would have woken up if left undisturbed.

The only thing that doesn't cause this aggression is waking up on my own or to an alarm that I have set myself. I have a very stressful home life that causes a lot of anxiety in addition to the sleeplessness. Also, I often have extremely violent, sexual, or emotionally disturbing dreams. During the more "nightmarish " dreams I am often aware that I'm dreaming and sort of in a paralyzed state unable to come back to reality until a sound or touch from the real world wakes me up.

I'm not sure if these two conditions are related but both are very disturbing and make it nearly impossible to have a healthy sleep cycle. Any advice, suggestions, or theory would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Comments for Why Am I So Aggressive In My Sleep?

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Sep 15, 2015
 Your sleeplessness is related to your stressful home life NEW
by: Anonymous

Your sleeplessness comes front your home environment. It's not your home environment that is on top of it. If your daily life is stressful, your sleep will be affected. I would search help for mental health and anxiety. Good luck!
Sep 15, 2015
 Sleeplessness NEW
by: Anonymous

Oh and the agressivity/weird dreams are also related to what's happening around you.
Sep 30, 2015
 Why this happens NEW
by: Children

When you sleep you have dreams from what is truly happening in your awakenig life. When you do stuff like punching in kicking you do not hat because you are an a deep sleep
May 12, 2016
 lashing out NEW
by: Anonymous

Further to the comments of others, I would say that your medication could be a part reason, and that your conditions (and possible exhausted mind and body) is another cause.

I wish you happiness and peace
Jun 28, 2016
 Similar aggression, quiet household NEW
by: FragmentedSleeperinWI

Sleeping Beauty in Florida. I am hoping Kevin or someone else from the Stanford Sleep and Dreams class will see your question soon and offer up their opinion and/or advice. I am a 35 year old woman who has experienced all sorts of sleeping issues since, well, according to my mother, birth. Your post caught my eye because in the last 2 years when my husband or son has tried to wake me after just one or two hours of sleeping AND I hadn't slept in a couple of days, I react violently, never remembering what happened. This last time I am told I jumped up, cocked my arm back, lunged at my husband and tried to punch him in the face all while screaming obscenities, started to cry, lied back down and started to lightly snore. My hubby and I kinda laughed about it, cracking jokes about not making me mad before taking a nap, but what if that had been my 11 year old son?! I do not have a stressful home life and for the sake of our health have really tried to eradicate stress from our lives in general, at least, types of stress that we can control ourselves. My house is also pretty quiet and a safe place to be. My life before my husband and son was not very peaceful, but I can think of nothing that happened in the last few years to cause this change in my sleeping behavior. Over the years I have tried every sleep aid, medication & natural remedy available. The only medication that ever helped me get 3 solid hours consistently was Trazodone, but after a few days it would no longer work, so I only use it when I am desperate and never for more than 2 nights. I've had that available to use for 18 years so I find it hard to believe that after 16 years of using it a couple times a year it would start causing these behaviors. But IDK...For your sake Sleeping Beauty, I hope and pray you are able to get yourself into a better situation where safety and comfort become your routine instead of having to sleep with one eye open, losing sleep and putting your health in jeopardy. I truly believe that my sleep issues over the past 35 years have led to the health issues that I have now, some have become life threatening even. At 19/20 years of age, now is the time to put yourself first and be selfish where your sleep is concerned.

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