Living with REM Behavior Disorder

For as long as I can remember I have had the symptoms associated with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. It has been getting worse as I get older, but it does not occur every night. It seems to come and go spontaneously, usually occurring 3 to 7 nights in a row. What I experience is dreams that are so real and vivid that I am acting them out. I will jump out of bed and run across the room because of something happening in my dream. I will sit straight up and begin to talk, yell or scream. I will throw the blankets off the bed, hit and kick.

When these episodes happen, my dreams are usually of something terrifying. Sometimes I will wake up on my own, or my fiancee will wake me. When I first wake from it, I still think it is real and it takes a few minutes before I am convinced it was only a dream. I usually wake petrified, heart racing, and sweating. I can recall every detail of the dream, and sometimes continue with the same dream when I fall back asleep.

I have not seen a doctor about this because I cannot afford to with out health insurance. But after researching the symptoms I am pretty sure it is REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. I am only 24 years old and from what I’ve found, that is rare for this disorder. For now, my fiancee and I sleep with pillows between us, just incase.

I have no other psychological or health problems. I am not sure what causes the episodes to happen. I have not found a common link to when they happen. Hopefully nothing serious will happen before I can afford to seek treatment.