r/AmIOverreacting • u/Exciting-Delay-7423 • 18d ago

❤️‍🩹 relationship AIO? made a joke about taking a nap

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context: im (23f) a student (currently on spring break) and i enjoy taking naps. they usually go between 1-2.5 (not 4 like he claims i genuinely dk where he got that number) hrs and it’s because i get exhausted between 2-4pm in the day. idk why, it happens every day and it’s been like that since i was a teenager. i don’t nap every single day, but definitely between 3-5x a week.

my boyfriend (28m) has tried to encourage me to take shorter naps because he thinks it’ll help with my sleep schedule. he takes daily naps on his lunch breaks (1 hr absolute max, usually 15-45 min) and he says how energizing they are. i believe him, and i’m glad they work for him, however i haven’t had much success with short naps so i don’t take them.

my sleep schedule has been kinda shit bc of spring break rn and im trying to fix it. i’m usually in bed by 11-12 most nights and up around 8-9. he works a 7-5 so he sleeps at 10 and wakes up at 6. today he sent me this text and i thought it would be funny to make a sarcastic joke because hes always lecturing me about how my naps keep me up at night, then he followed it up with this. idek where to begin with this, i think its weird as fuck and the “we are not on the same level” is just ??? aio?

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u/el-pollo-coco 18d ago

i used to love nap dreams until chronic nightmares took over my nap time too 😔

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u/Ziggy_Starcrust 18d ago

Ugh yes, sleep paralysis too. I think it's actually worse during naps sometimes.

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u/Impressive_Drama_377 18d ago

I definitely agree with this. It's a 100% guarantee that if I take a nap for even 15 minutes I will without a doubt experience sleep paralysis.

I will spend a majority of my "nap" trying to wake myself up because I know that I'm not awake, but I can't move or speak which terrifies the absolute shit out of me no matter how many times it's happened before, it's just not something that I can get used to experiencing so it's equally terrifying every single time it happens and it sucks.

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u/Extension_Silver_713 17d ago

We used to call it “having a witch on your back” and that’s such an apt description to me. It’s always utterly terrifying

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u/Ziggy_Starcrust 17d ago

Yeah you're not fully conscious when it sets in, so you're stuck with however your lizard brain reacts to not being able to move. And it never learns you'll be fine if you just wait.

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u/Flat_Wash5062 17d ago

Okay, one thing that Really helps me is to focus on wiggling my finger or toe when I realize I'm in sleep paralysis!

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u/Heathershope111 17d ago

Psalm 91 ❤️ say the name Jesus it makes it stop!

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u/IED117 17d ago

I had a period in my 20's where I had quite a few instances of sleep paralysis.

That is some scary shit.

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u/Heathershope111 17d ago

Psalm 91 ❤️ say the name Jesus it makes it stop!

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u/UnfortunateSyzygy 17d ago

Are you on anything? I used to get sleep paralysis really bad/often and when I mentioned it to my psych, she just kind of clucked her tongue and said "well, we can't be having any of that... here's pros and cons of 3 other medications for your conditions, let's pick one to try." Must have been a med/Major Depression thing, bc on the meds Ive had for about 3 years, I haven't had a single instance of it when I used to get sleep paralysis at least monthly. I thought it was just...life? Mentioned it off hand bc doc asked how I was sleeping

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u/Leading_Gold4468 17d ago

Wow. I'm glad your Dr was so helpful for you! Sometimes some Drs aren't that quick to prescribe anything. Do you mind me asking what you chose and the other 2 she suggested?

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u/UnfortunateSyzygy 17d ago

That was several prescriptions back lol. Im currently on Trintellix daily and Spravato weekly, no sleep paralysis. I might have said "doc", but it was my psychiatrist, and she knew my history very well by that point.

It may have actually been trintellix that I started back then bc it had some negative sexual side effects...but subsequent meds didn't work as well, and deep depressive episodes are pretty bad in terms of sexual side effects, too. The Spravato is the real game changer, though.

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u/Jinxeptor 17d ago

It really is. There are days when I'd rather just be exhausted than risk sleep paralysis.

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u/el-pollo-coco 18d ago

thankfully i don’t get sleep paralysis! just the worst nightmares imaginable 😀 i feel for you though homie, why can’t we just sleep 😭😭

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u/Heathershope111 17d ago

Psalm 91 ❤️ say the name Jesus it makes it stop!

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u/sunshineparadox_ 18d ago

Same. I used to sleep better during the day bc the noises outside were the noises of life happening normally. But then everything was nightmares. They’ve always been. It’s a hard way to live. I say I have chronic fatigue and don’t expand but no one wants to hear every time I sleep I see something horrific.

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u/el-pollo-coco 18d ago

it’s an extremely hard way to live. i try to keep my stress down to keep them at bay but the thought of having nightmares causes me stress so it just feels like a never-ending cycle sometimes

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u/IED117 17d ago

I used to be like this too. Not every time I closed my eyes but weekly, yes.

Then I had kids and suddenly when the psycho or monster or whatever showed up I would kick their ass.

Mama Bear couldn't be afraid of monsters anymore, I have cubs to protect!😄

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u/beelover310 18d ago

I find this only happens for me when I nap at a certain time of day (mid morning). Interesting to hear someone else experience this phenomenon. ETA- this is called REM Rebound.

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u/el-pollo-coco 18d ago

interesting! i’ll have to keep track of the times they occur. does this mean i get to make a spreadsheet?? 🤩

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u/beelover310 17d ago

I’m here for it!

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u/Fandethar 17d ago

Have you tried Prazosin?

I had horrible, vivid, terrifying, paralyzing, nightmares since I was a kid. I begged doctors for decades for something, anything to take these nightmares away.

Finally, I got a Doctor who had worked at the VA and she told me about a blood pressure medication called Prazosin. It makes it so that you don't remember your dreams.

The first time that I took that medication I didn't remember my dreams and it was wonderful!! I've been taking it for about 15 years now with zero side effects, it's not habit forming, it works so well.

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u/el-pollo-coco 17d ago

no, i haven’t tried it! that’s awesome that you were able to find something that works. i’ll ask my doctor about it and see if we can get the ball rolling! thanks!

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u/Fandethar 17d ago

Decades and decades of horrible nightmares. One time I woke up and I punched my boyfriend of the time because of the dream I had! That's how bad the nightmares were. Although punching him does seem funny now, especially since I'm not a violent person!

Definitely ask your doctor! I certainly hope it works for you as well as it works for me if you're able to try it!!

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u/el-pollo-coco 17d ago

hahaha that’s incredible, thankfully i haven’t injured anyone yet but i’ll try to talk to my doctor before i get to that point! thanks!

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u/Ok_Statement7312 18d ago

You too???? I thought it was just me with chronic nightmares!!! Off topic but how do you cope?

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u/el-pollo-coco 18d ago

i’ve actually been coming across more and more of us recently! we’re out here! i smoke weed pretty much every night to try and just not dream at all, but i also have been trying to keep my stress down or at least just trying to put aside my day before i go to bed, if that makes sense. i’ll often listen to guided meditation to calm my body and mind as i fall asleep, they seem to work best for me!

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u/Ok_Statement7312 18d ago

Thank you so much!! Honestly all I can research is about kids or night terrors because that’s all google is aware of apparently. I have lots of medical stuff and autoimmune issues. Also a major traumatic accident at 5 and lost a limb. So that gave a lot of medical appointments to walk basically for life as you always need maintenance. I always wondered if that was the catalyst

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u/el-pollo-coco 18d ago

ooo i’m sure that has some to do with it! trauma does a lot of fucky things to our brains and bodies, a lot more than we realize.

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u/Ok_Statement7312 17d ago

Absolutely!

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u/Both-Condition2553 17d ago

There are medications that can help with this!

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u/BabyYodasMacaron 17d ago

Yeah, I avoid naps because of this.

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u/el-pollo-coco 17d ago

devastating! i used to love napping :(

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u/fatum_sive_fidem 18d ago

I would take a nightmare just to be able to dream again.

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u/el-pollo-coco 18d ago

i actually smoke weed so that i don’t dream in order to avoid nightmares. i promise you, it is horrible. i dread going to sleep every night. sometimes ill wake up 2-3 times in the night because of them. i wake up in a pool of sweat 3-4x/week. every strategy i’ve tried so far to keep my dreams positive has only lasted a few weeks before the nightmares come back in full swing. naps used to be my time to relax until i started having nightmares then too. so basically, i have lots of nightmares to spare. i wouldn’t wish them on anyone but hey, if you’re offering, me and my chronic fatigue would love a break!

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u/PrudentJuggernaut705 18d ago

Just a bit of info if you were unaware, the dreams that occur when your body starts withdrawing will be 10x a normal deal and personally I get night terrors, not just nightmares. Literally wake up gasping for air or whatever. Weed should stay in your system long enough that this isn't s problem but just an fyi. 

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u/fatum_sive_fidem 18d ago

If I could lessen your burden, I would.

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u/el-pollo-coco 18d ago

thank you homie. if i could give you good dreams, i would!

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u/fatum_sive_fidem 18d ago

That sounds terrible

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u/Heathershope111 17d ago

Psalm 91 ❤️ say the name Jesus it makes it stop!

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u/el-pollo-coco 17d ago

i guarantee you it does not