Gina Johnson
People with dissociative disorders often have to navigate complex challenges in their daily lives. One such challenge is the disruption caused by alters, who can interfere with sleep patterns and cause insomnia, nightmares, and frequent switching. The impact of these disruptions can be profound, affecting energy levels, mental health, and overall well-being. While some individuals with dissociative disorders have found strategies to manage their sleep, such as medication or journaling dreams, the topic of don't wake a sleeping alter highlights the ongoing struggles and the need for effective solutions.
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What You'll Learn
Alters can cause you to wake up
For those with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), the concept of "don't wake a sleeping alter" refers to the idea that it is best not to disturb or interfere with the activity of an alter state, particularly when the person is asleep. However, it is not uncommon for individuals with DID to experience their alters waking them up or causing sleep disturbances.
How Alters Can Cause Sleep Disturbances
Individuals with DID may find that their alters can cause them to wake up during the night or disrupt their sleep patterns. This can happen for various reasons and have different manifestations. Here are some ways in which alters can cause sleep disturbances:
- Switching During Sleep: Alters may switch or take control of the body during sleep, resulting in the person waking up as a different alter. This can be disorienting and impact the quality of sleep.
- Nightmares and Night Terrors: Some alters may experience nightmares or night terrors, which can cause the person to wake up suddenly. This can be a way for the alter to process traumatic experiences or emotions.
- Insomnia: Certain alters may have insomnia or sleep difficulties, which can affect the overall sleep patterns of the person. This can lead to frequent waking or difficulty falling asleep.
- Protection and Safety: In some cases, an alter may wake the person up due to a perceived threat or a feeling of unsafety. This can be protective, especially if the alter is holding trauma-related memories.
- Co-fronting: Co-fronting, or the presence of multiple alters close to the front, can lead to sleep disturbances. The person may wake up feeling disoriented or with partial memories of dreams or conversations between alters.
- Internal Communication: Alters may communicate with each other during sleep, which can cause the person to wake up. This can be intentional, such as an alter trying to convey important information, or unintentional, disrupting the person's sleep.
- External Stimuli: Some alters may be more sensitive to external stimuli, such as loud noises or annoying sounds, and may wake the person up in response to these stimuli.
- Routine and Punctuality: Certain alters may be more punctual or focused on maintaining a routine. They might wake the person up at specific times to ensure they are on schedule or to complete necessary tasks.
- Switching Between Covert and Overt: For some individuals with DID, the system may switch between covert (hidden) and overt (visible) states. This can cause confusion and sleep disturbances as the person adjusts to the changing dynamics of their system.
Managing Sleep with DID
While alters can cause sleep disturbances, it is important to prioritize healthy sleep habits and work collaboratively with one's system for better sleep hygiene. This may include journaling dreams, communicating with alters, and seeking professional support from a therapist or psychologist experienced in treating DID. Additionally, addressing trauma and improving overall mental health can positively impact sleep quality over time.
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Alters can switch in during sleep
It is possible for alters to switch in during sleep. People with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) have reported waking up as a different alter, with indicators such as a loss of skills upon waking (e.g. forgetting how to operate familiar appliances or perform routine tasks) or finding themselves engaging in unfamiliar behaviours (e.g. yelling or throwing things). Some people with DID have also reported switching during sleep and waking up to find objects in their sleep area moved or altered.
Switching during sleep can result in a person feeling tired, as some parts of the system are sleeping while others are awake and active. This can lead to a sense of losing time, as the host personality may believe they have been sleeping continuously while other parts of the system have been awake and active. Additionally, alters may have their own sleep patterns, with some experiencing insomnia or finding it easier to fall asleep than others. This can further contribute to feelings of fatigue and exhaustion.
Communication between the host and the alters is essential for understanding and managing switching during sleep. It is important to explore the reasons why switching occurs during sleep and to establish agreements to ensure that all parts of the system get adequate rest. Journaling dreams and sleep patterns can help in understanding these patterns and identifying any triggers or causes for switching during sleep.
While switching during sleep can be disorienting and disruptive to daily life, it can also serve as a coping mechanism for people with DID. Switching during sleep may be a way to hide or disguise switching to maintain a sense of covertness and avoid dissociation during the day. It is crucial to work with a therapist or specialist in dissociative disorders to address any underlying issues and improve communication within the system.
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Alters can cause nightmares
People with dissociative disorders may experience sleep disturbances, including alters waking them up from sleep. Alters can cause people to wake up in various ways, such as through nightmares, switching during sleep, or co-fronting.
Nightmares are vividly realistic, disturbing dreams that jolt people awake from deep sleep, often leaving them terrified and with a pounding heart. While nightmares are more common in children, they still affect a significant number of adults. One out of every two adults occasionally experiences nightmares, and between 2% and 8% of adults suffer from frequent nightmares.
Several factors can trigger nightmares in adults, including late-night snacks, certain medications, substance withdrawal, sleep deprivation, and psychological factors such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is one of the most studied causes of nightmares, with 80% of people experiencing PTSD reporting frequent nightmares.
For individuals with dissociative disorders, alters can be a source of nightmares. In some cases, alters may have nightmares themselves and wake up the person. In other instances, alters may wake the person up to protect them from experiencing a nightmare or to comfort them after a disturbing dream. Additionally, alters may switch during sleep, resulting in the person waking up as a different alter, feeling blended, or experiencing a loss of skills upon waking.
It is important to note that the relationship between sleep and dissociative disorders is complex and varies from person to person. While some individuals experience alters waking them up or causing nightmares, others find that their alters help them manage their sleep and protect them from disturbing dreams. Seeking professional help and practicing good sleep hygiene can aid in managing sleep disturbances associated with dissociative disorders.
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Alters can cause insomnia
People with dissociative disorders often experience insomnia and other sleep issues. Some individuals have alters that are solely responsible for sleep-related matters. For instance, one person has an alter that helps them cope with sleep paralysis. Another person has an alter that puts them to sleep and makes them feel safe inside their body.
However, alters can also cause insomnia. One person with DID reported that one of their alters, Tomura, has insomnia, and when he switches in while they are sleeping, he wakes up the body and prevents them from getting rest. Another person reported that their alter, created during a traumatic experience, kept waking them up at night, telling them, "you need to stay awake" and "it's not safe to fall asleep."
Additionally, some people with DID experience switches while sleeping, which can cause insomnia. One person reported that they often wake up as someone else, and in the morning, they have to deal with the confusion of not knowing how to perform basic tasks like operating their heater or cooking. Another person reported that they have a medication prescription for sleep, which has helped reduce the "funky stuff" that happens at night.
It is important to note that the experience of insomnia and sleep issues varies among individuals with DID, and not all alters cause insomnia. Some people with DID have reported that their alters help them fall asleep or make them feel sleepy when they are stressed or unwell.
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Alters can wake you up from nightmares
It is possible for alters to wake you up from sleep, including nightmares. Some people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) have reported being woken up by their alters during the night. This can be caused by a switch, where one alter takes control of the body while another is still asleep. It can also be caused by nightmares or night terrors experienced by one alter that cause the body to wake up. In some cases, alters may even wake up the body to continue playing a song or to prevent another alter from falling asleep due to trauma.
One person with DID described their experience, saying:
> "I've noticed things around my sleep area change some nights. And other things but I remember falling asleep (at least I think so) but I don’t know if an alter is waking up but I’m still dreaming?? It’s strange. We do have an alter that does things solely around sleep and I wonder if it might be them."
Another person shared a similar experience:
> "I've gone to sleep some nights and come to during breakfast because someone else woke up first, or known I was asleep but actually someone was lying in bed awake or looking at our phone the whole time I was half-dreaming."
It is important to note that the experiences of people with DID vary greatly, and not all alters are the same. Some people with DID may find that their alters do not wake them up from sleep, while others may experience switches or nightmares that cause the body to wake up. Communication between alters is crucial in managing these situations.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, alters can cause you to wake up. Some people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) have reported that their alters wake them up at a certain time, or after a nightmare. Some also report hearing their alters chatting to each other upon waking up.
Some people report feeling a "switch" upon waking up, as if someone else has used their body. Others report feeling as if they are semi-asleep and dreaming, or in a lucid dream state, before being woken up by a switch.
Alters may wake people up to prevent them from falling asleep, perhaps due to trauma associated with sleep. They may also wake people up to calm them down from a nightmare, or to play a song they like.
Some people with DID have reported that medication has helped to prevent funky sleep stuff from happening.
