How to stop reoccuring nightmare?

[Gempress]

I've had a gawdawful reoccuring nightmares for the last two nights. And it's those dreams that are so real that you wake up completely disoriented---you know, where you're wondering if that really happened.

I've been getting them every time I fall asleep, sometimes 3-4 times a night. They disturbs me so much that I wake up in absolute terror, and can't fall back to sleep easily. Needless to say, I'm not sleeping well. I'm badly sleep-deprived today and don't know how much longer I can keep this up. And part of me feels rather ashamed for being so afraid. They're only dreams, right?

Any ideas on how I can break this cycle? I have no clue what could be causing it; I just came back from vacation and am actually quite un-stressed. Help!

 

[Renee750il]

Figure out what the dream is REALLY about, Gem . . . Once you solve the riddle your subconscious is giving you, you're done with it.

 

[Gempress]

Figure out what the dream is REALLY about, Gem . . . Once you solve the riddle your subconscious is giving you, you're done with it.

I've been thinking about it for awhile, but can't figure out what it means. Hmmm.....any good dream analyzers on the board?

 

[Renee750il]

Put it out here, Gem . . . someone will give you a suggestion about the meaning that will resonate with you and you'll be able to cut it loose

 

[bubbatd]

I love to try to analyze my dreams ...

 

[Angel Chicken]

Post it Gem, I can try to analyze it as well

 

[Gempress]

Put it out here, Gem . . . someone will give you a suggestion about the meaning that will resonate with you and you'll be able to cut it loose

Like I said, I'm pretty embarassed about being scared of a dream. In writing, they look much less disturbing. But I'm desperate, so I'll post them.

It's actually two different dreams, but both on the same theme.

The first one is the most common. Hubby and I are walking together at night, down one of the country roads that head out of our suburb. Just like we usually do in the summertime. A black van suddenly pulls up, and five or six masked men jump out and attack us. Several of them manage to grab Hubby and start to drag him into the van. He's shouting. I try to stop them, but cannot---I get flung to the curb. I hit my head on the concrete and start bleeding. Just as the van drives away, I wake up.

The second one I've only had twice, and it starts up in the exact same scenario. The only difference is, this time, I'm the one being dragged away. Some of the attackers try to hold off my husband, but he's too strong for them. One of the men holding me pulls out a gun and points it right at Hubby. The gunman tells him that if he doesn't back off and let them take me, they'll kill him. I'm screaming at Hubby to please stop, don't make them kill him. Hubby doesn't listen----he charges. The gun goes off. I wake up.

One thing I can't stress enough is how incredibly real these nightmares are. I've literally never in my life had dreams like this. Normally, my dreams have a certain surreal quality to them. These are so realistic that it takes me a few moments to realize I was only dreaming, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. The first time I had that nightmare, I actually checked my head to make sure it wasn't bleeding. After two nights of these dreams, I was so disturbed this morning that Hubby cancelled his early-morning workout, just to cuddle me and try to help me get some sleep.

Any ideas as to what they mean? Or ways to get rid of them?

 

[ToscasMom]

I don't know squat about analyzing dreams that's for sure. But what is unique here is that with most nightmares, the dreamer wakes up before anything totally harmful occurs. It's kind of like a safety latch. Often, it is difficult to remember the nightmare too. Recurring dreams tend to be more real because your mind has had time to 'refine' them so to speak. It looks like you don't come out of REM sleep very well.

When I was a kid I had a recurring dream but knew exactly why. It was related to a certain bottle that had the head of a pigmy on it. It just plain scared me. One day my mother threw it away and all was well. Too bad it would be worth a fortune today, also known as the Golliwog collection. I still wince when I hear that bottle breaking. Dang.

 

[Gempress]

I don't know squat about analyzing dreams that's for sure. But what is unique here is that with most nightmares, the dreamer wakes up before anything totally harmful occurs. It's kind of like a safety latch. Often, it is difficult to remember the nightmare too. Recurring dreams tend to be more real because your mind has had time to 'refine' them so to speak. It looks like you don't come out of REM sleep very well.

Hmmm. Now that you mention it, I've had several nightmares in childhood that I still remember very vividly. You may be right. How does one improve REM sleep? Or is it just something I have to live with?

 

[Charliesmommy]

I have always suffered from nightmares. I can't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep. But I can usually relate my nightmares to something that I saw or heard during the day. Has there been a particularly large amount of crime on the news lately where you live Gem? Or are you and/or hubby doing any kind of project or something that your subconscious considers "dangerous".....like a construction project or something like that?

 

[ToscasMom]

Gem, I don't know that you "improve" REM sleep. It's the phase you go into when you reach deep sleep, with Rapid Eye Movement. It is the time in our sleep cycle when we dream. Most of us wake up and we either remember our dream or we can't put our finger on it and we know we had one. Or we forget entirely that we even had one. But you have to reach that phase before you dream at all. What I think is, you don't come OUT of REM very quickly, which gives your nightmare more time to move toward the bad parts,or some such thing. I remember reading something about that somewhere but it was awhile back.

 

[Renee750il]

Okay, Gem . . . those sound like fairly normal - if horrifying - type nightmares brought on by the world we live in. Have you been covering stories like that lately? Or hearing them on the news?

When I've had dreams like that I try to "program" myself before I go to sleep to always have the dogs with me in my dreams. Once they've taken care of the situation in my dream, the dream doesn't recur anymore.

 

[Fruit bat]

I don't mean to scare you, Only to ask a question. Do you guys think there is any truth to the premonition part of dreams? That maybe there is something trying to warn you ? I had a nightmare three years ago that I am still terrified of...

 

[Charliesmommy]

When I've had dreams like that I try to "program" myself before I go to sleep

I do sort of the same thing. If I've watched a scary movie or something, as I lie in bed I tell myself - I am NOT going to dream about that, I am NOT going to dream about that. It pretty much always works, and I don't dream about whatever was in the movie, but I sometimes end up having some other type of nightmare.

 

[Fruit bat]

If it is a warning , how do you know if you've successfully avoided the situation, I mean I am still afraid of it.

 

[Gempress]

Okay, Gem . . . those sound like fairly normal - if horrifying - type nightmares brought on by the world we live in. Have you been covering stories like that lately? Or hearing them on the news?

I've been on vacation, so no. But now that you mention it, there were several missing persons/foul play cases like that dominating the local the news in Madison, WI, which is where we were vacationing. They were talking about it daily. I think you may have hit the nail on the head.

When I've had dreams like that I try to "program" myself before I go to sleep to always have the dogs with me in my dreams. Once they've taken care of the situation in my dream, the dream doesn't recur anymore.

Mind if I "borrow" the spirit of Kharma and Bimmer tonight? I'm sure they would take care of it. And that reminds me....when I was telling Hubby about the dreams, he was almost a bit offended. As he put it "In reality, it would take a lot more than 5 men to drag me off." LOL, gotta love the male ego.

But seriously, I may just take a sleeping pill tonight or have a few shots of alcohol. I really need to get some sleep.

 

[mjb]

The scariest 'real' type dreams I've had, I've always been able to find something that I read, watched on TV, or heard recently that is somewhat related. It's usually something that I've thought about, heard or seen the very day that I dream about it later.

Of course, if that's the case for you, whatever triggered it to begin with.....it's now on your mind probably every day, since it has you a little spooked.

 

[Mayasmydobe]

I know how scarey reacurring dreams can be. I hope you get some peace from them.
I had three different reacurring dreams when I was a child.
1, it would seem as if I was awake (even though i was asleep) but i would hear all of these voices, i could never understand what they were saying becuase I think it was in German. Sometimes they shouted at me sometimes they whispered.

2. I would seem to "wake up" but still be asleep. I would look over to the side of me and there would be a woman laying in my bed, she was stiff like a manniquin would be. She had ruby red lips and bleached blonde hair. Her skin was white and she was naked but her body like I said was like a manniquin. Her head was always turned towards me and she was always watching me.

3. All of the stuffed animals in my room turned into deamons with red glowing eyes and they came to attack me in my bed.

when I had one of these three dreams I would sit straight up in bed and through the blanket over my head. I tried to scream for my dad but my voice didnt work. I ended up whispering "dad" and eventually he came (I guess my voice might have decided to work, but I never remember actually being able to yell for my dad)

 

[Gempress]

I don't mean to scare you, Only to ask a question. Do you guys think there is any truth to the premonition part of dreams? That maybe there is something trying to warn you ? I had a nightmare three years ago that I am still terrified of...

I'm the biggest skeptic in the world, but I have thought about that, too. Mainly because these nightmares are so persistant and realistic. Gawd, I hope not. I've heard of people having premonition dreams before, and I certainly don't want this one to come true.

 

[Fruit bat]

I'm the biggest skeptic in the world, but I have thought about that, too. Mainly because these nightmares are so persistant and realistic. Gawd, I hope not. I've heard of people having premonition dreams before, and I certainly don't want this one to come true.

Yeah thats my point, If it is meant for you to avoid the situation, how do you know when you have? i do not like to worry but the dream I had was so bad and so real , I woke up screaming. It took Darrell several minutes to get me to calm down. Then I just cried.