Help Me Stop Dreaming!!

[JanetMegan]

I know we have had a couple of conversations on here about dreams and dreaming. I'm wondering if anyone has any tricks, old wives tales or ANYTHING that can help me stop dreaming? I get to bed fairly early, I sleep in a dark, quiet environment as well. But every night I dream crazy dreams, 8-10 a night. Lately nightmares mostly about all sorts of things, spiders, people in my house etc. I'm really not a 'phobic" person so I am not sure what is bringing this on, but it's waking me up MANY times a night and I feel like I can't get a good night sleep. I avoid caffeine, never have it after lunch etc. Any ideas?

[Strmchsr]

Well, you can't stop dreaming. In fact, that would be detrimental to your health since dreaming is your brain processing information. "Normal" dreaming is 4-5 times per night at about 90 min intervals. The fact that you're having so many is definitely a little abnormal. Normally strange dreams or "nightmares" are caused by tension, worry, stress, illness or overload of information in the evening. If you read a lot before bed, or watch exciting TV, or anything that stimulates your brain too close too bed it can trigger nightmares as your brain activity is still kicked into high gear as you try to sleep. Medication can also sometimes cause strange dreams. While you can't stop dreaming, here's some hints to help you:

# Reduce the stress in your life.
# Ask your doctor if any of the medication you're on could cause dreaming.
# Have a physical exam to make sure no underlying illness is the cause of the dreams.
# Avoid over stimulating activity before bed, such as violent TV shows or video games.
# Avoid alcohol close to bedtime.
# If you need a bedtime snack, make it something like milk and crackers rather than greasy, overly sweet treats - potato chips, doughnuts, etc.
# Keep regular hours of sleep. Go to bed about the same time every night.
# Make sure your bedroom is comfortable - not too hot or too cold. Eliminate noise and excess light.
# Try listening to soft, peaceful music as you fall asleep.

[Ian]

# Ask your doctor if any of the medication you're on could cause dreaming.This is definitely a good suggestion. I know certain medications (like Ny-Quil in particular) really give me freaky dreams.

[conorsmom2000]

# Ask your doctor if any of the medication you're on could cause dreaming.


I was thinking the same thing - I know that I can't take strong pain killers because I have terrible dreams - same with when I quit smoking....I couldn't use the 21 mg patch because I would have these weird, vivid dreams. :scared: Is it possible that there is a medication that could be an underlying cause of this?

[JanetMegan]

I'm not on any meds actually so I know that's not it. I go to bed pretty early every night (9pm). I'm not an overly stressed person either. I have always had vivid dreams that I remember, but lately they are getting to be more of them and they are more likely to wake me up suddenly making it hard to go back to sleep.

[MsMin]

I'm not an expert on dreams but have studied them to some degree. Sleep has 4 stages 1-4 followed by a cycle of REM (period of rapid eye movement) the state in which we dream. Typically, the first set of stages lasts the longest with the first REM occurring within 3-4 hours. Each cycle after becomes progressively shorter. meaning dreams will increase with frequency as the night goes on. Typically the maintenance insomnia, or waking in the night occurs during the first bout of REM or about 3-4 hours into sleep. Not to be mixed up with Hypnagogic sleep that occurs during stage 1 or btwn 1 and 2.(the state when we feel like we are falling or awake but really sleeping)
Some theorists believe that ppl that sleep a full 8 hours tend to have more frequent and vivid dreams. Dreams are believed to be the outlet for the brains anxiety. Yes, it is important and good for your physical and your mental health
included.
It is sometimes difficult to find a Dr. that can answer the questions himself unless he is a sleep specialist. There are meds to help you maintain sleep but many ppl don't like to start with drugs for sleep b/c many are habit forming if not physically, mentally and behaviorally.
These are the common causes of nightmares.
* Anxiety or stress is the most common: In 60 percent of cases, a major life event precedes the onset of nightmares
* Illness with a fever
* Death of a loved one (bereavement)
* Adverse reaction to or side effect of a drug
* Recent withdrawal from a drug such as sleeping pills
* Effect of alcohol or excessive alcohol consumption
* Abrupt alcohol withdrawal
* Breathing disorder in sleep (sleep apnea)
* Sleep disorders (narcolepsy, sleep terror disorder)
* Inherited tendency toward nightmares

There is one technique used with kids and nightmares and that is to train yourself to change the dream. I know it sounds odd but it's used in reoccurring dreams to imagine that you, for example ,kill the spiders, or resolve the threat in the dream in some way.
Sometimes an old event that was anxiety provoking can be triggered by some external stimuli like a movie or recent event.
Is this something that has grown worse recently?

[drummerboy]

Apparently, I've got a touch of what's called temporal lobe epilepsy--no loss of consciousness or anything like that, but apparently an old concussion cause a minute brain scarring that occasionally causes crossed wires.

Every so often, the wires cross in the middle of the night and cause repetetive dreams--the same thing keeps happening over and over in the dream (often that's a harbinger of some daytime 'events' as well).

Anyway, I have managed to mentally tell myself that "this too shall pass" to the extent that my subconscious tends to sort of say "ah, it's just a dream". Sorry I can't be more specific, but it's one of those brain things that's hard to explain.

[Lizzy]

Benadryl gives me some really wacky dreams. It helps me fall asleep but man some of the things my brain comes up with on that stuff is crazy!

[BrerGnat]

Have you considered having a sleep study done? I mention it because we were having some problems with our toddler son waking up in the middle of the night screaming and thrashing around, so I got a few books on sleep disorders and they all pretty much said that a sleep study is the only way to find out WHAT is causing a sleep disorder, and what the problem is.

They will monitor your brain activity during your sleep to see if there are any abnormal patterns. Nightmares/vivid dreams that recur (especially since you say you've "always" had them) can be evidence of an underlying sleep disorder. There are various treatments for sleep disorders, so it might be worth a shot.

[Cinderelley]

A Bible under the pillow has stopped nightmares for 4 generations in my family.

[DestinationWDW]

I agree with BrerGnat....especially if you are not rested during the day. I always have had a lot of crazy, weird dreams and am tired during the day. Had a sleep study and was diagnosed with 2 different sleep disorders! Now sleeping much more peacefully after treatment!