Have you ever sat up in bed gasping after a bad dream?

[DuggeesWoggle]

Like they do on TV? Middle of a bad dream, they suddenly sit up in bed, awake, huge gasp and then pant heavily, out of breath.

Had plenty of bad dreams in my time but never done this. Is it just a bad dramatic trope or is it something that actually happens to people in real life?

Yes sometimes, my dreams seem to get worse and more vivid as I get older. I’ve woken up panting and gasping for breath after dreaming I can’t breathe or am being suffocated - I sometimes wonder if it’s some kind of sleep apnoea or maybe I’ve had my face pressed into the pillow and can’t breathe properly. And I sometimes dream of gushing water and then wake up desperate for a pee!

Frequently over the last few years and more so after the sudden death of my dearest father.

I get sleep paralysis sometimes and when I'm finally able to wake properly I tend to sit up and gasp. Worse than that though...I once had a dream that was long and drawn-out, where I was back at my parents' house, asleep in my bed. There was a noise outside that had the whole family awake and the dog barking etc. We got up and found a tile had fallen off the roof. No drama, everyone back to bed etc. I was just falling back to sleep and the loft hatch in my room opened and a gloved hand appeared followed by the rest of the intruder!

I let out a blood curdling scream (in my sleep) and woke up panicking. My ex husband was three rooms away, gaming on the pc with headphones on and he heard me. We met in the hallway as I was so scared I was running to him! This was about 8 years ago and it's still so vivid. We had elderly neighbours living upstairs. I'm hoping they were deaf!

It sounds funny but it was terrifying - I dreamed I opened my eyes and saw a lit-up stuffed feathery bird with long legs, a bit like Big Bird on Sesame Street. It was standing silently next to my bed. I sat bolt upright, grabbing DH, and doing that weird silent shriek you do when you're dreaming. I did laugh about it the next day though!

My dreams are sometimes lucid, and always vivid, so when it's a bad dream it's worse than any horror film. According to dp the times he's noticed and woke me suddenly I have bolted upright, gasping and petrified. If he wakes me slowly, or I wake up myself I tend to sit up slowly, more to wake myself up properly and check it really was just a dream

I have what called bug dreams in our house. If I watch a programme/movie and there are swarms of bugs in it, I will have a really vivid dream. I always wake up from these dreams by sitting bolt upright and panting. It's a horrible feeling and can often linger into my morning.

I've had this lots of times since my eldest died, thankfully a medication change has reduced it dramatically.
since my youngest has been born I've had a recurring dream that she was suddenly poorly and I've been running round the streets with her in my arms screaming for help but knowing it was too late.
I always bolt upright gasping and it can take me ages to get my breath back

Yep the other night I had a dream where I was fighting desperately to save someone from drowning after they crashed their car into our pond... I woke up gasping for air and it took me a few minutes to realise everything was ok, and a few minutes more to get my heart rate and breathing back to normal.

Yes, I have occasional nightmares and I’m terrified and disoriented after. So much so that I prefer to sleep with a light on somewhere in the room.

I haven't woken up sat up breathing heavily yet, but I've woken up in tears from night terrors before, face and hair thoroughly soaked.

My husband does it every single night, usually twice. Lurches up, gasps loudly and most of the time sort of looks over the side of the bed muttering, Usually just as I'm falling asleep, scares the utter shit out of me every bloody time. He just falls straight back to sleep, fucker whilst my heartrate thunders. I sleep so much better when he's away on business!!

That sounds like the start of a plot from Luther, coastergirl

Some truly terrifying experiences on here. As with many MN threads, it starts as an innocuous question and turns into something else entirely.

I hope you all had a peaceful night last night.

OMG is apparently living through episode 1 of an ITV drama about witness protection.

I have a serious phobia of snakes. Even photos freak me out. I dreamt that I was in a room and in front of me was an upside down washing basin. Whoever was in the room told me to lift it and when I did a massive coiled up snake was under it. I screamed my head off. Woke both me and my DH. I scared the shut out of him.

I once dream I had all leaves and twigs stuck in my throat and was desperately trying to pull it out. I woke up choking. I literally thought I was dying. This was 10 years ago and I still think about it when I’ve got a cough.

I've woken up frozen with fear, heart beating wildly. I've woken myself up shouting in a dream as well.

My worst one was waking up screaming and banging both fists on the window trying to get out, my OH was shouting my name but it took a little while to filter through and wake me up - I think it took a good hour or so until I could go back to sleep again