Is it possible to stop yourself from dreaming?

[CaraVann]

I have (and have always) had very intense dreams.

Over the last few years the dreams have become even more intense and I often wake up exhausted. I remember most of them vividly.

They often include dramatic scenes such as plane crashes (I am never in the plane, just standing and observing) or disasters like tsunamis. I also dream a lot about being back at school (I am 50 so that was a long time ago) and past jobs and the people from that time.
Some dreams are so intense that I can still remember them years later.

One thing I get every now and then and which frankly leaves me feeling scared and weird all day is this weird dream state where if I wake at my usual time, then snooze back off, I will dream that I have actually woke and got up and start my day etc only I am still ‘stuck’ in my dream! I had it this morning. I woke at my normal 7am but snoozed until 7.30, then got up and opened my curtains and noticed that the mattress had disappeared! I then went to wake up my dd but her bedroom door was all bricked up. I said to myself (in my dream) ‘this isn’t real, wake up’! I then woke and all was normal but I felt so weird and frightened afterwards and an hour and a half later, I still feel unnerved.

I want to stop these weird dreams, they really exhaust me. Like I say, I have had intense dreams most of my life. Dh says he never remembers his dreams, that must be bliss.
How do I stop them? Is it at all possible?

You have sleep paralysis. Mine stopped bothering me once I read so much about it that I recognised it while it was happening.
Do you have migraines? My recall of my dreams is much reduced since my migraines are under control.

Yes I had incredibly intense dreams for a significant period after deep trauma. The dreams were unrelated to the trauma but I think they were related to my brain trying to process the trauma iyswim. Could there be something in your past cropping up maybe?

I meant to say that when I consciously dealt with the trauma the dreams went.

My nightmares can be horrific I’m back with my family I’m to move out. Or in past relationship. Had one the other night really upset me as was about worst nightmare if it came true (blackmail) family involved (they’re dead now)

I went on Amytriptiline to help me sleep after a bereavement and it definitely helped with this. It also improves mood

You dream in REM sleep and remember them if you wake in REM sleep. Ideally you want to wake in light sleep. Have you tried using a fitbit or similar to monitor your sleep cycles?

I think this app is meant to wake you in light sleep although I have not tried it
www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi9i5zMvsX8AhVOn9UKHfcTDIwYABABGgJ3cw&sig=AOD64_3zznrnPB72umAhFSMfkG5OC16ghA&q=&ved=2ahUKEwi8t5XMvsX8AhV7QUEAHc5VAwgQ3ooFegQIChAB&nis=8&adurl=

I don’t often remember my dreams but occasionally I’ll have a horrible one. Generally it’s related to trauma, or symptomatic of something I’m going through.

I had the worst dream last night that I woke up panicked about and was going to post, so weird to see this today. Note this has never happened to me in real life: I’m in a restaurant type bathroom, must be unisex and I’m waiting to wash my hands at the sink. There are 2 sinks and I remember someone at the other one. A man dressed all in black is at the sink I’m waiting for and lets me go before him, almost gentlemanly like and it’s all v cordial. I look up in the mirror and expect to see him behind me but can’t and then feel his hand on my lower back under my top. I turn around, look at him and realise he’s spiked me and I’m passing out. I have horrible feelings of what’s about to happen and then wake up. Awful.

I will admit here that at the age of 44 I ‘sleep’ with a light on. I’ve always been afraid of the dark as a kid as I remember. I used to travel frequently for work and would barricade myself in hotel rooms and sleep with a light on. We have separate room at home as I’m a terrible sleeper and he snores but I can’t believe I’m still doing this at my age. I feel things in rooms and sometimes get so freaked out I have to put the lamp on, not just a small night light. I can’t remember the last time I slept through. If someone is with me in the room I’m much better.

Yes. SSRIs massively reduce dreaming by suppressing REM sleep. You may, however, find you get more intense dreams when you first start taking them.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22800769/

Following OP, because I suffer very similarly. It's awful and exhausting.

Adhd... dissociation.. its a big coping mechanism for me. I also have ptsd

I still sometimes sleep with the light on @Xenopus In guest rooms or hotels, and occasionally my own bedroom.

RiverSkater I don’t keep a journal but probably need to start.
NellietheNumpty that’s does sound exhausting!
Eixample I do occasionally suffer from aura migraines.
Nicanabanana No major traumas but I have suffered from anxiety all my life.
VincaBlue I tried Amitriptyline and Nortriptyline for my IBS but had horrible side effects, sadly I don’t do well on medication.
Wheretheskyisblue thanks, I will look into something like that.
Thats interesting to learn Mydogatemypurse I have been looking into inattentive ADHD for a while now, I score highly on the online questionnaires and am looking into seeking out an assessment.

personally I'm not sure, and realistically once we go to sleep I'm doubtful we have much control over our brain

I wonder if my gut issues are preventing me from sleeping deeply?

It could be the other way round - the body needs sleep to digest and repair, so not getting enough quality deep sleep (where you don’t dream) can cause digestive issues.

But what’s causing the lack of deep sleep and digestion is the vivid dreams, and what’s causing the vivid dreams is unprocessed emotions… it always comes back to the emotional work.

Feeling a lot of anxiety in life makes sense of the dreams about disasters - why are you worried about disasters? There might be feelings of fear about not being loved and protected? Who wasn’t/isn’t showing up for you? Who isn’t making you feel safe? Or who is making you feel unsafe? There’s usually grief underneath anxiety.

Iwritethissittinginthekitchensink, my digestive system is usually in pieces the day after I’ve had a particularly bad night.

@Iwritethissittinginthekitchensink I think this hits the nail on the head.

Unless there is something like a medication causing this I too suspect that there is unprocessed emotions causing both your anxiety and your dreams.

www.sleepcycle.com/