More Depressed, More Nightmares

[Malaenis]

Since I was a kid, I've had very vivid dreams. Dreams where I not only sense that it's real, but physically feel things, and even taste things. I've woken up many times thinking a dream was real, sometimes only a few moments, sometimes it takes a day to realize it was a dream.

In the past I've mostly had nightmares of being chased, running away from unknown forces but only barely ahead of them, etc. I got some books on interpreting dreams so I could try to understand what all the crazy things happening in mine meant. Though this wasn't until the past year. It was great understanding them, and it sometimes helps me understand what I'm going through in my waking life.

Since January(?) I've been on Prazosin for sleep/nightmares/triggers/flashbacks, it along with the clonidine I'd been taking before, helped mute my dreams. Eventually I struggled to recall them at all. I don't always mind them, but the nightmares are difficult to process at times. Especially when the emotions follow me into my waking hours.

Anyways, recently, like in the past couple weeks, my dreams are back as vivid as ever. It happened when I started getting incredibly depressed again, after months of dissociating(possibly, I was definitely "running" in a literal and figurative sense from my emotions). Today I realized it's like I feel nothing, nothing but constantly tired. I'm not even sad or in pain, I'm just done.

Was wondering if anyone else experienced the nightmares being worse based on how you feel during the day? Is there a correlation, or was the timing for me a coincidence?

 

[Lotis]

Was wondering if anyone else experienced the nightmares being worse based on how you feel during the day? Is there a correlation, or was the timing for me a coincidence?

Definitely a correlation - everything we experience gets stored in our subconscious mind. When we sleep our conscious mind sleeps as well, leaving our subconscious awake. The connection between our dreams and the subconscious starts. So if you had a bad day or were worried about something odd's are your subconscious will remind you about it in your dreams. Some people think this is a coping mechanism to help solve problems, especially if we have a dilemma or are particularly worried about something. If you were really upset about something that stays with you in your subconscious and you will likely dream about it.
Also, our subconscious can affect our waking selves - like when you have a nightmare and it stays with you after you wake up....same thing it affects your day (at least for me it does).
You are not alone.
~L

 

[Malaenis]

Thank you for replying. I never paid attention to how I felt during the day to know if my dreams changed. They were just weird and seemed random, lol. Though I'm realizing even the strangest seeming dream means something, even if it isn't immediately apparent what it means because the symbolism is really out there.

 

[Michael]

Since I was a kid, I've had very vivid dreams. Dreams where I not only sense that it's real, but physi...

Ask your doctor about trazadone. It works for sleep. You might even get rid of nightmares.

 

[Tree23]

For me my mood during the day is what impacts my sleep. If it's a day when I'm just remembering the child abuse that happened to me, like today, I would just sleep late and wake really early, as in about 6 hours sleep. As if my body thinks I'm in danger. If it's a day where I'm in a happy mood my sleep is not impacted. I would say this, even though you've heard it a thousand time probably. Bit work on your mood during the day. Find something that gives u life, and just do it with your all your heart.