Emotional Memory Of Nightmares, But Can't Recall Detail?

[.Bubbles.]

Firstly, sorry if the title is no good - wasn't sure how to word it! I'll try my best to describe this, but it's a bit complicated...

Often I remember my nightmares in details. But often I don't remember any details. However, I wake up feeling like rubbish, and KNOW I've had a nightmare, eventhough I don't recall them. Sometimes it's backed up by my fiance saying he heard/saw me having one. I call these emotional memories, like we can have with memories of trauma.

Is this "normal" or am I REALLY cracking up?

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I do not think you are cracking up. I have nightmares and do not remember the details sometimes and the feelings linger. I think I just do not remember them. I am on medication to not remember the nightmares but sometimes they leak through anyways.

I used to have very bad nightmares and wake up at two am every morning. I called it the hell hour. It really wore me out.

I sleep alot better now.

I do not think they are memories. I think this is something you need to take into therapy for you.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Yes, it is normal to wake up knowing you had a nightmare but have no idea what happened in it, or to just have a vague feeling. I hate those because they leave me feeling so lost, but then again, sometimes they're better than the ones with actual story lines as I don't have some memory of some random nightmare stuck in my head.

 

[Sues]

Yes, I do that too! I feel lucky when I don't remember my nightmares. But I often wake knowing I had one and having that feeling, but not remembering it.

 

[Red Feather]

Yes this happens to me too. Are you taking medication? I am taking Amitryptilin, I think it makes my dreams more vague and more difficult to remember. You are not crazy.

 

[JustBe]

Ditto to Sues...all the time!

 

[Aribear]

This happens to me too! Sometimes I remember exactly what the nightmare was, so vividly I close my eyes and still see it. Other times I wake up feeling panicky, fearful and sick and post-nightmare-ish and I don't remember a thing about the actual dream, just that it was bad.