Anxiety dreams

[sam145]

So I've dealt with anxiety dreams for as long as I can remember. It's actually rare for me to have a dream where something bad isn't happening. They range from mild stress dreams (someone is following me and I need to keep moving because they're making me uncomfortable) to full blown nightmares based on my innermost worries and fears (yeah I'm not gonna describe those).

Regardless of intensity, these dreams usually mess me up in the morning. Having someone around to engage me in something other than my anxiety when I wake up seems to help, so I ask my boyfriend to try to wake me up when he wakes up for work. But it's not always possible to wake me up. I'm apparently a pretty deep sleeper and can be combative if someone is trying to wake me up when I'm super tired. I can't help it. I don't even remember it most of the time. I know I'm a hard person to wake up, and it caused LOTS of fights when I was growing up. In fact, oversleeping can be somewhat of a trigger for me and I end up feeling like a failure for being so tired.

So back to my original topic before I get too sucked too far into that other problem... I just want to ask if anyone else experiences these types of dreams that leave you spiraling into anxiety first thing in the morning. How do you recover every day?

I've been trying to develop some kind of routine to help me (I'm autistic, routines are my jam  ), but my current one is kinda inefficient (basically: I spend a lot of time doing things that make me feel ok) and I'm trying to have a more productive lifestyle. Any advice?

[JamesG]

recent thing I do is to have a list ready for when I wake up. Write down the practical and productive things you have got underway and then go straight to them if that vibe is lingering. Bad dreams also seem a bit easier if you accept that they are likely, almost plan for them. It's a way of taking control I guess. Never easy tho. Hang in there, it's just your brain trying to sort things out for you. The brain is on your side, even if sometimes it doesn't feel that way

[RainbowStorm]

Hi sam145,

Sorry to hear that you have to deal with crappy mornings like that every day. I know how you feel! I took a class on dreaming a few years back in college, and this was our main text: https://www.amazon.com/Dreamwork-Soul-Spiritual-Guide-Interpretation/dp/0425165043
I learned how to lucid dream, and started to take control of my nightmares. I also started doing super deep dream work, and started working through them-using resources like this book and A LOT of writing, lol.
I also ask my spirit guides to help protect me when I sleep, burn sage and meditate using guided youtube meditations both for meditating while awake and also to fall asleep to it to further help control my dreams/nightmares. It's helped! There are lots of things you can try to do on your own, with a little research and work  meditation and yoga really help in the morning bring in me into the present moment and out of thta nightmare mindset, and helps me shift my energy

[Western11]

Brave of you to share and I want to say that you are not alone. I have had anxiety in my sleep my entire life. I wake up feeling depressed and anxious. In my 20s I would have horrible nightmares of people trying to kill me and it would take half the day to shake it off. Finally in my 30s I started seeing a therapist. That got rid of the nightmares but not the anxiety. I'm going to try EMDR. It's for C-PTSD which can be long term from childhood. What helps me is morning meditation and visualization and tapping. I will visualize my safe place. I will visualize things that make me feel good and I'll cross my arms and tap L then R on my arms while repeating out loud something that helps like "I am safe, I am loved." I hope these suggestions help you. You have helped me by seeing that I'm not alone in suffering this way.

[The Magician]

Hey,

I used to have anxiety dreams/nightmares constantly. I still get them once or twice a month. Like waking up and immediately thinking, "Thank GOD that was not real!"

I love good rituals. Even when I've had a nightmare, I KNOW I have a set of steps to undertake that are always the same. Maybe you could incorporate your bf into your own steps?

As for heavy sleeping, all I can say is that your mind, body, and soul all need rest, and that sleeping deeply could be a gift, not a curse. Of course it feels like one when we miss important things, but hopefully we can forgive ourselves for getting extra rest when there aren't any pressing obligations.

Much love,
M

[Blueberry]

In fact, oversleeping can be somewhat of a trigger for me and I end up feeling like a failure for being so tired.

....

(basically: I spend a lot of time doing things that make me feel ok) and I'm trying to have a more productive lifestyle. Any advice?

I'm sorry you have such awful dreams. I have had recurring ones on 2-3 different topics from the present day (rather than childhood) and that was quite bad enough.

Oversleeping: you may actually need all that sleep! CPTSD can be exhausting mentally, physically and emotionally, especially if you're full of anxiety and/or you're in healing. So you're not a failure because of being tired! (BTW I'm talking to myself here too).

On that same bent, spending a lot of time doing things that make you feel OK is very productive! Well, so long as they aren't addictions. So if addictions are what you mean, then you're not alone on here, but they aren't productive in the long run. I still do some of my addictions; it can be very hard to stop. I try not to condone or condemn myself or anybody else.

But if you mean that you spend a lot of time on self-soothing and self-care, then that's very healing! If that's the only thing you have the energy for, then that's the way it is. It doesn't make you a failure. Lots of us on here have trouble with self-care, me included. If you manage well, or are working on it, then 

In my experience trying to force myself to do more and more, be "normal", manage what "normal" people my age manage, well, that all just backfires.

[writetolife]

I definitely experience this.  In fact, most of my dreams are of the anxiety type, if they aren't nightmares.  I wish I had something to offer in terms of advice.  But I did want to join in in letting you know that you aren't alone.

[Three Roses]

Welcome, Magician! Thanks for joining & posting.

[The Magician]

Welcome, Magician! Thanks for joining & posting.

THANKS!