Tips for avoiding bad dreams

As you know from all my posts, my anxiety is in over-drive this last month. I do believe that some of it is the "anticipatory" anxiety someone posted about recently, as I have an eye appointment in a couple of weeks and I'm terrified I have some very serious eye condition. But I've had morning anxiety with fast heart rate, racing thoughts, blah, blah, blah for a very long time so I'm not sure that's the whole story. Lately my daily anxiety is even worse, making my morning anxiety be almost unbearable. I oftentimes have vivid dreams (like last night) then I wake (last night at 2am) and the anxiety is sky high and I'm not sure I'm awake or still dreaming. BUT I do have a small tip for myself and maybe some of you. I find that if I eat much, especially something heavy, later in the evening, I am MUCH more apt to have wickedly vivid dreams and pounding heart when I wake. I always remember watching a very old movie version of A Christmas Carol (from the 1930's) where the character of Scrooge has been visited by his first ghost and refuses to believe what it was. He states "it must have been a bit of undigested potato" and considering that movie came out over 80 years ago, I assume Charles Dickens must have experienced this phenomenon too!! Sounds like a silly analogy but I find it's true for me. Last night I ate a large meal not long before going to bed......WOW what nightmares I had! Then as I woke at 2am with the usual (but much worse) heart pounding anxiety, I wondered why it was especially bad. In thinking back a bit, I realized these nights are usually always precipitated by a heavy meal or snack of some kind before bed. I don't know that avoiding that will keep me/you from ever having nightmares or vivid dreams but I think it's something to keep in mind. Any trick that can help with this sometimes nightly issue is worth trying I figure. Last night was really a doozy for me...my son was away for the night and I almost called an ambulance I was so scared and messed up when I awoke at 2am...I thought my heart would NEVER slow down. A little better this morning after falling back to sleep and waking at 6 am but stomach still feels bloated from the previous night's meal and I've decided NOT to eat/snack after 6pm in the evening and see if that helps. Something to think about for those of us who love to eat/snack before bedtime. My mother used to drink a warm glass of milk (yuck) and swore by it Also, soothing teas might be a better option than three pieces of pizza and two cupcakes....ha ha!!!

very true snips steve.

andwes. yah, i have nightmares a lot and chaotic dreams. all evolving into each other. lately i have found a bit more fluid at night, (water) is helping me. any tips are helpful.

i hope you are feeling better. healing thoughts i send.

Andwes

Good for you for journaling your activities to learn what triggers your anxiety (or in this case, nightmares).

Bad dreams are the pits but good dreams can be really sweet!

I think that God can speak to us through dreams (not nightmares) so I have always tried to examine my dreams to find out what they mean.

Thanks so much for sharing that tip with us!

Your friend,
Cornell

I unintentionally tested out the food right before bed causes disturbing dreams theory. I had disturbing dreams! I'd never correlated the two until now. Even a better excuse not to eat after a certain time bc A. it's not good for the waistline & B. it causes disturbing dreams!

Thanks Andwes, lesson learned!

Wishing us all peace today!
Lisa

Ah yes, the heart pounding! I remember it well and it's very scary. It's working harder to digest the junk we've eaten, making the heart pound like crazy. And we feel the pounding more when we're lying down try to sleep! Another argument for not eating heavy before trying to sleep!!!