Stress and nightmares

[libertarianjim]

Does anyone else tend to have nightmares during periods of stress?

I have my PhD oral comprehensive exams this week and in the past week I have had 4 nightmares about my ex wife and a bizarre dream about an ex-friend that I (stupidly) developed feelings for during and after my divorce. I'm wondering if the stress of the impending exam could be tied to the sudden burst of nightmares.

Jim

[PsiKik]

In times of stress I find myself remembering dreams more easily and clearly though
I don't remember ever having a 'nightmare'.

[Vagabond]

Oh yeah. Tell me about it. Having trouble sleeping isn't enough, when I do fall asleep, some weird messed up nightmare has to wake me up. Damn stress. :rant:

[SheepDog]

I'm with PsiKik. I have more vivid dreams at some times than at others. But I don't remember a nightmare for a long, long, long time.

[lauriep]

I definitely get more nightmares during times of stress. Just makes it worse - :banghead:

[Helen]

I have 4 basic dreams I get when I'm stressed out/worried. The first is the plain vanilla I'm-naked-in-public dream. The second is that I'm back in my high school and trying to get to class and can't find the room. The third is that I'm back in college and am trying to get to class but I either don't wake up on time or keep running into people who want to talk to me, so I never get there. Or I dream that I have a test coming up and I haven't been to class in a really long time and didn't know about the test. The fourth is one I always have before a test where I try to work math problems or try to remember stuff for the test in my head all night long. Needless to say, I always wake up feeling like I haven't slept at all.

I hope this doesn't last the rest of my life, but my dad says he still dreams he's failed a test or something like that when he's stressed out, and he's been out of school for >25 years.

[INTrPosr]

Does anyone else tend to have nightmares during periods of stress? I have my PhD oral comprehensive exams this week and in the past week I have had 4 nightmares about my ex wife and a bizarre dream about an ex-friend that I (stupidly) developed feelings for during and after my divorce. I'm wondering if the stress of the impending exam could be tied to the sudden burst of nightmares.

Jim, if you are reading this message then you are not preparing for the exams, so get off the board and get ready. Then you can come back to us as Dr. Jim :cheers: In the meantime, I can relate to the weird dreams when under stress. It's probably the one time that I can recall them. Good luck on your exams.

Jack

[libertarianjim]

Even if I pass this exam, I won't be Dr. Jim for another few years: the dissertation itself at my school can't be started until the comprehensives are passed. Thanks for the sentiments, however. I appreciate it.

And, back to the main topic, I had another bizarre dream about the ex-best-friend last night. She wasn't actually IN it, it was just ABOUT her. I can't wait for Friday.

[candela]

I don't really ever get stressed out anymore, so maybe that's why I rarely have nightmares now.

Every once in a while I'll have a nightmare where I'm back in college and I find out halfway through the quarter that I've forgotten about a class I registered for. I'm not really sure how I always know it's been a long time into the quarter as it's never the exact same dream. It's really the only nightmare I ever have anymore. It probably doesn't even sound like a nightmare, but I always experience a really nervous/scary/sick feeling when I have it.

[MacGuffin]

I was stressed out about the election and dreamed that Bush won a second te.... OH SHIT IT REALLY HAPPENED!!!!

[libertarianjim]

I passed.

That night, I had a nightmare about going to a driving range frequented by amputees and getting hit in the nuts with a golf ball hit by one of them. I blacked out in my dream, causing me to wake up.

[int]

Every once in a while I'll have a nightmare where I'm back in college and I find out halfway through the quarter that I've forgotten about a class I registered for. I'm not really sure how I always know it's been a long time into the quarter as it's never the exact same dream. It's really the only nightmare I ever have anymore. It probably doesn't even sound like a nightmare, but I always experience a really nervous/scary/sick feeling when I have it.


Creepy, me too. Or that I haven't really finished high school and I'm back there.

[cloakable]

I was stressed out about the election and dreamed that Bush won a second te.... OH SHIT IT REALLY HAPPENED!!!!

:rofl: :D

[INTrPosr]

I am unsure whether this qualifies as a nightmare, but when under stress, my sleep can be abrupted with what I would call a sense of impending failure. I have a sudden realization about the consequences of some inaction or a result of my continued procrastination. It will take me some time to get throuh it before going to work, and sometimes can really get me off to a bad start.

Congratulations on passing your exams.

[mgb]

That night, I had a nightmare about going to a driving range frequented by amputees and getting hit in the nuts with a golf ball hit by one of them. I blacked out in my dream, causing me to wake up.

I don't think you should take that from the amputees. Golf club or not I bet you could take them. Remember that next time you fall asleep. Just think to yourself, I am going to kick some amputee ass tonight.

I hope that helps. :D

[jimkopelli]

I am unsure whether this qualifies as a nightmare, but when under stress, my sleep can be abrupted with what I would call a sense of impending failure. I have a sudden realization about the consequences of some inaction or a result of my continued procrastination. It will take me some time to get throuh it before going to work, and sometimes can really get me off to a bad start.
This happens to me when I'm awake... and keeps me from falling asleep, thus preventing nightmares...