I have been having bad dreams for several years now. I never associated them with perimenopause. Now I am beginning to wonder.
Sometimes its just scary hideous faces I see between waking and sleep state (that I usually wake myself up from) but its also just bad dreams. Often they have nothing to do with my life - I am very aware of my dreams - I know my dreams. these do not seem like my dreams and they are often scary or demoralizing. I wake up with anxiety and exhausted.
anyone else with same experience?
Full Version: perimenopause and bad dreams
also, I never had bad dreams before I started to deal with perimenopause. I have always been healthy stable active well-adjusted etc. - not that there is anything wrong with people who have bad dreams, just making the point - it is nothing psychological) - and I have no history of bad dreams.
Saba,
I have had those kind of scary face dreams when I first started getting symptoms. They are awful and I, too, woke up scared and exhausted! It had to be the hormones because I never, ever, ever, had such nutty dreams in my life. Thank goodness they are gone.. hang in there you're not alone!
I have had those kind of scary face dreams when I first started getting symptoms. They are awful and I, too, woke up scared and exhausted! It had to be the hormones because I never, ever, ever, had such nutty dreams in my life. Thank goodness they are gone.. hang in there you're not alone!
Yes, I've had the nightmares in peri. I've had them recently with the cortisol surges which were very frightening. Sometimes, however, they were brought on by different medications that I was on at the time. Once I got off of the medications the nightmares disappeared. Are you taking anything that could cause this?
TJ
TJ
QUOTE (SKEEWEEAKA @ Apr 26 2009, 12:38 PM) 
Yes, I've had the nightmares in peri. I've had them recently with the cortisol surges which were very frightening. Sometimes, however, they were brought on by different medications that I was on at the time. Once I got off of the medications the nightmares disappeared. Are you taking anything that could cause this?
TJ
TJ
actually the bad dreams started several years ago when I was on no medication at all. I only started BHRT 3 months ago (pregnennolone, DHEA, estrone Estradial, progesterone) Have been weaning off of them - with great difficult. but the bad dreams were worse several years ago when perio started.
Wow, I saw this post and was quite shocked that the bad dreams might be part of peri!!? 
Boy!, I was having really bad dreams a lot last year, not like you all mentioned but the kind that make you want to yell or scream in them but you can't, and then I would finally wake my self up yelling because I had tried so hard in my dream. I've never been like that. I just though it was because of a lot stress I was under, didn't even phase me that it could be a peri symptom!!!
What an eye opener!!
Boy!, I was having really bad dreams a lot last year, not like you all mentioned but the kind that make you want to yell or scream in them but you can't, and then I would finally wake my self up yelling because I had tried so hard in my dream. I've never been like that. I just though it was because of a lot stress I was under, didn't even phase me that it could be a peri symptom!!!
What an eye opener!!
anyone have thoughts on why perimenopause would cause bad dreams? lots of things can happen with hormones etc. i.e. puberty - yet there are accompanying bad dreams (that I know of) for puberty.
anyone have methods they used to deal with the bad dreams? waking up with anxiety so often leaves me exhausted - the body needs to rest. sometimes I feel like I am under some kind of psychic assault in my dream life - and as I said before, none of this is in my background. I never had bad dreams before perimenopause
anyone have methods they used to deal with the bad dreams? waking up with anxiety so often leaves me exhausted - the body needs to rest. sometimes I feel like I am under some kind of psychic assault in my dream life - and as I said before, none of this is in my background. I never had bad dreams before perimenopause
The bad dream thing was also worst at the beginning for me. I'd go days without sleep. I became terrified to go to bed. Many women on these boards have said the same thing.
I find my bad dream phase happens during a certain time of the month. Right now it is mid-month when my estrogen is making a weak attempt at increasing. I believe the bad dreams just come from the unexpected rise and fall of hormones. Mine too came from ancient fears from childhood or their just terribly emotional with no reason or logic at all.
Hang in there to all of you bad dreamers. One of the ladies on this board helped me by just making me laugh about them. I can't tell you how much that helped.
I find my bad dream phase happens during a certain time of the month. Right now it is mid-month when my estrogen is making a weak attempt at increasing. I believe the bad dreams just come from the unexpected rise and fall of hormones. Mine too came from ancient fears from childhood or their just terribly emotional with no reason or logic at all.
Hang in there to all of you bad dreamers. One of the ladies on this board helped me by just making me laugh about them. I can't tell you how much that helped.
QUOTE (saba @ Apr 26 2009, 04:32 PM)
anyone have thoughts on why perimenopause would cause bad dreams? lots of things can happen with hormones etc. i.e. puberty - yet there are accompanying bad dreams (that I know of) for puberty.
anyone have methods they used to deal with the bad dreams? waking up with anxiety so often leaves me exhausted - the body needs to rest. sometimes I feel like I am under some kind of psychic assault in my dream life - and as I said before, none of this is in my background. I never had bad dreams before perimenopause
anyone have methods they used to deal with the bad dreams? waking up with anxiety so often leaves me exhausted - the body needs to rest. sometimes I feel like I am under some kind of psychic assault in my dream life - and as I said before, none of this is in my background. I never had bad dreams before perimenopause
My best guess is that it is the changes in brain chemistry brought on by hormones... I say that because as I said I have gotten them when on other medications for depression, etc. which changes brain chemistry... It is frightening but I never have figured out what to do...
TJ
QUOTE (SKEEWEEAKA @ Apr 28 2009, 01:30 AM)
My best guess is that it is the changes in brain chemistry brought on by hormones... I say that because as I said I have gotten them when on other medications for depression, etc. which changes brain chemistry... It is frightening but I never have figured out what to do...
TJ
TJ
I would have to agree that it's hormonal. I haven't had any bad dreams yet in peri but I used to have lots of snake in my bed and bug dreams when I was pregnant with my children. Scared the living hell out of me they seemed so real. At 8 or 9 months pregnant I could leap out of bed in a nanosecond when I dreamt there was a snake in my bed. My husband couldn't believe that I could do this simply because he had to help me get into/outof our car by that stage. Isn't it just amazing what hormones will do to us, Ladies?!!!
QUOTE (saba @ Apr 26 2009, 12:41 PM)
I have been having bad dreams for several years now. I never associated them with perimenopause. Now I am beginning to wonder.
Sometimes its just scary hideous faces I see between waking and sleep state (that I usually wake myself up from) but its also just bad dreams. Often they have nothing to do with my life - I am very aware of my dreams - I know my dreams. these do not seem like my dreams and they are often scary or demoralizing. I wake up with anxiety and exhausted.
anyone else with same experience?
Sometimes its just scary hideous faces I see between waking and sleep state (that I usually wake myself up from) but its also just bad dreams. Often they have nothing to do with my life - I am very aware of my dreams - I know my dreams. these do not seem like my dreams and they are often scary or demoralizing. I wake up with anxiety and exhausted.
anyone else with same experience?
Saba,
I just posted the very same thing on the Panic board...my answer is yes yes YES!
About 2 months before there was an abrupt change in my cycle and in my life, I started having horrible disgudting crazy eerie dreams which seemed to occur almost every single night in a row for months. Scary faces, eerie atmospheres, the feeling like you need to run but cant and are trying to scream but cant....and especially the pyschic assault thing too...it has been so awful I wake up almost sick.
I have in my lifetime had the on occassion strange or "bad" dream like everyone else in the world, but most of my childhood and adult memories of my dreams were beautiful, romantic and peaceful. Nothing at all like this. This feels so forced and so crazy. Like you said, I know my dreams and I know me, this is not me, this is not how I dream.
Does this ever go away? Or will we be like this now forever?
Dee
QUOTE (DollieDee @ May 6 2009, 06:40 AM)
Saba,
I just posted the very same thing on the Panic board...my answer is yes yes YES!
About 2 months before there was an abrupt change in my cycle and in my life, I started having horrible disgudting crazy eerie dreams which seemed to occur almost every single night in a row for months. Scary faces, eerie atmospheres, the feeling like you need to run but cant and are trying to scream but cant....and especially the pyschic assault thing too...it has been so awful I wake up almost sick.
I have in my lifetime had the on occassion strange or "bad" dream like everyone else in the world, but most of my childhood and adult memories of my dreams were beautiful, romantic and peaceful. Nothing at all like this. This feels so forced and so crazy. Like you said, I know my dreams and I know me, this is not me, this is not how I dream.
Does this ever go away? Or will we be like this now forever?
Dee
I just posted the very same thing on the Panic board...my answer is yes yes YES!
About 2 months before there was an abrupt change in my cycle and in my life, I started having horrible disgudting crazy eerie dreams which seemed to occur almost every single night in a row for months. Scary faces, eerie atmospheres, the feeling like you need to run but cant and are trying to scream but cant....and especially the pyschic assault thing too...it has been so awful I wake up almost sick.
I have in my lifetime had the on occassion strange or "bad" dream like everyone else in the world, but most of my childhood and adult memories of my dreams were beautiful, romantic and peaceful. Nothing at all like this. This feels so forced and so crazy. Like you said, I know my dreams and I know me, this is not me, this is not how I dream.
Does this ever go away? Or will we be like this now forever?
Dee
Hi Dee, Where are you at in peri? has your period stopped or are you in fluctuation? what other symptoms have you had? Trying to figur this out. Saba
Hi,
Ever since my periods stopped (about 4 years ago) I've been having very strange dreams. They remind me of when I've been sick in the past and the dreams would be very vivid but not make any sense. It would be like I was trying to accomplish something but couldn't figure it out but I would try over and over.
It might be that I'm having difficulty staying asleep and I'm almost waking but not quite. I went though a horrible period of insomnia but hopefully that's behind me because now I can sleep for 7-9 hours. I'm just grateful I'm not awake for hours in the middle of the night and I'll take the strange dreams over not sleeping!
DianaJJ
Ever since my periods stopped (about 4 years ago) I've been having very strange dreams. They remind me of when I've been sick in the past and the dreams would be very vivid but not make any sense. It would be like I was trying to accomplish something but couldn't figure it out but I would try over and over.
It might be that I'm having difficulty staying asleep and I'm almost waking but not quite. I went though a horrible period of insomnia but hopefully that's behind me because now I can sleep for 7-9 hours. I'm just grateful I'm not awake for hours in the middle of the night and I'll take the strange dreams over not sleeping!
DianaJJ
I have had bad dreams for the past two weeks. I have had this all my life, but more so after confirmation of menopause in 2004. I'd wake up to go to the bathroom and it continues when I go back to sleep. I am on Lexapro.
QUOTE (Jalyn @ Apr 26 2009, 07:00 AM)
Saba,
I have had those kind of scary face dreams when I first started getting symptoms. They are awful and I, too, woke up scared and exhausted! It had to be the hormones because I never, ever, ever, had such nutty dreams in my life. Thank goodness they are gone.. hang in there you're not alone!
I have had those kind of scary face dreams when I first started getting symptoms. They are awful and I, too, woke up scared and exhausted! It had to be the hormones because I never, ever, ever, had such nutty dreams in my life. Thank goodness they are gone.. hang in there you're not alone!
I just read in a mens magazine not to have B vitamins in the evening becausr they trigger bad dreams. They say it's better to have 1/2 with breakfast and 1/2 with lunch. Lumz
When my ovaries had stopped working for 8 months I had lots of bad dreams/nightmares. They were always about things familiar (from my long term memories) but would go horrible astray. I'd wake with a start and rapid heartbeat. It was very distressing. Once my ovaries restarted and my hormone levels started to rise again the dreams have abated. JZZ
QUOTE (JZZ @ Aug 12 2009, 05:40 PM)
When my ovaries had stopped working for 8 months I had lots of bad dreams/nightmares. They were always about things familiar (from my long term memories) but would go horrible astray. I'd wake with a start and rapid heartbeat. It was very distressing. Once my ovaries restarted and my hormone levels started to rise again the dreams have abated. JZZ
thanks for the note JZZ. can you explain why your ovaries stopped working for 8 months and what got them working again? (I assume you mean ovulations) thanks, Saba
I want to know that too! I thought when they stopped, they stopped...that was it! 
You mean its possible they will start back up again?!
jes
You mean its possible they will start back up again?!
jes
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