Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Do you have bad dreams?

Your dream experiences sound very much like mine Jeanna. They're not about pain or disability either, but often involve being killed or being trapped and scared for my life, horrible.

I go through phases when i dream constantly, then have weeks when i don't. I do often find that the dreams are worse when the night sweats are worse, like the feverish dreams I remember having when i was a child and unwell, so wonder if its linked to body temperature or something...just a speculation.

I have dreams of the type you mention. Not very often, but they always turn to horrible nightmares. I believe it has to do with the fear of becaming disabled, not being able to move in the future.

But my worse nightmares always have something to do with water. I have them all the time. Sometimes I am on a beach, and the water starts rising very fast, and I don't find anyway to escape. Other times i'm on a boat that sinks and I have to swim for a long period under water to escape, till my breath starts to fail.
And so on...

Zélia

dr. J,

you're fine...you're so young you haven't had time to twist up your psyche...(and i'm an expert on twisting up)

enjoy those butterflies and zebras

smell the flowers...watch the shopping malls morf into fields and boughs of wildflowers

go to the stars

life's an adventure ride, fasten the seat belt and enjoy the show...
bad dreams are just a part of the spectacle
remember it's only a movie...
i like the parts with flashing lights and moving colours best myself

all the best, aloha
aB

I guess reading these posts makes me feel very lucky! I hardly ever have bad dreams. In fact, I dream all the time, but it is usually about good things. I think that's why I like to sleep so much. My dream life is so much better then reality. I'm sorry all of you have so many bad dreams. What I try to do before I go to sleep is think about the things I want to dream about. You would be surprised how often you (or is just me) can control what you dream about. I just think of a subject and try to think of all the details as I am falling asleep. I try to be as specific as possible, thinking about the sights, sounds, smells, etc. I think I started this when I was a boy and I did have nightmares. My mother would say "just think of happy thoughts". Who knew that this would be something I did as an adult. I hope some of you try this and that it works for you.

Usually I have bizarre dreams during or just after a course of pain meds, or during periods of stress.... but here is something I have discovered, maybe exclusive to me or just the power of suggestion but my daughter says it works for her as well (okay maybe its genetic)...

Next time you wake having a bad or bizarre dream, notice which side you are laying on, left or right. Now before going off to sleep again roll over to your other side... you'll have better, dare I say happier dreams. Works every time for me. My theory is its the pooling of blood stimulating certain emotion centers on the left and right side of your brain. Try it folks and report back...

How interesting? You can 'design' a plan to wake up from a dream by using a trigger word? How do you get this 'implanted' in your dream?
Yes I am on Tramadol, but I figured my dreams were mostly related to the meds I take to sleep well, Trazadone and muscle relaxers. Good grief the doc's got me on so many, I'm getting worried.... PLUS I still have pain.
Thanks for your reply
Darla

So sorry you're having bad dreams, Jeanna. So nice to hear from you!
I just hope some of these dreams are just our psyche "working out" on it's own.

Some of my dreams can be bad, but usually they are routine, nutty, dreams.
For example a friend of mine told me her husband was hunting rabbits in Alabama, and said he hunted the big "swamp" rabbits. Said one of their hunting dogs was a smallish dog, a Jack Russell terrier, and that when this dog saw his first rabbit, he hesitated because the rabbit was bigger than he was!!!
So I had a dream that I was looking at some rabbits that were as big as a baby calf!
Crazy dreams, like the one where I took my cat shopping and had to buy her this lovely little cat dress. I really like my cat, but we are really not THAT close.

Do you have a fear of water?
My dreams aren't always bad,some of them are just the usual crazy dream, but it seems like in many of these dreams there is a portion of the dream where I will have great pain and not be able to walk or stand up. I sometimes wake up when, in my dream, I am struggling unsuccessfully to walk or stand.
THis pain has to wear on our minds at some point!
Darla

Come to think of this, I have done that. Try to think of something pleasant as I'm going to sleep. I don't remember if it paid off.
I'm going to use the idea of a dream diary to see if I can record my attempts at thinking pleasant thoughts.

Like I said before, my dreams aren't ALL bad, but almost each dream has a part where I have a lot of pain trying to walk or stand. It seems to always be related to pain and disability.
THanks for reminding me of this technique, I'll try it.
Darla

Gosh, I haven't even thought of that.
Lets see, I go to sleep usually on my back and I will sometimes roll onto my left side. Unfortunately, the right side of my neck and my right shoulder (not exactly the shoulder joint but somewhere between neck and shoulder) is pretty well affected by AS.
I have too much pain when I lie on the right, which has always been my favorite position.... (for SLEEP!)
But I usually do change positions if I wake up.
I will try to notice what my position is when I'm doing the dreaming.
That's interesting, maybe others will let us know if this has any impact on the dream.
Darla