Hi everyone. I've been searching around the web to find some help regarding some unpleasant dreams I've been having lately. This seemed like a good place to start.

Over the last month or so, I seem to be having way more unpleasant dreams and nightmares. Before this started, I rarely ever had nightmares. But now it seems they are happening once or twice a week. They are the kind of nightmares that cause me to toss and turn, breath heavily, and even talk in my sleep. The weird thing is though, that I usually only have them on nights my boyfriend and I spend together. Even though I do sometimes have weird and unusual dreams on nights I spend alone, they are not the kind where I wake up scared or frightened. However, I seem to be having a lot of nightmares when I sleep at my boyfriends house or when he sleeps at mine. Usually, he ends up waking me up because of the noises I make or because I'm talking.

Just to give you a few examples, the other night I dreamed I was getting gas at a gas station late at night. It was dark out and for some reason, I had to get out of my car to pay the man who was filling my car. When I went to pay him, he started to attack and sexually assault me. My boyfriend then woke me up because he said I was screaming out 'help me' in my sleep.

Last night, I dreamed my boyfriend and I were laying in bed together, talking, cuddling, kissing, etc. However, suddenly my boyfriend changed into someone else (a man I did not know) and he lifted the sheets over my head trying to suffocate me. My boyfriend then woke me up because he said I was violently shaking my head from side to side.

My boyfriend is very concerned about all this. First of all, he of course feels bad I'm having such disturbing dreams. But also, he's really worried that he is some how causing me to have these dreams. Especially since he is usually there when they happen. My boyfriend and I have a great relationship and I have no idea why these things happen when he is around.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to why I'm having these dreams? Or does anyone know what they might mean? Thanks.

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Perhaps the dreams you are having are occuring at a time in the dream cycle when dreams are vivid. You may be having such dreams when you are alone but don't recall them because you are able to sleep through them and you have forgotten the scary dreams. Next time you are with your boyfriend, ask him not to wake you up when you are tossing and turning and moaning in your sleep. Then in the morning, see if you can recall any nightmares.

Good Luck

Hi again. So my boyfriend stayed over last night and I told him to wake me if it seemed like I was having a nightmare. He probably woke me about 3 or 4 times during the night. Two of the times were very close together so I probably didn't fully wake up the first time he tried. Every time he woke me I couldn't remember what I was dreaming about and I can't remember this morning either. So your advice seems to have worked. Thanks

If you check my original post, I suggested not waking you. But since your method is working, that's good. Glad your nightmares subsided.