Very strange dreams

Hey guys and gals,

I really wasn't sure where I should post this one, or even if this is really the right forum to be posting in at all. I'm hoping someone can help or has had a similar experience(s).

From time to time I have wierd and wonderful dreams, just as we all do. I went through a period of about 2 or 3 years where I would wake up and not even remember dreaming, which is totally fine. I might have the odd one here or there. I've always slept fairly well, although I'm easily woken, but I don't snore, have sporadic body movements, or talk in my sleep or such.

Until recently...

For about 3 or 4 weeks now I have had INTENSELY scary, frightening, and realistic nightmares. I will wake up shouting, crying, I've started talking in my sleep and not realizing it, and having sporadic body movements.

My dreams mostly have one thing in common....someone is trying to kill me. The only other type of dream I have at the moment is my g/f breaking up with me, which usually involves her going ballistic and hitting me repeatedly, these aren't as often tho.

In the past when I've had nightmares it's always been because I'm just to hot in bed and I wake up in a sweat. Now I'm just having nightmares all the time. It came to a head last night when I had the most realistic and frightening dream of my life. In short I was in my house, my ex-g/f (who had Pyschosis towards the end of our relationship) came in and knocked me over onto my bed trying to stab me with a large meat carving knife. What made this dream so bad was I was calling out for help the entire time, and was so close to actually dying in the dream, I could feel the knife digging into my chest, and it was slowly driving in, and I screamed out "I'm not ready to die yet". ...which is slightly odd because I've never feared death or thought that any point in my life dying i wouldn't feel ready.

I woke up and went outside for a smoke, drank some water, and just sat there. I really didn't want to go back to sleep. Anyway, my g/f told me I should get some sleep and I fell asleep only to have 2 or 3 more intense nightmares.

I feel bad because it's starting to bother my g/f some, as it would me if someone woke up me shouting/screaming/crying in the middle of the night.

Does anybody have any explanation for this incredible change in my sleeping routine? Any ideas on how to stop the nightmares? Or does anybody have any belief that dreams hold some purpose, like a message?

It's worrying me a little that everyone in my dreams is trying to kill me, and I'm wondering if there is an underlying psychological reason? or is it just bad luck?

Thanks for reading, hope you are able to shed some light...

I am not really good with dreams though I believe sometimes that it will give you some signs what might happen or something is bothering you subconsciously.

Try talking to your doctor. He may refer you to a therapist, especially if you've had a history of abuse, or maybe some bizarre repressed memories.

You may also be entering a phase in your life where you're coming to terms with your mortality, even subconsciously.

Worst case, they'll just prescribe you a series of sleeping pills until you find one that works for you and get you back on some sort of normal sleep schedule.
And, thank you for making your large post readable. I hate it when people feel the need to write a story (while applicable for background) and block it all up.

I have these same dreams when I don't take my night-time drugs. It might be "night terrors" (aka, pavor nocturnus), which is actually a type of sleep disorder. It can be treated with medication, and/or it might be environmental. Cold rooms, dim lights, and what's in your stomach can actually play a huge roll in aiding to these night terrors.

Thanks for your replies.

dono01 your reply is quite interesting, and slightly disturbing, I hope I don't have a sleeping disorder!

The room temperature is ok i think, the room is usually very dark...not sure about the food thing, nothing has changed in my diet dramatically in the last few weeks.

It happened again last night, only once, it was horrific, found out my gf had been cheating on me and it was just so realistic, woke up shout again and woke up my gf.

It's getting annoying because I wake up in the morning still feel tired because of these dreams.

If it continues I guess my only option is to go and see the doctor. Unless there are meds I can purchase off the shelf?

Thanks again for the feedback everyone.

I have some terrible nightmares sometimes, i should lay off the melatonin