As someone who has experience insomnia and related sleep issues most of my life, I’ve had all kinds of experiences that blurred the line between dream and reality, and 99% of the time, it’s a huge relief to finally become fully conscious again and leave that weirdness behind. But you don’t have to be diagnosed with any kind of condition to know what that’s like; everybody’s had at least a few moments like the ones user coolieodrawler brought up in a thread on r/AskReddit:
There were over 3,000 comments with answers ranging from the funny to the generally relatable to the horrific. Here are a few highlights from the twilight zone of dreamland.
1. Messing with pets is how John Wick started…
I recently had a dream that my dog died. My sister came up to me and just told me.
I had no recollection of him dying and in that moment she told me, I had to do my best to hold back tears.
I was so confused during the dream because the news just blindsided me. The next morning, I woke up and saw him sitting in his little bed.
It was quite the scare
– RedZeon
2. Some dreams are so distressing that waking up feels like a second chance.
My dream started with me waking up from coma and discovering that I have been in coma for 8 years.
My parents were dead, my brother was dead, my friends weren’t there anymore.
I was all alone realizing that I have nobody in my life and that best years of my life have been wasted.
This dream was different from my other dreams, this dream felt very, very real and realistic.
Usually I can control my dreams, but I was powerless in this one.
The feeling of panic, hopelesnes and sadness was so strong that I killed myself, and that is when I woke up.
Although I was panicking a little bit afterwords and feeling that this actually happened, I was very relieved that I woke up.
– I_am__the_GOLDEN_GOD
3. Have you ever wanted to see your own funeral?
I fell off a cliff and died.
For some reason I didn’t wake up.
My dream even had a small funeral service scene for me
– Real_Pandamansleeep
4. Dreams can contain ghosts from our past we’d rather not visit.
I had a dream once fairly recently that I was at my Aunt’s house and all my family was there. I kept saying “We need to wait for X (my husband)” and everyone kept giving me weird looks – til they finally sat me down and said “X doesn’t exist – he’s never existed – you’re still with AbusiveEx”
I’ve never been more happy to wake up from a nightmare – and I often have night terrors involving the traumas I’ve already been through
– the-effects-of-Dust
5. This creates some of the worst, most vivid nightmares.
Basically any time that I experience sleep paralysis.
– RoosterShield
6. Sometimes, we dream about losing progress.
Just this morning I dreamt that I cut my hair after growing it for over 10 years
– IDoesThis1
7. Sometimes, the progress we dream about losing is HUGE.
Using. I’m five years sober and in times of great stress, I will occasionally have dreams where I fall off the wagon.
It takes days to shake off the shame of it. Days.
I have to tell myself over and over that it didn’t actually happen, that I didn’t actually let myself (and my family) down, that I’m not a failure.
Sigh.
– xmashatstand
8. What is it about school that stays in our brains forever?
For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been having these nightmares where I am back in school, all alone, unable to find my classes, failing my classes, missing the bus, and my bullies being much worse. (I was bullied a lot when I was in school.)
I have sworn that I would never go to a brick and mortar school again after I graduated high school.
One morning, I woke up, worried that I forgot my science homework. Five minutes later, I realized I don’t go to school anymore. That was a relief.
– jade_fox1997
9. It’s gotta be a relief to get out of the military.
Was in the Army as Infantry, before I had a family and kids.
I still have plenty of dreams where i’m going back over there and I’m just so worried about it all.
Then I wake up and I’m like “oh thank god”
– Boop_BopBeep_Bot
10. Nobody should have to experience losing someone before their time.
I dreamt my father died. Shit was so vivid I was physically affected for the next half hour or so after waking up.
Well, my dad is a healthy man in his 50s so all is good
– Optimized_Laziness
11. Sometimes it’s funny if YOU’RE not the one experiencing it.
Cheating on my wife.
I woke up sweating and worried, telling her that I’m sorry. She had a good laugh, tho.
It was mortifying.
– DonPapu5
12. Apparently, pregnancy dreams are a different animal.
Dreams during pregnancy are really, really weird thanks to hormones.
In one my little sister was having another baby (she has 4), instead of me. I woke up super pregnant and confused.
In another, my husband paid for an escort. In the dream, I was more angry about the amount he paid than the cheating.
Once awake, was mad about both.
– mydogclimbstree
13. We dream about things we can’t undo.
Getting a god awful tattoo.
I love tattoos but for some reason I have had a few dreams where I cover my entire body in embarrassing tattoos
– oceanicganjasmugglin
14. Some dreams have twist endings.
That I was pregnant.
I’m a guy but it felt so realistic.
– Lord-AG
15. But there’s one dream that just about 100% of us have had…
Going to school naked
– Depresso_Expreso
Goodnight, sleep tight, and don’t let the bad dreams bite.
What’s your big moment like this?
Tell us the tale in the comments.