Sudden onset of weird dreams

[nurse12hr]

For the last 10 days-2 weeks, I have departed from my usual lifelong pattern of either having one dream/night, or not remembering a dream. Now I am having as many as 4 very vivid dreams a night, and having dreams each time I nap.
I will dream (usually unpleasant dreams, not nightmares, but just dreams with unsettling endings), then I will wake up, fall back to sleep, dream something again, etc. On and on all night. I wake feeling tired still. It is getting so I don't even want to fall asleep.
My life is stable right now, no changes, no particular worries, am in a good relationship, and not having job or money worries. Only medication i take is Zestril for high blood pressure. I am in general good health, nonsmoking and nondrinking.  

What could be causing me to suddenly be having such vivid dreams, in such quantities each and every time I sleep? Do I need a psychiatrist? Could this be some form of neurological thing? Point me in a direction, please!

[gongarndtwc]

Christie;

Do You have a Christian Background?

Health is a Moral Issue, which Isn't Popular in America These Days  Deuteronomy 28:1 ------- 64 in the Bible

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep in perfect peace the mind stayed, for he confideth in thee.
4 Confide ye in Jehovah for ever; for in Jah, Jehovah, is the rock of ages.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful about nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses every understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts by Christ Jesus.

couple of Suggestions  there's more sweet dreams for the Righteous......

Good Relation ?  No Safe Sex Outside of Marriage by thought or Action....and Purity of Thought  and Action  Marriage Too

[Ed122]

Beta blockers (also used for blood pressureand heart regulation to control arythema) can cause very "real" dreams-- these are called lucid dreams-- I know, I have them-- there are many sites about this, and will help you not only deal with the dreams, but exercises to help you develop "control" of your dreams.-- Ed

[Julie Walsh]

I think the term for very vivid dreams like this is 'cataplexy'...try hitting some sleep disorder sites, or pubMed to find associated term and symptoms, etc.

[Nickmbb]

You may be experiencing some sleep problems. It sounds like your not going through all the sleep cycles. If your waking up feeling bad, and remembering all your dreams each time, its an indication of  this. If your not on any meds, I won't worry about the content of your dreams, just know that thats all they are...dreams. You may have an allergy that you aren't aware of that could be causing you to sleep badly. Check your environment for any new changes....maybe your heating filter needs to be changed or to much dust in your room...etc. You may not be breathing correctly through your nose.....if its clogged up...it can cause sleep problems..if this is the case...don't use nasal sprays...instead use those new noise strips...they work great at keeping your breathing clear as you sleep.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

Vivid dreaming including nightmares have been associated with alcohol, stress, and drugs - one of which is blood pressure medications. Don't stop taking the blood pressure medication, but if the dreams persist and no cause if found, you may consider changing the med to see if it helps.

Another possibility is that you may be having a sleep disorder. SOme patients feel like they dream or have odd hallucinations as soon as they hit the pillow or just when they wake up as part of an abnormal sleep pattern. Talk to your primary care physician about a possible sleep study where they can do an EEG while you sleep. The neurologist reading your EEG will look at how your brain wave patterns change throughout the sleep cycle and if there are any abnormalities. Depending on what they find, behavioural therapy, sleep hygiene techniques, and medications can be helpful. Good luck.

[nurse12hr]

Thanks to all!

[pris]

HELLO, MY STORY IS SIMILAR TO YOURS.  AND I WONDER IF IT IS A NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEM AS WELL .  AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WILL SEE A NEUROLOGIST SOON.  HOWEVER, THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHEN YOU THINK OF THINGS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP, WORK, KIDS, RELATIVES,  OR FRIENDS YOU USUALLY DREAM THEM.

FOR EXAMPLE:  I OFTEN HAVE DREAMS ON A DAILY BASIS, MOST OF THEM ARE REALLY HAPPENING BUT WHEN I DONT KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN I USUALLY TRY THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO MAKE A MEANING OUT OF MY DREAM.  SOMETIMES I CAN INTERPRET MY DREAM BUT SOMETIMES I DONT KNOW WHAT IT MEANS AND MY HUSBAND TRIES TO HELP ME MAKE A MEANING OUT OF IT.  

DREAMS CAN USUALLY BECOME A REALITY, BUT SOMETIMES THERE JUST A WARNING, OR SOMETIMES YOU DREAM ABOUT SOMETHING AND ITS NOT THE PERSON IN THE DREAM, IT CAN BE ANOTHER IMAGE ,FOR EXAMPLE: LIKE IF YOU SEE YOURSELF IN A DREAM DROWNING, IT CAN BE ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS POSSIBLY IN DANGER.

I HAD A  DREAM LAST WEEK OF MY GRANDFATHER BEING ILL, IT TURNS OUT , I CALLED MY GRANDPARENTS HOME AND MY GRANDMOTHER WAS THE ONE IN THE HOSPITAL WHO WAS ILL. DREAMS  CAN OCCUR FROM WORRY, REALITY, PROBLEMS, STRESS, AND MANY OTHER REASONS. YOU JUST HAVE TO WRITE THEM DOWN EVERY NOW AND THEN AND COMPARE IT TO YOUR DAILY LIFE OCCURANCES AND THEY WILL BEGIN TO MAKE MORE SENSE.

I DONT FEEL YOU NEED A PSYCHOLOGIST BECAUSE , BUT YOU CAN SEEK ONE IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS.  

YOU SHOULD GO TO BARNES AND NOBLES AND BUY A BOOK CALLED "THE BOOK OF DREAMS", AND MANY OTHER BOOKS THAT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAVE SO MANY WEIRD DREAMS/.

[pris]

HELLO, MY STORY IS SIMILAR TO YOURS.  AND I WONDER IF IT IS A NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEM AS WELL .  AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WILL SEE A NEUROLOGIST SOON.  HOWEVER, THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHEN YOU THINK OF THINGS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP, WORK, KIDS, RELATIVES,  OR FRIENDS YOU USUALLY DREAM THEM.

FOR EXAMPLE:  I OFTEN HAVE DREAMS ON A DAILY BASIS, MOST OF THEM ARE REALLY HAPPENING BUT WHEN I DONT KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN I USUALLY TRY THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO MAKE A MEANING OUT OF MY DREAM.  SOMETIMES I CAN INTERPRET MY DREAM BUT SOMETIMES I DONT KNOW WHAT IT MEANS AND MY HUSBAND TRIES TO HELP ME MAKE A MEANING OUT OF IT.  

DREAMS CAN USUALLY BECOME A REALITY, BUT SOMETIMES THERE JUST A WARNING, OR SOMETIMES YOU DREAM ABOUT SOMETHING AND ITS NOT THE PERSON IN THE DREAM, IT CAN BE ANOTHER IMAGE ,FOR EXAMPLE: LIKE IF YOU SEE YOURSELF IN A DREAM DROWNING, IT CAN BE ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS POSSIBLY IN DANGER.

I HAD A  DREAM LAST WEEK OF MY GRANDFATHER BEING ILL, IT TURNS OUT , I CALLED MY GRANDPARENTS HOME AND MY GRANDMOTHER WAS THE ONE IN THE HOSPITAL WHO WAS ILL. DREAMS  CAN OCCUR FROM WORRY, REALITY, PROBLEMS, STRESS, AND MANY OTHER REASONS. YOU JUST HAVE TO WRITE THEM DOWN EVERY NOW AND THEN AND COMPARE IT TO YOUR DAILY LIFE OCCURANCES AND THEY WILL BEGIN TO MAKE MORE SENSE.

I DONT FEEL YOU NEED A PSYCHOLOGIST BECAUSE , BUT YOU CAN SEEK ONE IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS.  

YOU SHOULD GO TO BARNES AND NOBLES AND BUY A BOOK CALLED "THE BOOK OF DREAMS", AND MANY OTHER BOOKS THAT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAVE SO MANY WEIRD DREAMS/.