Anyone wake feeling exhausted after seemingly dreaming all night

This has been happening to me my whole life. I am 57. Not only exhausting but I sometimes get what I call a “dream hangover”. It was so real and deep and often really crazy, that I can’t shake it upon waking. Just happened last night. Ugh!

I have dreams that are often nightmares and I yell and kick or in other ways act out the dreams. Until November 2023, I took Klonopin 1mg twice a day for anxiety, and I didn't kick my poor wife, but the dreams were still vivid. Since stopping Klonopin I've had much more vivid and active dreams, and I agree that it has a negative effect on my sleep. I have sleep apnea and use a BiPap, so it probably could be a lot worse. I just began the process of finding a medication to calm down my sleep, and am taking Prazosin 5mg, but so far I don't notice any improvement. My doctor may increase the dosage, so I'll see if it starts to help. I stopped Klonopin because I'm trying to find a pain medication to help my neuropathy pain in my feet and ankles. I've tried countless medications, and the only one that has helped is MS Contin, and it was a perpetual nightmare getting the MS Contin and Klonopin refilled. The government has it in for those who only find pain relief from an opioid, and it's even worse when you need an anti anxiety medication in addition. I switched to a different pain medication 2 years ago, but the two I've tried since then haven't done anything. Right now I'm trying low dose Naltrexone, but so far it hasn't helped. I'm going to give it 3 months, then I'll talk with the pain specialist about MS Contin or Dilaudid.

Anyway, enough explanation for why I stopped taking the medication that kept me from kicking and hitting in my dreams.

Jim

Blessings to everyone as well...I have not been sleeping well at all, its getting worse, and am sooooo tired. I do agree that it seems women struggle more than men with sleep issues - no disrespect to the men, but my female family, friends and colleagues noticibly comment more about this to my experience. My brain goes 90 kms/hour and it does not seem to have a brake pedal or slow down for corners, lol. 🙂 I take zoplicone to sleep and that too has its hardships, I cant take melatonin, and have also tried using magnesium. Now I am now trying almond milk (home made ) with cinmemon and bayleaf/soursop leaves .....fingers crossed.🤷‍♀️🤞🏻

Tapering off Klonopin, I would sometimes dream I was awake and couldn't sleep when I WAS sleeping. Weird things can happen like that.

I can definitely relate to this, you articulate it well...'dream hangover' is a good descriptor of how it feels.

I was happy to find this forum. I've been dealing with this issue almost my entire adult life (44 year old female here), and also remember having intense recurrent dreams in childhood. I attributed it to my antidepressants but I've gone off and on them with no real resolution of the dreams. There are times they lessen, and times they worsen (same as others have described: wake frequently during the night, wake exhausted/sweaty, hard to function during the day). I haven't figured out any correlation with what makes them better or worse, and I've also tried just about everything (sleep aids, edibles, vitamins, sleep hygiene changes, sleep study, visit to a sleep specialist who said she "couldn't help me"). Right now I'm trying CBT-I and may try vagus nerve stimulation therapy and/or pursue additional testing for narcolepsy. I'll post to the group if anything works...mostly for now am trying to accept that this may be how it is.

Hi. This is exactly as I would describe it. Every single day for ever it has been the same without exception. It is exhausting. I’m 67 and have been searching for an answer to this problem for decades. Useful advice I have received from the medical profession includes buy a farm in Scotland away from everything. Whilst it may have merit is has not been practical. More recently I was referred to Guys hospital sleep clinic. Typically my first contact with them I was treated with a number of different sedative based medications. The results? Awful. The medications made things worse. I started sleep walking again, I was concerned that my night time shenanigans were a danger to me or others. Eventually I had a different conversation with the consultant who took more time to listen to what I had to say. The trigger was when I said I feel worse when I wake up from sleep. This got me a referral down the line with a psychiatrist. A short conversation with the psychiatrist and a diagnosis was made. Epic dreaming syndrome. Only seen by the psychiatrist 3 times in his 12 years of specialising in sleep disorders. Elated at first to at last have a syndrome that I could name but then deflated because there is no path for treatment medicinal or phycological. A recommendation was made to see an autogenics practitioner in the private sector to help with the fallout of stress caused by disturbed sleep. After just one session I have felt some benefit but this is a journey and I suspect I have a long way to travel.

I've had unpleasant to awful dreams most of my life (I'm 73). Over the past decade or so I've learned that they're usually associated with the causes of my PTSD. I holler and kick and punch, none of which is very nice for my wife trying to sleep next to me. I started taking Prazosin recently, and since I upped the dosage a week ago, I think it's helping. Last night I slept for 12 hours! I function best with 9, but have been getting only 7 or so.

Jim

I suffer from this immensely. Even in my dream I just awoke from I kept looking at the clock and realizing the day was only halfway through and said I'm exhausted. Followed by countless interactions and experiences. I believe its from a lack of breathing. Small tight breathing like your focusing and the imagination goes wild. Along with plenty of unused potential within us. The phenomenon of "backrooms" and DMT release near death combines into epic imaginations with characters and endless spaces. It is extremely exhausting. I think a cure just like most things would come from getting back to the holy trinity of Exercise, nutrition and the best efforts for a good night sleep. Morning and night routines, etc.

I too suffer from EPIC dreaming and I feel hopeless in stopping it.
It truly impacts my life and makes me feel so horrible
My Sleep Dr has not helped and despite seeing phycatrists. Psychologists. EMDR noo solution has helped.
If it were not for the thought of hurting my lovely family I would end my life as the dreams are soul destroying