Eating Before Sleep Can Cause Some Scary-Arse Nightmares

[VII Master]

This is silly! I always eat a bowl of cereal or something before I go to bed, and I almost never dream anything, and when I do, I usually dream about good things.

 

[Kandy-Sugar]

I think that it may be true for some people.

I never would have thought such a thing could be true, but ever since I moved out of home I've started to eat my dinner a lot later at night (due to Steve finishing work late) and nearly every single night I have had horrible nightmares.

(Have been living out of home for a year and half.)

I don't think it has anything to do with me being homesick or whatever. I don't miss home at all. I think it's the change in my eating/sleeping pattern that's done it.

I believe in this theory.

 

[Dionysos]

About 4 a.m., I found myself in this nightmare. I can't explain it - it had a close friend who was somehow "evil" and terrorizing me, etc. etc. He started to choke me, and I guess I realized I was dreaming, but I was trapped and couldn't wake myself up. I was struggling for breath, and trying to force my eyes open. I kept falling back into bed and then trying again to force my eyes open and get up, but I could only make out the clock by my bed showing 4 something. My eyes were trying so hard. I tried for what seemed like a couple minutes, and all of a sudden I was awake. I took a deep gasp of air like I hadn't been breathing and had to calm myself down. Clock still showed 4 something, which made it all the more scarier for me, I guess.

Ouch dude. You've had the classic "old hag" or "imp" strangulation dream experience.

I've heard about it before. It's a certain type of dream that always results in the dreamer being semi-awake dreaming of themselves in their beds and someone coming into their room, pressing down onto their chests and strangling them.

I have feared this type of nightmare ever since I heard about it while watching a documentary on dreaming. I'm very glad I haven't had one. In fact I've sometimes (when I've been reminded of this) slept on my front purely to avoid facing upwards and having one of those dreams. I do believe it is very rare though. Only a few unfortunate people have it recurring.


It's one of the oldest recorded nightmare types, and without a doubt the most frightening, and is shared by many people as opposed to being something personal. It even entered mythology and folk tales in some cultures. It is usually a demon or an old hag. In your case it is odd in that it was replaced by your friend.

Here is a painting of the phenomenon by Henry Fuseli, 1781.

(The only reason I am posting that picture other than to be random is to illustrate how it is a most frightening dream experience that occurs occassionally to people and has been known about for centuries).

Some people wake up with severe neck strains from when they've been struggling with their necks to try and keep their airways open. It's a very bad experience. It actually does feel real and the struggling can harm you in real life because of this. I'm sorry you had to experience it.

I'd avoid eating at that time in the future in case it happens to you again. You may be one of those unlucky people that have dreams like this triggered.

 

[Guernsey]

there are times where I would eat at night and receive some terrible nightmares, one nightmare that included background music and people eating pie (or other pastry for some reason) who had creepy eyes from anime show I had watched.

 

[Rapture]

It's true. It happened to me again last night. xD
I ate a bit heavily for dinner and then 3 hours I later I was in bed and BOOM I'm in nightmare central.

This has happened to me before as well. I eat before I go to bed very rarely...only when I stay up really late and I start getting hungry before I go to bed...and I know I won't be able to sleep unless I eat something first.

I don't think it matters what exactly I eat...everything causes nightmares. Cereal, chocolate, hot chocolate...etc. I have nightmares ALL NIGHT too ...So I've learned not to go to bed late, otherwise I'll eat and then it will be nightmare central.

 

[Tyler Breeze]

Perhaps this happened last night...

See I had some pizza after we got home from the show, and an hour later, I was asleep.

I had this horrible dream, that my family was being hunted down by some army type people.

Anyway I woke up freaked and temporarily paralyzed. I just couldn't get myself to move. It was very very scary.

So basically I think the pizza caused this madness.