Awful nightmares; only when i sleep on my right side.

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11 Comments

Recently I noticed a pattern, regarding my nightmares. It's always when I sleep on my right side. I've always been a side sleeper. But I'm now wondering why I have such intense and awful nightmares, only when I sleep on my right side.
I also feel an annoying tingle, what seems like electric pulsing/being shocked, in my thigh, when I am falling asleep on my right side. It fully wakes me up everytime. It's all incredibly odd. As I have "normal dreams", when I sleep on my left side.
I do dream every single night and each one directly correlates with my stresses and anxiety/whatever is going on with me at the time.

But nightmares are specific to which side I sleep on. I'm wondering if anyone has any insight regarding this, or if it has anything to do with dominant parts of the brain or blood flow while sleeping? I didn't think that this could be the case, but I do not know much about dream theory or how the mind works, while in deep sleep. But now I have to wonder, since the pattern is so specific and I want to avoid more awful nightmares.

The worst, are dreams in which I feel like I cannot breathe; like I'm "passing away" and cannot move my any of my limbs, even though I'm conscious and trying to wake up. Lately, most of my nightmares are people trying to attack me. Regardless, it all ends up in me waking up sweating and scared to fall back asleep. Does being a side-sleeper/which side you sleep on have anything to do with this? Or is it just that I will have nightmares, regardless, and dominantly sleep on my right side, without trying to?

Have any of you ever experienced anything similar to this?
IIN?

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70% Normal
Based on 61 votes (43 yes)
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Comments ( 11 )
  • cindhope43
    10 years ago

    It could be possible that you have a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea. Laying on that particular side could be causing more obstruction to your airways & that's why you wake up gasping. Also with sleep disorders, you can get stuck in a sleep cycle, dreaming cycle I believe could last up to two minutes whereas a sleep disorder could allow your dreams to continue on, changing into different scenarios, etc. I know that anxiety can cause it to kick in as well, and around the menstrual cycle.

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  • Avant-Garde
    10 years ago

    You may benefit from a sleep test.

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  • Eyesofuniverse
    6 years ago

    I have bad or challenging dreams when I sleep on my right side in bed. It's really crazy.I have a reoccurring dream of someone coming behind me squeezin me, and before it goes too far, I wake up! It seems so real that it scares me! I know it sounds crazy, but it's true! The weird thing is that when I fall asleep on the couch, I never have bad or negative dreams no matter what position I'm sleeping in!

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  • Jaz659
    6 years ago

    I also have nightmares only on my right side

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  • Para-Normal
    9 years ago

    Good responses on here. Do you have to sleep on a particular side of the bed?
    Feeling pinned down, unable to move and being fully aware of your surroundings (feels like your body is asleep but your mind isn't) is sleep paralysis. Lots of reasons for it. Definitely a sleep test!

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  • Avant-Garde
    10 years ago

    It could be that you have a lack of oxygen when on this side. I have scoliosis and I have encountered a asthma issue when sleeping on my right side. Sometimes, I am literally gasping for air. It also sounds like you are Experiencing Night Terrors/Sleep Paralysis.

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  • Lode1203
    10 years ago

    Maybe you have a lack of oxygen when you sleep on a particular side, causing your body to think you are in danger. Like, when you are really sleepy but your brain is still in 'active' mode causing your brain to send pulses to your limbs which causes you to wake up, which makes you feel like you're falling.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      I like this theory, I actually picked smoking back up. Quite heavily, too. So lack of oxygen actually makes a lot of sense. I guess I should be looking into smoking and it's effects; regarding sleep patterns.

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  • rla600
    10 years ago

    Actually, studies have shown that people who sleep on their left side are more prone to nightmares.

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  • Crusades
    10 years ago

    Do you ever dream that your teeth are falling?

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    • RoseIsabella
      10 years ago

      I used to have that dream all the to time.

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