Friday, July 25, 2008

nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide

I woke up in the middle of night yesterday screaming like a banshee. The menacing figure was hovering over me and I saw no way out of it. Or so I thought. In reality I was having a nightmare. One that was a bit too realistic for comfort and I had managed to wake the entire household up with my screaming. That's a pretty huge feat since JQ is a hard sleeper and G-tot was in another room. I was out of my head and confused, hyperventilating when I finally woke up. Not a pleasant experience.

When JQ finished putting G-tot back to bed, I snuggled up to him and rested my head on his chest. Next thing I know I was sobbing quietly, leaving a little wet spot on JQ's bare skin, thankful it was only a dream.

It's been a long time since I've had that sort of reaction to a dream. I can really only remember one other time where I was so engulfed in the nightmare that I had no idea where I was. That was in 1984 while I was on vacation in Williamsburg, Virginia with my Grandmother. I had eaten some bad chicken salad that afternoon and the resulting food poisoning put me in a stupor and I woke up that night searching for some familiarity, completely oblivious to the fact that my Grandma was right there trying to console me.

What sort of places do our minds delve into when we are in our golden slumbers? Why does it choose to stir up such fear when we are trying to rest and recoup? What nightmares surface when you sleep?

2 comments:

Cupcake Blonde said...

I usually only have nightmares when I am stressed out, so I have been having them with some frequentcy. Most of mine I don't remember but my hubby will tell me I woke up screaming or will leap out of bed and start running around the room like I am trying to escape something. I hate having them because I freak him out. Most of the time I don't remember so he is the one who suffers the most.

Fantastagirl said...

I have no idea what I was dreaming about - but I've done the same thing, and Mr I usually laughs at me.