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[OceanSolitude]

I've never been one who remembers my dreams. Usually I am ok with that. In college psych classes I'd try the tricks to help me remember but they never worked. I think normally I just dream early in the night or something. I'm especially ok not knowing when I've had bad dreams.
Pregnancy has made me have some strange and some horrible dreams. Any tips for going back to sleep after such strange/horrible dreams? I just woke up at 4 am after possibly the most horrible dream and I can't sleep. I don't have lots of experience of returning to sleep when my head is frightfully awake and could use some tips. Are you all having weird dreams too? More dreams?

[aidenn]

I don't have any advice, but I will commiserate with you: after my weird dreams, I usually suffer from insomnia.  I feel like I have watched every DVD we own, and I'm not even out of the first trimester!!

My last weird dream wasn't scary, but I was utterly convinced of it's reality.  We just moved into a new rental home and I had a dream we just moved to Columbus, OH (one of my favorite cities) and when I awoke, I was in a panic for several minutes that our stuff wasn't ready for the movers yet.  It took me a bit to calm down and regulate to realize that WE ARE NOT MOVING and our stuff is right where it should be.

I don't know biologically what makes pregnancy dreams so screwy and real, but I am standing in solidarity with you.  And, at least for me, the dreams calmed down a bit after 15-16 weeks or so.

[CDsMom1031]

I usually cuddle with my DH then think happy thoughts. It helps me relax and remind myself that it was just a dream.

[joanatron]

I've had a few nightmares where I wake up gasping for breath or really angry at my SO! but most of my dreams are crazy sex dreams.  I don't know what that means, lol.  I snug up to him in any case :)

[vc2013]

OceanSolitude, i'm with you -- i've had almost exclusively nightmares since becoming pregnant.

i also agree with the others that my dreams while pregnant seem a lot more vivid, which i blame on the mysterious hormonal situation. what's also different now is that i can't seem to REMEMBER my dreams later in the day, and i'm usually very good at remembering them. my midwife asked me about my dreams and i couldn't recall a single one! i was a bit embarrassed.

when i wake up from a really bad nightmare, i usually try to stay awake for a little while, so i don't go right back to sleep and just continue the nightmare. i try to remember what's REALLY going on in my life and tell myself it was just a dream (which sounds stupid but it really does help sometimes). trying to remind myself of all the good stuff that's happening. cuddling with my man and cat helps, too. and if i just can't shake it off even then, i'll go on the internet for a bit and browse for happy news or cute animal pictures.. i keep the iPad next to my bed at all times for that reason. ;)

[OceanSolitude]

Happy animal pictures always make me smile. I will have to remember that. Thanks!

It so strange how much the hormones affect so many different facets of life...

[mrsandmrs]

I have been having terrible pregnancy nightmares (pregnancy-related, work-related, family-related, apocalypse-related, etc). I use zooborns.com as the antidote. 

[katalopolis]

I've had some very odd dreams and a significant number of dreams in which I am arguing with people for no good reason. The other night I had two dreams interrupted by getting up to pee, the first I was mad mad mad at my fiance for going swimming without me and the second one involved NO ONE I knew being willing to tell me the name of an actor who's name I couldn't remember.