The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

I Almost Beat Up My Girlfriend While In A Dream

by Drew
(Anchorage, AK)

So I had a dream that my best friend of almost 19 years was stalking my girlfriend.... This is funny to me because it is definitely one of the most absurd things to think about my friend.


Anyways, in my dream I saw that he was taking pictures of my girlfriend without her knowing, and that he had been trying to text her too. I asked him why he would do that to me and I can't remember what exactly he said, but it was very creepy and I felt like if I didn't do something drastic (like beat the shit out of him) that he would eventually end up hurting her or worse.

Because he was talking about her sexually and aggressively, (which is not like him at all, whatsoever, he's actually really shy and passive to begin with and I think he's only talked to a few girls in his life) so granted when he was being a weirdo talking about what he wanted to do to her and how he was going to ask her to run away with him, I asked him why he thought this was remotely a good idea to him.

He then said he was going to take her when I'm not there to stop him. Next thing I know, my dream fast forwards from a house with just me and him, to MY apartment where my girlfriend is sleeping in the next room. He said "I just want to talk to her, (he said it all creepily) so I took him down and started to punch him in the face as hard and fast as I could.

Next thing I know I wake up from the dream and I hear my girlfriend screaming as I'm punching the bed right next to her!!??!! I was in shock and asked if she was ok. She was obviously very freaked out and got up and left the room. I then tried to explain what happened to her but she said she didn't want to talk to me and that I should see a doctor....

So I told her many times I'm sorry, and that I had truly never done anything like this in my life.... I have slept walked before and had entire conversations with my ex wife while I was sleeping. Then I wake up the next morning and she is talking about our "trip" or plans to do something and I have no idea what the hell she's talking about....

Anyone know what in the fuck just happened to me, or how this can be treated?? I also live in a shady neighborhood with lots of crime, so I keep a gun under the nightstand.... However I know this is no longer a safe thing for me, after tonight. I'm a 23 year old Male. I also take 10 mg of ambien every night for sleep.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Stories of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.




Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?


A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.