Most of the time, dreams are generally enjoyable or at least manageable. They often involve scenarios that may not logically add up, but they don’t typically cause fear or distress. However, there are instances when you might experience a nightmare or bad that you desperately wish to awaken from. Sometimes, merely wanting to wake up is enough, but there can be moments when it feels as if you’re trapped within the dream. If you find yourself in such a situation, consider trying one of the following strategies.
10 Ways To Wake Up From A Dream When You Can’t Wake Up
1. Try To Find The Lesson
Dreams are a reflection of our subconscious thoughts and emotions. And sometimes our subconscious is trying to tell us something that we need to consciously understand.
If you find yourself stuck in a dream, try to analyze the underlying message or lesson that the dream may be trying to convey. By understanding the meaning behind the dream, you may be able to break out of it and wake up.
For example, Britney was stuck in a scary dream where she couldn’t wake up. She kept trying to, but every time she thought she had woken herself up, she found out she was still dreaming. Once she stopped panicking, she decided to really pay attention the dream. This caused her to become fully lucid in her dream and she was able to ask someone in her dream what was going on. He told her that she needed to stop worrying because it was putting her in an endless cycle that she couldn’t get out of, just like waking up in a dream only to find out you haven’t really woken up. Once she understood this message, she was able to wake up.
2. Try To Move Your Fingers or Toes
Sometimes sending your body a message to move can help you wake up.
Try focusing on moving your fingers or toes. This can send a signal to your brain that you are awake and can sometimes help you to wake up from the dream.
3. Try To Open Your Eyes
This may sound obvious, but sometimes when we are stuck in a dream, we forget that we can simply open our eyes to wake up.
If you find yourself unable to move or call out for help, try opening your eyes or focusing on the light around you. Focusing on the light around you can also help break the dream cycle and allow you to wake up.
4. Focus On Exiting The Dream
If you are aware that you are dreaming but unable to fully wake up, try directing your attention towards exiting the dream.
For example, imagine a door or an exit sign and focus on getting there. This will help your mind shift away from the dream and towards waking up.
5. Change The Dream Scenario
Another way to wake up from a dream is by changing the scenario in your dream. You can try imagining a different setting or activity, such as flying or swimming, and focus on that instead of what was trapping you in the dream. This can help shift your mind away from the dream that’s keeping you stuck and ultimately allow you to wake up.
6. Use A Reality Check
Sometimes, when we are in a dream, everything feels real, and it can be hard to differentiate between reality and the dream world. One way to combat this is by using a reality check. This can be something as simple as trying to read some text or even watching a clock tick away. If these actions don’t feel or look normal, then you are likely in a dream and can use this as a cue that you are in control and can wake up if you want to.
7. Try To Do Something Challenging
In dreams, it can be easy to go along with the flow and not question anything. However, if you find yourself stuck in a dream, try doing something challenging that would require higher brain function. This could include solving a complex puzzle or performing difficult mental calculations. By engaging your brain in a challenging task, you may be able to snap out of the dream state and wake up.
8. Pinch Yourself
Another physical way to try and wake up from a dream is by pinching yourself. This can serve as a jolt to your senses and potentially help you break out of the dream. It’s important to note that this may not always work, as our bodies are often temporarily paralyzed during sleep to prevent us from acting out our dreams. However, it’s worth giving it a try.
The other beautiful thing about this technique for waking yourself up when you can’t wake up is that we all have heard this trick before and believe it works on some level. So, simply the act of doing it will help activate your belief system that you will wake up and, therefore, you should wake up.
9. Calm Down
If you find yourself stuck in a dream, don’t panic. Panicking will not help the situation and might make it worse as you get stuck in an imaginative state of fear.
Instead, take a few deep breaths and try to calm yourself down. Sometimes just taking a deep breath and focusing on your breathing can be enough to pull you out of a dream and wake you up.
10. Say Affirmations That Will Help Your Mind Wake Up
Affirmations are statements that we repeat to ourselves in order to change our thought patterns and beliefs. In the case of waking up from a dream, affirmations can be used to remind your mind that you are in control and that it’s time to wake up.
Some examples of affirmations you could use include “I am in control and will wake up”, “I am ready to wake up and start my day”, or “I am awake and alert”. Your body may follow suit.
Why Can’t You Wake Up From A Dream?
There could be various reasons why you may find it difficult to wake up from a dream. It could be due to stress or anxiety, sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, or even certain medications that affect your sleep patterns.
If this is a recurring issue for you, it’s important to speak with a medical professional and address any underlying causes.
In some cases, keeping a dream journal and identifying patterns in your dreams may also help you understand why you struggle to wake up from certain dreams.
