Thank god for coffee

So, this morning I woke up at 4am from a nightmare. I'm a pretty good sleeper, but if I wake up after about 3am I can rarely get back to sleep -- especially when my back is bothering me, which it is.

I lay in bed, trying desperately to think calming thoughts so I could get in another hour or two of sleep, but all I kept picturing was my dream. In it we were at a pool -- probably on vacation. It was me, Pete, Maddie and another younger child which was mine (Maddie is my only child in real life). At some point, I look at the pool and the youngest child is gone. I freak out and start screaming for help, only to see the child on the bottom of the pool. At that moment, I awoke.

Scary, right? 

I Googled the dream and supposedly the death of a child in a dream means that your inner child might be dying (I don't think so), or that you feel your child is growing up and doesn't need you anymore (possibly -- Maddie is 14), or that part of your potential is dying (hmmmm), or that you are getting old and transitioning from middle aged to old age (I certainly hope not!).

Whatever the meaning of this nightmare is, I am loving coffee today... and Advil. Bad sleep never improves a bad back.

Comments

[Pete]

For years, my mom had a recurring dream that she had a baby that she never fed. She knew she should feed the baby, but never did so. I always thought the dream came from her guilt over me being a latchkey kid from age 6, after she started teaching. Not that she had any reason for guilt, of course - she loved teaching, and I never felt neglected.

[claudia]

Bummer that your back is hurting. I hope you feel better soon and get a full nights rest tonight.

[silvia]

When your back hurts, life sucks. Who knew that you use your back for every-freaking-thing.

Sometimes dreams are just dreams. Let it go and get that back in order. Hope you feel better soon!