In dreams, why do we always wake up just before we die?

Question

I was dying in a very vivid dream and I could feel the life leaving my body, it all felt real. But just as I was about to pass, my body seemed to force itself awake. Why do you think this happens?

Idonthaveausername · Accepted Answer

Because your imagination is only vivid enough to feel the sentation of dying, not of death itself or it would cause you too much stress upon waking. Dreams of death and dying indicate stress in your waking life, not a desire to die

I often die in my dreams and have felt total death a few times. It's the sudden feeling of all sensation leaving, but I usually wake up shortly after. I can feel things when I'm dreaming and I tend to die violently (suffocation most common, venom or poison, and then being shaken to death like you would a baby) so my death dreams are extremely painful and exhilarating with the death a complete loss of sensation. When I wake up from them, I'm usually sweating and breathing fast

I have lucid dreams and sometimes lucid nightmares, so sometimes the lucid nightmares will kill me. Those are weird because I know I'm not actually dying, but it feels the same and I know I'm trapped in it

vishna · Accepted Answer

Hmm, I dunno. I often fake dead so the thing leaves me alone, then I get up and if it comes back, I fake dead again.  or If I 'die' I go, "nah, no, I'm not really dead" and I get up again XD

Razzle-Bedazzle · Accepted Answer

It's strange, because I always wake too during vivid dreams of dying or being killed. It's rare I dream of death though. My dreams are usually nice dreams

El_Muffidore · Accepted Answer

Good question. Although maybe that was reality and you did die and now you're spending the last 7 minutes of brain activity asking this question. Have you ever had sleep paralysis? Where you are at the edge of sleeping, your body is paralyzed but your mind is still active. I had one about a couple months ago. I felt out of body. I tried turning the light switch but nothing happend. I knew I was asleep but couldn't move or wake up. I then felt the urge to run... From something. I ran as fast as I could, got outside and yelled up to my bedroom "GET OUT!". It was the freakiest thing. The mind is pretty complex in a simple way.

akadatank44 · Accepted Answer

Good question! I've actually discussed this with my friends before xD I've expierenced this as well. Maybe it's our bodies and our internal clock saying ok it's time to wake up. Its not even about the dream itself. Cuz what are dreams for? To entertain us while we sleep I've always thought at least lol. So our bodies know when we usually get up. Kinda like turning off the tv before you go to bed or somewhere. This usually happens when I'm getting up for the day so thats why I think that. Have you expierenced sleep parlaysis before?

jake253 · Answer

W T F tell me again how you think you knew you where about to die in a Fn dream a dream is a dream a near death experience is like major traumas i. e. Car accidents or drug overdose near death is when doctors are nurses brings you back from intensive care and some that do experience this are told they must return and finish what needs to be tended to but most do not want to return because of the awesome way the other side feels it's pure energy 7 ounces of it all humans have this your young and have a full life ahead of you so dream of something else it's easy to do and sometimes fun you have only just begun so thrive on feel me?

nmhssh · Answer

Dying in a dream is a stressful event, which causes your brain to release adrenaline. You can't sleep and have an adrenaline rush at the same time so you wake up. These dreams where you die and wake up are usually more memorable due to the fact that you wake up whereas most people don't remember 95% of their dreams.

FusionGuy · Answer

I've done something like that, I don't think our bodies like facing defeat and/or failure.
After waking myself up I tried to go back to sleep in my drowsy state and re-dream just to be successful in the original dream
I dunno how I did but I remember i was really disappointed if I couldn't get back into the dream

meatballs21 · Answer

I think because you don't know and can't comprehend what would happen after that moment when your life is extinguished.

I suppose in a way that is how it would actually be, something bad is happening and then bam - it's over. Except, it's OVER over, you don't suddenly wake up and have the opportunity to reflect on it.

Paris13 · Answer

We Catch Ourselves before We Fall and All... Just a Natural Instinct and Reflexes we Have Here, dear. It has Happened to me through Sleep "Paralysis," and So very Scary. xx

hugs4rentSocialclub · Answer

Body response to stimuli. If you haven't woken up. You might die for real since at that time your breathing is erratic... Heart palpitations might lessen the oxygen levels to your brain. That's why some elderly people die on their sleep.

BeastRB · Answer

Maybe because the stress from experiencing death in a dream causes jolts your brain back to reality

Aizou · Answer

Because it's something we cannot imagine. We have no recollection of what it's like.

Notorisch_Arschloch · Answer

Because that stupid fucking Spinosaurus Egypticus from Jurassic Park III has had PLENTY to eat, thank you very much. I am rather attached to my limbs, I'll be waking up now.

Marcodju · Answer

I'm assuming it's because death is what us humans fear the most? If you think about it our fear is triggered when we feel in danger. I'm no psychologist though :p

Nadzzz · Answer

because it may cause brain damage. experiencing death in a dream especially when it's so real may cause real brain issues that's what i read somewhere

DapperMelody · Answer

I think you'd find if you hadn't woken up you'd have just transitioned into another dream. It was probably just a natural break in the sleep cycle so you woke up.

HarryBenton · Answer

Probably because you don't know what it feels like to die. Anyway you dream in the part of your sleep shortly before you wake up. Also the thought of death will activate your fight or flight response, which will cause you to wake up.

sexcrazy12 · Answer

I am to understand that if you do not wake up just before you die n the dream then you will die in reality. something to do with the heart rate and breathing and pulse and stuff.

Turquoise46 · Answer

I've heard it said that if you dream you died, your heart will stop.

Ephemera1 · Answer

Technically if you die in a dream that means it's over so you just wake up.

RhythmBlack · Answer

You might self induce a heart attack from the stress of the dream? I don't know.

spencify · Answer

i think its cause you sense danger and get an adrenaline rush which jolts you awake

cupidkisses · Answer

Because if you don't wake up then you really die ( because of excessive excitement and adrenalin) so that's how your body save you

Decentguy · Answer

you lucky. i wish if i ever had a dream like that, i won't wake up ever again

Wingedz · Answer

Fear of death, I usually die in dream and I never woke up because I don't care LOL

SunSetInTheEast · Answer

bcs we dont know yet , i mean our subconscious dont know how to feel when we die :) this is why we wake up before we die i think :)

Anonymous · Answer

Because if you die in your dream... you die in real life

Anonymous · Answer

Because if you don't it's a very good indication your a soseopath and it's mess with your head

IsabelGuimaraes · Answer

Because if you don't wake up you die

Toad-1 · Answer

I dunno, i have died a few times in my dreams lol

2shredded · Answer

Cuz when you get "wasted" you have to restart

Maxemeister · Answer

The body doesn't wanna spoil the ending

In dreams, why do we always wake up just before we die?

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