# dreams getting lame **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 27, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182 "2006-07-27T00:31:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mrrealtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@mrrealtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrrealtime)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/1 "2006-07-27T00:31:26Z")
So I’m in my early 30’s, life is just starting to stabilize a bit, I have a steady job, good place to live, in a solid relationship. So now my dreams all of a sudden are lame, they are no longer cool flights into space or strange and amazing places…I end up in stupid situations…like Im late for a flight and its raining and Im soaked…or my significant other has dumped me…or my stuff is all broken. Whats up with this? Anyone else experience this kind of thing? Is there anything we can do about it? Lucid dreaming exercises…lay off the MSG etc? ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/2 "2006-07-27T00:52:26Z")
Yeah. I used to have dreams that I was a dead spirit or I was a Dragonball Z character or I was a girl. How can I spice up my dreams like the old days? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/3 "2006-07-27T01:00:52Z")
You could read up on lucid dreaming. I can’t do it every night, but a couple of times a week I dream while being aware it’s a dream, and find it pretty easy to control content, although I do surprise myself with my casting choices sometimes. There are supposedly techniques to teach you how to do it. I also had some very vivid dreams while taking antimalarial medication, but I don’t know that I’d recommend it for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/4 "2006-07-27T01:40:15Z")
A large pepperoni pizza right before bed should do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/5 "2006-07-27T01:53:51Z")
Dreams definitely change as your life changes. Sex with Ann Margaret shortly after the baked beans scene in Tommy is quickly replaced with trying not to smack the hell out of your kid after an annoying episode of bad table manners. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/6 "2006-07-27T04:08:30Z")
I hear from friends who are former smokers that wearing a nicotine patch to bed will result in crazy dreams. Good luck with that. Me, I just want a nice, quiet night’s sleep. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/7 "2006-07-27T04:09:40Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Dreams definitely change as your life changes. Sex with Ann Margaret shortly after the baked beans scene in Tommy is quickly replaced with trying not to smack the hell out of your kid after an annoying episode of bad table manners. So why is it I STILL get those “forgot to do your homework all semester” high-school dreams in my 30s? ---
**Author:** ![Analogue\_Skywalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Analogue\_Skywalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Analogue_Skywalker)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/8 "2006-07-27T04:14:29Z")
> [@mrrealtime](#): > > So I’m in my early 30’s, life is just starting to stabilize a bit, I have a steady job, good place to live, in a solid relationship. So now my dreams all of a sudden are lame, they are no longer cool flights into space or strange and amazing places…I end up in stupid situations…like Im late for a flight and its raining and Im soaked…or my significant other has dumped me…or my stuff is all broken. > > Whats up with this? Anyone else experience this kind of thing? Is there anything we can do about it? Lucid dreaming exercises…lay off the MSG etc? Ingesting mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) before bedtime will certainly enhance your dreams you can find it at most herb stores ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/9 "2006-07-27T14:08:42Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > So why is it I STILL get those “forgot to do your homework all semester” high-school dreams in my 30s? No kidding. I used to get them all the time in my 30s too. That and the “forgot to study for the big exam” dream/nightmare. I don’t get them anymore. Nor do I get the “forgot to put pants on when I came to work” dream. Now, the most recurring frustrating dream that I have (I’m approaching mid-40s BTW) goes like this: I’m about to play golf. I’m trying to tee off. I place my ball on a tee and get all set to play, but then realize I can’t take a full back swing because something is in my way. So, I place the ball elsewhere, and still I have no clear back swing. This happens over and over while other golfers grow more impatient with my fumbling around trying to find a good spot to tee off. Fucking weird. I know. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/10 "2006-07-27T14:13:22Z")
I still occasionally have the dream where I realize it’s near the end of the semester and I’ve forgotten to attend classes all year, and I can’t remember what my schedule is or where my classes meet. I haven’t been in school in 15 years. Now most of my dreams are about office meetings. For some reason, in my dreams, we have a lot of office meetings in a cafeteria somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![shizaru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@shizaru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shizaru)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/11 "2006-07-27T14:50:39Z")
I’m over 40 and I still someimes have the “high school” dreams. Its wierd…I’ll wake up all agitated because they seem so real at times, like “Omigod…I’m not gonna graduate because I didn’t do my homework and I’m 40+ years old already!”. What the hell causes those dreams? I mean, for cryin’ out loud I’ve been out of high school for over 20 years! Why don’t I dream I was still in college? At least I got laid then. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/12 "2006-07-27T15:22:32Z")
Get some **5-HTP** (tablets) from a health shop. Take one or two before going to bed and expect some vivid dreams. Whether they’ll be more interesting than your recent dreams :shrug: Maybe your life is too stable and happy to trigger the old weirdness. Take up some dangerous hobbies maybe? ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/13 "2006-07-27T15:45:38Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I still occasionally have the dream where I realize it’s near the end of the semester and I’ve forgotten to attend classes all year, and I can’t remember what my schedule is or where my classes meet. I haven’t been in school in 15 years. Yeah, I get these, except it’s 15 minutes to the final exam and it’s on some weird subject I know nothing about (one time it was phrenology). ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreams-getting-lame/366182/14 "2006-07-27T15:51:49Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No kidding. I used to get them all the time in my 30s too. That and the “forgot to study for the big exam” dream/nightmare. I don’t get them anymore. Nor do I get the “forgot to put pants on when I came to work” dream. > > Now, the most recurring frustrating dream that I have (I’m approaching mid-40s BTW) goes like this: > > I’m about to play golf. I’m trying to tee off. I place my ball on a tee and get all set to play, but then realize I can’t take a full back swing because something is in my way. So, I place the ball elsewhere, and still I have no clear back swing. This happens over and over while other golfers grow more impatient with my fumbling around trying to find a good spot to tee off. > > Fucking weird. I know. In your dream you fail to raise your ‘golf club’ to the desired angle? Fear of impotence. Sincerely, Dr Pseudofreud