u/ReactionFit3

Hey everyone,

I’ve been practicing concentration meditation right before going to sleep, and it’s starting to cause some really strange and intense issues with my sleep. I wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this or knows how to fix it.

Two main things are happening:

1. Horror / Strange Dreams: As soon as I drift off after meditating, I start having very vivid, bizarre, and scary dreams. They are intense enough that I keep waking up right in the middle of the night directly from these nightmares.
2. Reduced Sleep (But High Energy): My total sleep time has dropped down to only 5 or 6 hours a night. The weird part is that when I wake up, I don’t feel tired or sleepy at all—I feel completely awake and alert.

I’m glad I don’t feel exhausted, but waking up in a panic from horror dreams in the middle of the night is getting exhausting.

Has anyone else dealt with intense subconscious release or hyper-awareness from doing concentration work at bedtime? Should I switch to a different practice at night (like a body scan), or just change the timing of my concentration sessions?

Would love any advice or insights from long-time practitioners. Thanks!