Realistic Dreams
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (127596)
Gainesville, Florida
March 3, 2026 3:47pm CST
There was a lot of chatter at work yesterday regarding an employee who supposedly fell off a ladder and was hurt. In our minds we (all the other employees) imagined a worst-case scenario of this employee falling off our 12-foot ladders we often use. But it turns out he "fell" off a 2-foot step stool. Rumors have it that he was upset about being scheduled to work and was looking for a reason to go home.
Anyway, that was the backstory that led to my dream last night. In my dream, I was at work and had to climb up the 12-foot ladder to reach some boxes that were stored in some upper racks. While I was at the top of the ladder, another employee pushing a cart through the area accidentally bumped my ladder and caused it to tip, sending me crashing to the ground.
I awoke in my bed with such a jolt that for a second I thought I had really fallen. It took me a minute or two to get my bearings and realize I was in my bed and it had just been a dream. I then drifted back to sleep.
However, when I woke up this morning, all my muscles were painfully sore, as if I had actually fallen off the ladder and gotten hurt. But it was just a dream, right? As best as I can figure out, in real life all my muscles tensed up suddenly when I took the fall off the ladder in the dream world. Hence the full body soreness in the morning. I can't think of any other possible explanation for why I was so sore when I woke up this morning.
Have you ever had a dream so realistic that it actually affected you in real life?
11 people like this
12 responses
@moffittjc (127596)
• Gainesville, Florida
7h
I have vivid dreams from my early childhood that I still remember today. Every little detail, like the dream happened yesterday instead of 50+ years ago. Isn't it weird that we can have memories (even dream memories) stick with us like that?
1 person likes this
@DianneN (250273)
• United States
7h
@moffittjc it’s incredible that some dreams/nightmares stick with us so long.
@toniganzon (73992)
• Philippines
7h
Yes, several times. Especially when it was something that's heartbreaking. I would cry for several minutes after waking up. Hard to recover from a sad dream.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127596)
• Gainesville, Florida
7h
That's happened to me many times, where a dream I've had left me emotionally drained. But this is the first time a dream I had left me physically hurting.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127596)
• Gainesville, Florida
7h
I'm pretty sure all my muscles tensed up in my sleep when I fell to the floor in my dream. It was a very realistic dream, including the terror of falling off the ladder and hitting the ground.
@snowy22315 (203760)
• United States
3h
Not like that no, but maybe being scared when I woke up, if It was a bad dream or something.
@JudyEv (373023)
• Rockingham, Australia
2h
I haven't but I think your explanation of why you're so sore would be correct. Hopefully the soreness will wear off quickly.
@LooeyVille (60)
• United States
7h
Yes, I frequently wake up thinking what I dreamed actually happened and I have to sort it all out
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127596)
• Gainesville, Florida
7h
But has it ever affected you physically?
I have dreams all the time that leave me feeling emotionally or mentally exhausted when I wake up, but I think this is the first time I ever woke up sore and hurting as a result of a dream.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (167950)
• United States
4h
I have one or two recurring unsettling dreams that make my mood really off. On the other hand I have dreams on occasion that seem to soothe and heal me. They make me calm. I wake up sore many mornings but that is just me. If I tense too much, as you describe, I end up with lots of muscle spasms.
@DaddyEvil (169314)
• United States
6h
After hearing something like that, I'm very happy I don't remember my dreams!
I hope you feel better quickly!
@RasmaSandra (94870)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7h
Sure, this was some time ago, but I had a wonderful dream where my lat husband and I went dancing all night, I guess somewhere beyond the stars. I woke up still remembering the good time and could hardly get out of bed as if I had really been dancing all night. That made me feel good, actually, not bad and i hope he will take me dancing another time too.
@lovebuglena (49554)
• Staten Island, New York
6h
Maybe you waking up with such a jolt as you put it is what resulted in the soreness when you woke up in the morning?
I’ve had dreams where when I woke up I felt like I was still in the dream…
@Ineeddentures (19881)
•
6h
You had actually fallen off the ladder according to your subconscious
Ouch, it hurts
Your muscles tensed up as you were about to clatter into the ground and most likely die.
Now Jeff
We guys have all had dreams so realistic that we did something in real life whilst asleep or woken up the next day with a bo...
