Dear Hurley ~ Welcome to PC! The only response to your extreme dreams that I can think of is that it could be a side effect of some medication you might be on. I take a med called Requip for restless leg syndrome which has that effect. Like you, I used to have frequent dreams about my ex. These have essentially stopped since I got up the nerve to call his brother and inferred, from the brother's tone, that the odds for reconciliation were rediculous. I guess I finally faced reality about the situation. This is not to same that your situation is this way. It's not certain that your fatigue on awakening is due to poor quality of sleep, is it? This is not to say that that is not the cause, but it could be something else, such as depression ~ ?? [that is providing that you have that]. I understand that dreams have the purpose of helping us to work through unresolved issues, but I hear what you are saying ~ enough is enough! I think your best bet would be to consult a psychologist about the problem if you can. Therapy can be the best way to work through issues, possibly keeping them from intruding so much on our sleep life. Just a Thought ~ billieJ