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Sleep, Dreams and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
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Sleep, Dreams and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
Mahalia Cohen
The discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep suggested that sleep was not, as it was thought to be, a dormant state but rather a mentally dynamic one. Your brain is, in fact, very active in this state, almost to the level at which it is when a person is awake. Yet during this active stage in which most dreams occur, the movements of the rest of the body are completely stilled. To imagine this paralysis during dreams not occurring is a frightful image, since in many cases dreams are violent and active. When the neurotransmitters that control the movement of the body do not work properly the person develops REM sleep behavioral disorder (RBD).While we are sleeping the sensory world is essentially revolving around us without our knowledge. Our senses of hearing, touch, taste, sight, and smell no longer function as they do when we are awake. Except for the threshold for each of these senses that each of us has while we sleep, our inner systems are working essentially free of input from the outside world. And yet people are able to have vivid dreams. The cortex can only pass into sleep mode with the help of the are of the brain called the thalamus. The thalamus is one of the two structures that make up the diencephalon, the lower part of the fore brain. Its main function in mammals is as the relay station of sensory information its way to the cortical center. Specific regions of the thalamus, as well as different nuclei process different sensory information on its way to the cortex.
In normal sleeping patterns a person usually passes through five phases of sleep, the fifth being REM. The sleeping human passes cyclically through these five phases throughout a night's rest. These phases can be defined in electrical activity of the brain; much like the activity of the heart is often defined. The technique of measuring the electrical activity of the brain is call Electro-encephalogram, or EEG. When the electrical events of a person's brain are graphed on a electrical magnitude versus time axis the graph of a person who is in different stages of being asleep or awake appear to have different levels of electrical activity occurring in the brain. (See (14))
During the cycle of the phases each lasts for a different period of time during the time we are sleeping. The first stage is the lightest stage of sleep and is characterized by drifting in and out of sleep and slow muscle and eye activity. When people are awakened during this phase they usually have fragmented visual memory of what they were experiencing while asleep. The second stage is the one in which the most time is spent, close to fifty percent, during this stage three electrical activity, measured by electrodes, slows down except for infrequent bouts of rapid waves called sleep spindles. Stage three and four are considered stages of deep sleep, delta wave appear during phase three and are produced almost exclusively during phase four. Delta waves are extremely slow brain waves. Though there is no consistent eye movement or muscle activity during these two periods, they are the phases of sleep when some children experience bedwetting, night terrors, or sleepwalking ((12)).
The next phase is REM sleep, after reaching stage four the pattern of progressively slower, larger brain wave and deeper sleep, reverses and sleep becomes lighter until the REM sleep state is reached. REM is the most active part of sleep, in which the rain waves, when viewed using EEG have a pattern the most similar to those of person who is awake. REM sleep and dreaming, which occurs mainly during REM, are triggered by the pons, a bridge that connects the brainstem with the cerebellum, and neighboring structures of the brainstem (See illustration ((10))). A pathway originates in a group of acetylcholinergic neurons located in these rostral pons. These neurons project to the sensory areas of the thalamus and to the reticular nucleus. In the sensory areas of the thalamus control whether the gate that allows information from the outside world pass into the brain is open or closed. The acetylcholine produced by the pons' neurons sensitizes these neurons of the thalamus to sensory input by slightly depolarizing, and hence changing the level of potassium. By contrast the reticular nucleus is inhibited by the acetylcholine, as a result the thalamus lets sensory information through , and the cortex is highly active. This process is very similar to what occurs when a person is awake. In the other stage of sleep in which the brain is less active the system works in the opposite manner. The acetylcholine system is inactive, the reticular nucleus is uninhibited and can thus inhibit the thalamus, as a result the cortical neurons move in a slow rhythm , very different from the active state they are in while the creature is awake, or in REM sleep.
The majority of the Dreaming that occurs during a sleep cycle occurs during the REM or paradoxical sleep state. As described above the brain literally awakens internally during REM sleep. In a person with normal sleep behavior the REM sleep stage is one of near paralysis for the entire body other than the muscles of the eye and the middle ear. This occurs because of descending inhibition, in which a group of cells in the medulla that descend down the spinal cord and inhibit motor activity. RBD, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, is characterized by the afflicted person acting out their dreams, which are usually violent in nature. The violent nature of these dream enactments is very distinct from the person's normal waking personality. This suggests that RBD is not only a motor control disorder, but a dream disorder as well. When the person awakens they can remember their dream vividly but cannot recall their physical actions during the dreams. Most of the incidents that occur within the dream are similar in affect to those that the individual was enacting, in one instance an adult male nearly strangled his wife while dreaming that he was saving her from drowning ((13)).
The majority of patients afflicted with RBD though there are cases of females and children having this disorder. About 25% of diagnosed patients tested reported limb twitching, talking, yelling, jerking and a progressive decline in motor control during sleep ((9)). These symptoms starkly contrast to the typical atonia, lack of normal muscle tension, which is associated with the REM phase of sleep. In very few isolated cases have any family history of RBD been found. In approximately half of the cases chronic RBD is associated with several different neuropathologies including: vascular insult, tumors, degenerative disorders, etc. In instances where RBD is not a consequence of some other affliction it may be a warning sign of Parkinson's disease.
RBD and other similar dissociative disorders bring up interesting questions about the self. In one respect an individual self is more active during these phases of sleep since there actions and functions are more similar to those that occur when that individual is awake, and supposedly has full use of the self. Yet during these sleep stages the individual loses awareness and control of there physical and mental self. The dreams that they experience, as seen in cases studies, are rarely attributed to what occur in their daily life, and thus are the vivid images are not provided for by their memory bank. Furthermore they have little control over their physical presence, which is controlled by the dream sequence and have no recollections of the actions that took place after they are awakened. These two opposing standpoints leave the question: is the self retained when awareness of the individuals own actions is lost?
WWW Sources
1) The Study of Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Dreaming. By M. Jouvet and D. Jouvet2) Paradoxical Sleep- A Study of its Nature and Mechanisms. By M. Jouvet
3) Paradoxical Sleep Mechanisms. By M. Jouvet.
4) Why Do We Dream? By Jarrett Carberry.
6) Why Don't We Act On Our Dreams. By Silvia Helena Cardoso, PhD.
7) The Science of Sleep and Dreams
8) States of Consciousness: Concepts and Definitions
9)REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Neurologic Dissociative Sleep Disorder. By Niels C. Rattenborg.
10) Brain Briefings: REM Sleep.
11) Cortical Arousal During REM Sleep, LDEs and OBEs.
12) Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep.
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Continuing conversation
I have a question that brought me to your Web site. Is it possible for vivid dreams to disrupt the normal functions during sleep? To rephrase, is there such a thing as the mind being too focused on the logical events of a dream that it fails to get enough rest? Sometimes I wake up in the morning after having a vivid dream and it's very difficult to get out of bed or I can't immediately focus on the world around me. This has occurred fairly often in the past two months, so I wanted to do some research. I'm not sure if you respond to individual e-mails, but I'd definitely appreciate it if you could reply. Greg Davidson
In response to the previous inquiry--sounds like you are having lucid dreams. Welcome to my world--I am experiencing a LOAD of problems due to this type of sleep.
AS THE ABOVE READER I TOO DREAM ALL NIGHT LONG. I WAKE UP SO EXHAUSTED I CAN HARDLY FUNCTION DURING THE DAY. EVEN WORSE THAN THAT I REMEMBER THE DREAM THE ENTIRE DAY AND IT I CLOSE MY EYES THE DREAM IS STILL GOING ON. WHEN I TELL PEOPLE MY DREAMS THEY THINK I'M CRAZY. MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN AWAKENED NUMEROUS TIMES TO FIND OUT WHO I AM TALKING WITH, ETC. MARY
I also have a very similar problem. Since I was a child I have always had very vivid dreams that feel like they last all night. Many times I talk (often panicked), sit up or stand up in the bed, get out of the bed, etc. The dreams in which I talk are typically nightmares like snakes in the bed, trapped somewhere, someone trying to "get" me, etc. The really frightening ones (devils, spirts, etc) often wake me. Not all of my dreams are bad, but many are. In the morning, I literally have to drag myself out of the bed. When I was an adolecent, my mom would try to wake me up in the morning to go to school and I would be so mean - just b/c I really did not want to get up b/c I was so tired. I can easily sleep 12 hours plus - dreaming the whole time - before I wake up on my own. I am really looking for a natural treatment so that I feel rested in the morning and get the restful sleep needed to be healthy.
After reading your article and the continued conversations at the end, I would also like to ask about "too much dreaming"...is my brain spending too much time in REM? I've read other articles that suggest diet has an affect (i.e. too much protein before bed). I'm a vegetarian and rarely get too much protein at any time of the day, so that can't be it. I'm considering finding a sleep research facility in my area and have an EEG run while I'm alseep to determine, in actuality, just how long my brain spends in REM and how long it spends in delta waves. Bring on the delta waves!
Hi, my husband is 28 years old and has had night terrors his whole life. We recently read in articles like yours that 40% of adults that suffer from night terrors go on to develop Parkinson's disease. Naturally, we are very worried about this. My husband wants to put off going to see a doctor or specialist for a year or so because this coming year will be a very busy and important one for him at work. But I keep trying to tell him that his health and emotional well-being is more important than work. Even if there is nothing the doctor can do to treat the night terrors, I feel that talking to a professional about it will help to ease his mind if he can get some answers about Parkinson's, etc. Ever since he found this information out, I can tell it is bothering him. How do I get him to go see a doctor? Thanks!
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I have a 3 year old who can run for about 4.5 hours with very brief rest periods aprox. 3mins. He can not be in school because he is too active for the structured environment. I had to quit my job. He sleeps between 8pm - 9pm each noght.
He wakes up between 6am - 7:30am. He twicthes a lot when he is almost asleep. Not violently but I notice toes , fist and occassional his head twitch. When he wakes up in the morning, till about 11:30am, he will complain that he is soo tired. I thought it was boredom so I kept taking him to the park after he had painted, and done other projects he wanted to do. (that causes him to run /play for hours). I try to let him rest his body or sleep if he can before we go out. In any case immediately after he wakes up, he asks me if I am as tired as he is. He is always complaining that he is too tired. He is only 3 years old and this worries me. I am going to make an appiontment for him to see his pediatrician because I am confident he knows the difference between being bored and being tired. Any ideas? ... Catherine, 16 February 2006
I've had vivid dreams my entire life. I am 32 years old, so at least as far as I can remember. I used to have horrific nightmares growing up, and loud sounds like trains, or racing cars, for long periods of time. I've had several obe experiences, and have woken up only to see what can be described as ectoplasma in the shape of a human,leaving my presence. I've seen things standing above me that have taken my breath away, literally like it was actually sucking the air from my lungs. I could spend all night writing about my experiences, but I'm hoping to get a good night's sleep tonite, since I have a little girl who needs to be tended to. My most recent experiences outside of the dream world, have been hearing loud conversations directly in my ears, between two or more people speaking to each other. I feel like I'm awake and it can be very annoying, because I want to write down what they are saying, but I am not physically able to move, although I dream to be awake and get up to see if I'm really sleeping. Something similiar happened within the last year, where I heard loud music, almost as if I was in a church. It sounded like a soft worship song of a woman singing. A song I had never heard before, but was a beautiful sound. At first it was pleasing, but played over and over until I woke up. I waited to long to address it, then forgot what I had heard or made of for the lyrics. I can't find any reason for these occurances, but I would really like to find out as much info as possible. I am becoming more and more concerned now. Last night, it was two men talking to one another, and it was very loud for an extended period of time. Please respond. I don't take any medications, nor use mind altering drugs that would affect my sleep like this. I'm wondering if I need to seek a sleep disorder specialist, or I'm just tuned in to the spirit world. I don't know at this point. Thank you for your time ... Keli, 6 April 2006
hello, i've been taking the antidepressant, Effexor XR for over 5-years and experiencing vivid dreams, but mostly when i wake in the morning it takes 45-minutes or more to convince myself to get out of bed, and sometimes when i get out of bed i have feelings in my head that i'm going to drop from still being extremely tired. everyday this happens. shall i chalk it up to NOT being a morning person OR Sleep Behavior Disorder caused by taking Effexor XR? this is effecting my daily routine and being able to get to work on time. i can not stop taking the Effexor XR because i seem to be totally dependant on it. your opinion is greatly appreciated. my email is cr5759@yahoo.com ... Carlos Tomas, 26 June 2006
I am having a difficulty usually about 3 am. I think I am waking up while I am still dreaming. Real world superimposing onto the dream world. The best example of this I can give is a nightmare I had (my Mother was in reality standing in my doorway having a actual conversation with me) which I was concious of while I was also vividly dreaming a nightmare about someone who was killing people was superimposed over my room and Mom. I even told her the name that I was dreaming as I dreamed it. My worry is that this seems to be happening more frequently as I am getting older. Am I missing a vitiam or something? ... Anne, 15 August 2006
I also have the problems with my sleep that affects me alot like the people described here. I think I spend too much time in REM mode and it is really affecting my life. I have been dealing with this for over a year now and no one seems to be able to help. I was wondering if anyone on here has figured out exactly what is causing it? ... Faith Mrzlock, 25 August 2006
I experienced an awareness of the REM phase of sleep and it was very strange. I was lying in bed half asleep where I could not move but was aware that I was in bed. I moved my eyes to the left and heard and felt the wind sweep across the back of my head to the right side. I the moved my eyes to the right and the opposite happened. I thought maybe I was hearing the wind outside so I stopped and nothing happened. I then repeated it. The sensation across the back of my head felt good. Shortly after my eyes started twitching in different directions, not moving to the fullest extent in any particular direction. Along with the movement I felt zapping in my eyes. I then started to breathe faster and started to try to whimper so maybe my wife could hear me, but didn't make a sound. I then woke up with a little whimper.
I wanted to see if this is a known experience ... William, 22 September 2006
i have nightmares all the time and every time i shut my eyes to sleep, and during my dreams something bad happens, and it always ends at one section and the next night when i go back to sleep it carrys on where it left off and worst things happens it's just like a non- ending nightmare it's been going on for about 6 months know but i haven't told anyone yet no even my parenrts, okay well canu please email me and tell me what i can do thank you very much ... Elisabeth Carter, 19 October 2006
Hi. My name is Kayla. I'm 17 years old. And I have horrible nightmares. I honestly can't remember when I last had a good dream. I have these dreams that keep reocurring. Sometimes they'll stay for long. And then just go away. But they come back. And i'm very confused 'cause some of the dreams I have are really strange. And have nothing that I can relate to in reality. All of the dreams that i've had have always had my family and friends in them. Mostly my family. And something bad is always happening. But my dreams arent the same everytime I fall asleep. I fall asleep the first time and have the dream. And sometimes am so scared I wake up. But then if I can fall back asleep the dream continues. And it's the same dream. But everything get's harder. And every time I fall asleep and go back into the dream more occurs. For instance, in one of my dreams that i've had recently I'm in my room and my brother is standing next to my bed and I wake up and he's just staring into the hallway. And this guy comes in.. But he's nor a normal guy he's like rubbery texture. Like a mask. but his whole body is like that. And it's as if he comes from tv or a video game. But I have the instinct that I have to protect my brother. So I get up and fight him. And then after I kill him theres another guy that I have to kill. But it's always easy the first couple of times. But the more I wake up and then go back to sleep the harder they get to fight. And it's just odd because my brother just stands there not saying a word. Just watching. No emotion. I think the dreaming comes from somewhere. 'Cause my little brother also has Night Terrors. Horrible ones. Where he's half asleep and half awake. And it's so hard to calm him down because he doesnt see us as us. Normally were people that he's afraid of. And one time while one of his Night Terrors was happening my sister kept asking him what was going on and that time he kept repeating himself "They won't let me tell you, they won't let me tell you" While rocking back in form screaming and him trying to breath. But when he wakes up. He can't remember a thing. He's never been able to. And they used to be quite frenquent. But i'm not sure what exactly this all means. If at all possible, please email me back and try to explain. 'Cause some of the research i've been reading is scaring me ... Kayla, 18 January 2007
I have a friend and he just told me that over the past 6 months he has had very vivid dreams in the middle of regular activity during the day and they only seem to last a few seconds. He was in a parked car in the middle of the day and he looked out the window and saw sticks on the windshield and the moon coming through and thought he was in the woods when he was really on a street and a few sec. later it was over. Then one day he was driving and it happened again but this time he had clear recollection of sitting at the dinner table with his parents for a few sec. and when he came back he was still driving. I am concerned. He doesn't do drugs and is on no medication but he is anorexic and experiences some insomnia. Please help ... TJ, 27 January 2007
I have the same problem. I go to bed and I feel as though I'm in a very deep sleep. If I wake up at night I feel drowsy and it feels as though I've been in a deep sleep. Yet, in the morning, I wake up and I just so tired and I feel like I am not getting enough sleep ... Marisa, 7 February 2007
I have a problem to which I have no answer. Since childhood I can never remember actually dreaming and also cannot visualise or have no imaginative thoughts when i'm asleep and am wondering if there is a diagnosis for this condition as it truly does bother me. Please help me out on this one. I am a 38 yr old man am would like this problem solved ... Michael Alderman, 12 April 2007
I was recently hospitalized and was taken off my ADD Meds(Adderal-an amphetamine). I had been on this medication for several years. I roommate told me I talked a lot in my sleep. I don't remember this. Because I am aware that when I have discontinued this medication in the past I am more sexually driven, I am concerned that I may have acted out inapproriately. What are the chances of this happening? And what are the chances that I said embarrassing things while I was sleeping at the hospital? Would I have acted out in ways I never would while awake? It feels like I may have done somthing(s) that I should be embarrassed about! ... B. Oldham, 25 June 2007
MY HUSBAND YELLS KICKS AND SCREAMS ALL NIGHT LONG. WE HAVE TO SLEEP IN DIFFERENT ROOMS. HE SCREAMS SO LOUD THAT EVEN THE NEIGHBORS CAN HEAR. HIS SNORING IS ALSO VERY BAD. BUT NOT AS BAD AS THE YELLING ALL NIGHT LONG. IT PREVENTS THE HOUSEHOLD FROM SLEEPING. HE STARTED THIS ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND ITS VERY HARD TO TOLERATE. WHAT CAN BE DONE? ... Yvonne, 27 November 2007
I'd highly appreciate it if you could help me with a problem i have. Every month or so I have a sort of episode when i sleep. When it happens its like I'm aware of everything around me, (people talking, noises, ect.), but I'm in a deep sleep. I feel pressure on my chest and head, as if someone was pushing down on me, and i can't breathe for at least ten seconds. I try and wake myself, but anytime i can seem to get my eyes open its only for a quick second and then they automatically close again, back into the deep sleep. When i can finally bring myself to completely wake up, I'm gasping and usually crying. I'm sixteen, and generally all around healthy and i don't know what causes these episodes, or even what they are. I hope you can help. Thanks ... Christy, 27 December 2007
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Comments
tired of dreaming
I dream at night all night mixed jumbled up dreams, sleep with fist clenched tight, talk, jump, tired and exhausted all day. I cannot take sleep medications it makes me groggy the next day, the only thing that helps it I get a couple ativan when I am going out of town or to a special event the next day and take one the night before. any advise please? I had a sleep study done years ago for this and the only thing that showed up was I stayed in dream state to long.
looking for answers
what's the meaning that i can think, control and at the same time i can stop my dream anytime i want and just woke up anytime i want it to.
Sleep disorder
Sometimes, at night, my brain got stuck in between of two questions... It becomes puzzlistic and whole night my brain runs two solve the questions but in the morning I go thru headache and I forgot the questions
dreams
Ever since I was a child I've dreamed every night that I can remember I am now 32 and still dream every night I remember most if not all my dreams. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. Some dreams cause me to talk out loud and move. Im used to it now but sometimes I feel tired because of my dreams. My mind never stops I dream from everything from the apocalypse to random dreams I sometimes wish I could not dreams constantly. Is there anything I can do.
Sleeping/Dreaming Recently has gone Haywire
I've had very vivid dreams for a long time, but I was always able to get a full 8 hours of sleep if I never set an alarm. Recently (The past month), sleep has gotten progressively worse for me. I will lay myself into bed, and I almost instantly go into this phase where my mind/head start to go numb. I don't really know how to explain it, but it's like I am not really thinking about anything, which is a lot different than how I used to sleep (I used to just drift off pretty quickly). Anyway, I start to notice the "numbing" so it jolts me awake with anxiety - so this goes on for awhile and when I finally "get to sleep" I start to have the vivid dreams. Now, the vivid dreams never bothered me before, but I've noticed that in the past month I've gotten a lot more aggressive in my dreams. I've become more confrontational/violent overall; however, a lot of times it's against a bad person. A lot of times then, I jolt awake from my dreams and I can literally pinpoint the exact moment where I left the dream off, but (this is similar to some other comments I read) my eyes feel so heavy, and it's hard to keep them open, and I feel so exhausted, that I fall back asleep and usually continue the dream where it left off the moment I close my eyes. This happens progressively until I actually have to get up, and when I do, it takes me literally 10 - 20 minutes to fully wake myself up and submerse myself into reality. Usually during this period of waking up/falling back asleep frequently, my dreams have a recurring theme where in the dream I have to do a task but I am unable because my eyes are so heavy/everything is so bright/I can't focus that I have to keep shutting my eyes in the dream. It's very annoying, and then the rest of the day I feel so tired until nighttime again where the process repeats.
please help to translated
i dream of someone every thursday night to friday morning
Dream Help
I have been searching the Internet for months for any kind of information that pertains to the sleep situation I am going through. It seems to be a bit similar to Sleep Paralysis, but quite different. To begin I will say it only seems to occur during a nap, when I am home alone, and mostly when I sleep on my back. In the dream I will "wake up" and be lying where ever I fell asleep at, and everything will be just as it is in real life except for some minor details sometimes, such as what is on tv.. So I "wake up" and open my eyes to look around, just as I take everything in and try to fully awaken I begin to feel groggy and my eyes involuntarily start to close. This happens a few times before I start to get annoyed. I will start trying to move around but my body feels like I haven't slept in days and feels like dead weight. I just lay there trying to wiggle about and try to keep my eyes open. I will then try to prop myself up on my elbows, but my head is so heavy that I end up back on my back. So I grab my phone to try to call for help. I can feel it in my hand and see it , but when I bring it closer to my face to dial or text it becomes blurry, or I can't see it at all. So I am laying there with the feeling of a phone in my hand, but unable to see it to get help. The time on the clock is always close to the actual time. Sometimes I can hear a noise in the dining room, but I can't wake up enough to speak. This can go on for awhile, or for only 20 to 30 minutes. And always during a nap. I will eventually be awoken by my boyfriend coming home from work, or from a noise from my phone or one of my pets. I always wake up feeling extremely groggy and remember it fully. Sometimes my phone is close by, and other times nothing has moved.. I hope I can get an answer of some sort. This has been going on for about a year now, and it started out of nowhere.
REM sleep
For the past four nights it has gotten BAD. I have had CRAZY vivid dreams that I can explain almost to a T. Last night I had a dream I was electrocuted, woke up and my eyes were blood shot, and I feel like I haven't gotten any sleep. During the day, such as the other day I was trying to do some of my college studies and I was falling asleep. I am in my hardest course right now and I can't concentrate. I feel SO tired in the mornings and all day, but I have college, and a family to take care of. It has been getting worse. I know I sleep, but I wake up feeling like I didn't sleep at all and no one believes me. My husband says that I look like I slept fine.. but i know for a fact that I feel like I was awake all night. I don't know what I should do, or if anything can help....
Dream but almost awake 3/4 of the night!
First I will tell I came to Norway(a Place above the Arctic circle) and here 3 years, each summer I have trouble sleeping, but still do sleep just not more than 6,7 hours. This year it's gone barask. For 4 days now I just lie in bed, and sleep don't come for 3 hours, than I do feel the muscles go a bit stiff, the way it goes when you fall asleep, and I dream but STILL AWAKE. I use to Wake up 2,3 times to bathroom visits all year but no trouble sleeping again. I know the only time i really sleep is when I dream something I haven't planned on dreaming, because I DO try to dream in order to induce sleep, so when I don't try it other dreams occur, but all along i am fully awake! Why? Also, im vegetarian
Dreams
There's about 3-4 dreams that I've been having at night/flashbacls during the day since I was 4, the first one I remember waa when I was four we had just moved into our new house and had a look round the town a few days later I had a dream an old skinny tall man in a long black leather cloke and a leather hat that covered most of his face was chasing me around this new town for hours then I woke up and I swear to this day 18 years later that he was there in my room poking his head through my curtain. A few months later same man but somewhere ive never seen before mum and dad told my sister and I to stay in the car while thy went somewhere. Me and my sister got out and wondered around the man walked up to me and asked me to gp with him. I did then he said somthing b that scared me I ran off and hid he kept dressing up at different people nto get me to gp with him. No idea who this man is or what this dream means I keep having flash backs abkut it during the day and other weird dreams even if o haven't drempt them in a while also ever since as long as I can remember I've had 3-4 dreams every night all weird random and scary I wake up every morning confused disintoriated un aware of where I am what's happened the day the time who my boyfriend and son are who I am I take abkut half an hour to an hour to remember any thing! ! I hate it I get really anxious to go to sleep not because of the dreams just because of nothing. Im always up for ages thinking about things always moving rolling over sitting up ect. My boyfriend always moans about how figity I am in my sleep too. Please help! !
i am have very strange experiences in my sleep
i am have very strange experiences in my sleep and I need to talk to somebody who knows about this stuff is there anyway to contact you to go over some stuff.
night terrors or disorder
Hello, I have been with my fiancee for just over a year and a half and living with him for just under a year. When I first started sleeping with him I noticed he had there episodes in his sleep where he seems awake but is not. He sometimes sits up and starts thrashing about or kicking and punching at nothing sometimes yelling about turning the light on or there being someone in the room or something always as though he is trying to shield or protect me from something. Other times he just sits up and says weird stuff like "I could have sworn I saw a hedgehog" other times he kisses me or laughs about something. He never remembers in the morning when I tell him. We have just moved into our own place and it seems to be happening more often and more frequent happening 2-3 times a night. He is worried he may hurt me in his sleep. Is there anything I can do to help him or do you think he will settle down once he feels more secure in our new home? Thanks.
my boyfriend is a violent sleeper
I have been with my boyfriend for a year and a half now. Sometimes he just talks alot in his sleep, like i can have a full blown conversation with him and he asleep the whole time. He doesnt remember anything we talked about when he wakes up. and lately his is starting to become violent in his sleep, he will throw his hands and punch me like hes fighting or something, last night was the worst, i woke up to use the restroom and laid back down while i was trying to fall back to sleep, i watched my boyfriend sit up and turn towards me then he started swinging punches and me, it scared the crap out of me so i yelled babe like three times before he woke up. and he cant remember anything. not moving or even his dream. someone help me what should i do and what can he do???? we have kids together and i dont want this to get worse and have him hurt one of the kids since they sleep in the room with us.
Dreams
For me, I dream every night and they are very vivid however, I always wake up super refreshed. They feel so real and are rarely "scary" rather intense, very life like crazy situations that are out of character for me. I can remember them upon awaking but then they fade and I lose them. They are kind of like Inception style dreams, sometimes I know I am dreaming so I attempt to do things like fly, etc. Other times just bizzare, alternate reality stuff. The last one was my job was in a frozen town in Minnesota and it was located at some mall. I took a break and when I was trying to find my way back to the office, I went out side with the old lady "mall guide" and had to walk through snow and ice to get to my office. I was worried because I was going to be late back from break, lol. Hello! I work in Washington state at the local county courthouse! WTH??? lol.
Just crazy, very colorful dreams. I will lay down after work to take a nap, say at 530 like i did today and wham! I am out for 6 hours of hard sleep. Here I sit typing after having that crazy dream and it is 130am. I am totally rested and it feels like 9am lol. I just want to know WHY my brain is having these dreams. Most people I know have a dream once in a while while mine are all the time. I dont mind them, never feel robbed of sleep but some are so real it's like my brain is trying to tell me something.
sleep
Lately, I've been falling into really deep sleeps & I guess I am pushing my boyfriend away he he tries to hold me or cuddle me while I'm sleeping. I wake up to find him on the couch or upset with me for this, but I never can recall doing it & he's starting to think that I am just acting like I dont remember. What is going on? How can I help myself to stop doing this?
talking ,hitting, pushing, and no dreams?????
The same happens to me, or at least i feel as if i am in a deep sleep. Though I hardly ever dream, only every once in a while to the point where if i have a dream it's hard to tell it's a dream because i am not used to the feeling. I haven't dreamed for most of my life, i had almost always had a nightmare when i was young but the were frequent and as i grew older i hardly dream anymore only 1-2 good dreams i remember in my life and only 2-3 dreams i remember in the past year or so. When i did dream the majority were nightmares or bad dreams. I find if i go to bed with my boyfriend things are fine but if i fall asleep before and he tries to touch me or anything that the same happens i push him away or hit him i don't realize it myself it started months ago according to him , i also sometimes talk in my sleep. I find my boyfriend upset and far away when i wake up seeing he couldn't get close to me and felt rejected. I'm not sure why this had started we can only think that maybe a bad event would trigger it though he as well when sleeping beside me ( just normally) has almost broken my finger and pushed me off the bed. I'm not sure why this is happening if i don't dream or at least don't remember my dreams if that's the case. I really enjoy dreaming very much when good. Why is this happening ? What could have caused this? is my boyfriend reacting to this problem? What can i do to help this situation?
Dream
Hello,
Is dreaming every night bad for our brain??? I dream every night for over a year now . Is this a sign of problem ??? Should I get medication for this ???
frightening dreams during early morning sleep.
I have vivid frightening dreams around 5:00 each morning. When I awaken, I am out of breath and my heart is beating rapidly. During the day, I am very tired. Could this be related to s brain disorder? What kind of test should I take to learn more about what causes this and how to handle the situation.? I just had a sleep study and the technician felt there was no disorder. Should I be tested by a neurologist?
DREAM ALL NIGHT LONG.I NEED HELP!!!!!
I DREAM ALL NIGHT LONG AND I REMEMBER THEM IN THE MORNING.I DON'T FUNCTION WELL WHEN I WAKE UP EACH MORNING.I WAKE UP VERY EXHAUSTED BECAUSE THE BRAIN NEVER RESTED.THIS HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME NOW.I DON'T USE TO BE LIKE THIS SO THIS IS ORDINARY DREAM AT ALL AND IF ANYONE CAN HELP,PLS HELP ME QUICKLY.I HAVEN'T BEEN MYSELF SINCE I STARTED EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEM.MY PERSONALITY HAS CHANGED AND I STRUGGLE WITH DAY TO DAY SIMPLE ACTIVITIES SO THIS IS NOT ORDINARY DREAMS AT ALL.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FROM THE 4 CORNERS OF THIS EARTH,CAN ANYONE HELP???I AM SUFFERING!!!
Dreaming all night
I know exactly what you saying. I'll try to help you if u can contact and discus with me.
I really need advice
i started having these dreams about a year ago, im in my bed and i can open my eyes and see everything in my bedroom. I cant move my body at all except my eyes. i start to panic, and hit the wall or scream (still cant move though) so my mom can wake me up because i know i must be dreaming since that has been the only explanation. i cant scream at all it takes me minutes to even open my mouth, and then i cant get any noise out. sometimes my eyes start rolling around it starts with a small movement then i can no longer see my eyes are moving so fast its all a blur. i try to relax and then trick myself into jumping up all at once (to startle myself out of it). in the "dream" im convinced there is a person doing it to me, like a ghost that i cant see or feel (most of the time) and its like its captured my brain in a bubble to prevent it (my brain) from saving me. i used to sleep walk when i was younger and i was a very sick child, i still am. the dreams started after i started taking a drug called amitriptyline (it was a fairly low dose to help with pain caused by a degenerative disease i have) which i was later told by my doctor is used to treat patients with seizures but it shouldnt and hasnt caused strange dreams before. it worries me i stopped all medication long ago but now i rarely sleep at all. i stay up till two a.m. sometimes and i fear im losing my mind because of it. I rarely go to school anymore i make up excuses so i dont have to leave the house and i can never remember any of my dreams now, i cant remember them and if i can remember i cant describe them without stuttering or forgetting halfway through.
paralyzed when trying to wake up..very fearful
Hi MyLainia.... that is part of narcolepsy. I have done it for years. It started in my 20,s . I haven't had one is years tho. People of superstition used to call it "riding the witch" and blame it on supernatural powers. I can understand it as it is very frightening. But it is just one aspect of Narcolepsy. I have a problem also where I have a dream [usually frightening] and wake up but going back to sleep I will only continue it again. I sometimes will be up for several hours [ like now, researching sleep disorders] and even being awake this long, if I lay back down, I will continue the same dream. I do this several times a month. I either do this... or can't sleep at all. I fear falling back asleep and continuing the same dream again, but usually am so tired.. I will keep trying to get sleep, only to start the dream where I left off... over and over again.. This is truly awful. I have was told this wasn't part of my narcolepsy... but who knows? Also, when in my teens, I would get up and interact with others for HOURS... and then have no memory of it in the A.M. That is part of narcolepsy... I just want to know how to stop this dream pattern.... I stay so tired... I do this phase several times a year. No sleep...or sleep where I can not get out of the same dream..no matter how many times.. or how long these times are that I am awake.. I will fall back into that same dream.... all night long...it is terrible.....
PLEASE HELP
Hi Im 13 years old and well, I think I have a problem, I sleep normally, but I dream everyday, and I can also remember them well (the place, how it was, my clothes, colors, numbers, etc,) and my parents tell me that is not normal for a person and Im scared please HELP ME.
Dreams Proving to be Bad
Sir
I am lot confused with "Whether dreaming is good or bad". Most explanations says it is good sign. But what I personally observe is that whenever I get lot of dreams on a given night then for the following day I get the feeling of insufficient sleep. I feel i am deprived of good night’s sleeps/sufficient sleep.
Against this observation how come one can say dreaming is good? And it indicates best sleep pattern.
Anybody to help me out?????
sleep paralysis & going to rem stage to quickly
For a few years now i have been having a lot of trouble with sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming. It is honestly so horrifying. im entirely aware of what is going on but i cannot move at all and i dream (or imagine..not really sure which one to use in this context) that i am banging against the wall in order to wake my parents up so they could help me or something but after i fully wake up and am mobile again i ask my mom if she heard me banging on the wall or yelling for help and she says no. My breathing becomes very laboured and my heart rate increases a lot. I get terrified because it almost feels as though i can't breathe. Even though its been happening for years i have not learned how to relax myself and accept it when it happens. It still scares me. I went two summers ago to a sleep therapy center and had some tests performed but apparently im fine (it was extremely hard for me to even sleep at all while i was there because of all the wires and electrodes they placed all over my body and head). Another problem i have is going into REM too quickly. Almost every time i nap even if its for 10 or 15 minutes, i dream and then suddenly wake up and remember where i left off in my dream. It doesn't necessarily bother me but i was just wondering if thats normal..i would also appreciate any advice for the sleep paralysis issue.i just dont know what to do anymore its so frustrating and scary, i want it to be over already
please help me
Hi I have a trouble of sleep since 2007 and til now is getting worse. I was been taking a sleeping pills for about 4years ago then switch of deprrision sleep tha i taking now. My eyes wanted to sleep but my my mind won't let me to sleep. some time i'll notice that my eyes just sleep and i have always bad dreams too. please help what to do.
If ur not working start
If ur not working start working to keep ur self reserve and , meet ur best friends avoid spending tile alone , and just give up
Don't u think ? Ur tired u should let it go stop
Medication ! Just believe " that ok let it happen " what is it but m not taking depression !
Life is for once , and u ain't gonna waste it like that . It's not killing you making you stronger
, so start meeting new people around move to some new place change ur routine feel
Good God bless u Amen
Well try to figure out what
Well try to figure out what depression u in ? Ur fears ur expectations etc .
If unthink ur not depress then m site u are and of u are depression u have any depression problem , pills doctors cant help u out
Well ! Believe me what i tried is ? I stop
Thinking about all that which cause me sommucb depression i just stop thinking about i just gave up on that, i realised that it's my own made thing so Incan finish it up
Like begging for death to
Like begging for death to come and it won't come to you.
Well Alona ! Stop
Taking pills if u can , take ma advice scarifies ur sleep though u r doin it since 2007 so , hey these pilss are making it worst ,trust me .
Now listen m telling u what ot causing u this much pain , i know there is totally a depression , i been to many peoples doctors so called spiritual healers bla bla , nothing helped me , but what hepl me the most is ma will my courage
I know it's killing :-(
Hi Alona,
My name is shaheryar, and i want to tell you that, exactly two years back i'n 2010 i wrote the same line as you did i'n ur post msg.
And i know this situation, pain ur going through is worst then any other curse, i can understand.
Alona ! I really wna help u , m Not doctor or a priest but i been through the same , which is troubling u , i use to cry yell scream , i'n front of my mother early morning when i give up on sleep, ten mint sleep i'n a day or hardly 30 mint sleep i'n a week , whoa was like begging for
what is going on with me?
ever since i was a kid I’m having this same dream at least once a month and in my dream I’m trying to yell for help but i cant every time this happens my husband wakes me up and asking me why I’m screaming?
dreams at night and less sleep
Hi,
I cannot fall to sleep easily, it takes upto 30 or more minutes after I go to bed. At most of the nights, I get dreams, sometimes very horrible, sometimes just social and sometimes I never think about it.
Many times, I have a dream very late in the morning and It is going on when I wake up in the morning.
I cannot figure it out why it is happening to me. Since my childhood, I have the dreams. Some suggested me to read before you go to bed, I do that, sometimes I listen to very nice calm music, but this dreaming is going on.
Is there anyone who may have experienced such problem, please tell me how to avoid it.
Thank You
GSP
Dreams
In my dreams im like fighting (saying prayers etc) something evil or an evil person. Like demons. Usually i can say my prayers and either make the evil or possesion go away but lately i cant i will wakeup praying and really scared. please help
Dreams
Hi, i have a sleeping problem. Whenever i sleep dreams start. Next morning i feel very tired my eyes pain , heaviness, as i didn't sleep . how i can getrid of dreams and get sound sleep. pls help me.
Dream and sleep
Hi, i have a sleeping problem. Whenever i sleep dreams start. Next morning i feel very tired my please help me
paralized in my sleep
hi! for a very long while now i have been falling asleep occasionally during class (im 15) and i wake up unable to move for 2-5 min. sometimes i hear and imagine things but i know im NOT dreaming, and sometimes i dont imagine anything but i can hear EVERYTHING goin on around me but i cant move no matter how hard i try! i start to breathe really hard and sometimes my eyes flutter and roll in the back of my head because im trying to open them
also sometimes when im falling asleep ill start dreaming but know that im not fully asleep and want to "wake up" (this is hard to explain) but im also frozen and can not open my eyes untill a few minutes have passed.
i know its normal to wake up and this happen occasionaly but this happens A LOT and it freaks other people out in school
also i was wondering if its possible to be in REM sleep longer then normal
have a neurologist appointment but aNY any answer would begreat, thanks!!
Hello... Its been since
Hello...
Its been since years,whenever i dream about something bad or good..it always comes true in the coming days to follow!i feel so weird about that.....!!With years,ive started to interprete my dream...but all these disturbing me a lot..!whats wrong with me..why its always ME..why so..!
Im a 20 year old college
Im a 20 year old college student. When im about to to fall asleep i slip in to this stage where my breathing and heart beat is highly increased and im not able to move my body but still awear of my surroundings i have to force myself awake for it to stop dont know why it happens but would like to its been happening for a while.
Good sleep does more than
Good sleep does more than just help the cognitive. Another sleep study I read this week found that teens who didn’t get enough sleep consumed more calories than their well-rested peers. The study of 240 adolescents, average age 18, revealed that teenagers who slept less than 8 hours a night on weeknights, ate 2% more calories from fat per day and 3% more calories from carbs than teens who slept longer. They also tended to get their calories from snacks instead of healthful meals. Cumulatively, this behavior increases the risk of obesity and, in turn, the chances of developing cardiovascular disease later in life.
sleeping problam
Hi, ...... i have the same issue....actuly my brother having this problem....when he sleep in night then during this he dream a lot and wake up again and again......even he does yoga and take proper meal eventhoug its happing past 30 days. can any body help me out why is happinig...what should be done......waiting for psitive response....... thanks in advance
pls rply me ASAP.
Regrads,
AISHA
my friend
hello im charlotte and i have a friend and a little while before she met me she had a dream she met me at a barbecue with all her family around, then she did atchely meet me.
I have known her for about 2 and a half years now, and every time she has a dream i am in it.even if its in the corner of her eye or walking round town or something like that and sometimes i look exactly the same in the dream as i did the next day.
thank you
from
Charlotte
I too am having the same
I too am having the same issues as everyone else. It started when I was a child, I would sleep all the time, having all of these vivid dreams, someone could wake me up and I could go back to sleep and pick the dream up where I left off. I also experienced obe, and most of my dreams were frightening. I am now 49 years, sleep 12 to 13 hours a day, wake up exhausted from my dreams. What causes this and what can I do to fix it?
Okay the fantastic,wonderful
Okay the fantastic,wonderful school school i go to makes me wake up at 5:30 AM ( starts at 7:10 bus comes 6:15). When i go to sleep around 10:30 pm... okay this might sound a little weird but whenever i try to sleep i cant get thoughts out of my head and like when i close my eyes i have many many dreams and all of a sudden i just open my eyes around 2-4 am and I DONT FEEL TIRED AT ALL and my whole body aches. okay so to make this sound a little clearer if you kind of cant understand. i "sleep"( notice the " " )at 10:30 pm and wake up around 2-4 am I dont even feel a bit tired dont yawn or anything just all of a sudden open my eyes. and then when i go to school i feel so tired. But does anyone know what not feeling tired at all and stuff is??? I would really appreciate any awnsers.. can email me at thanks!
bad sleeper
I have a problem about to ruin my marriage and i don't know what to do. The other night i thought i slept soundly to find out wife is mad cause child in bed was moving and i woke cursing but no memory of this of this. I've also eat and don't remember as well as pee in boosters or bath and have no clue i did this but wife seems to think its something. Please help.
DREAM
DREAMING A MAN KEEPING MY PICTURE IN HIS PORTFOLIO.
When Dreams Come True -
When I was about 11 to 12 years old I had two different dreams that came true the next day. Can you talk about that? Or has anyone else had this happen to them? It's more than a Dejavu, though those are similar sort of.
I have actually had dreams about the whole next day befor it happened. In one instance - I remember going to bed nervous about meeting some people and other kids I've never met before, and that night I dreamed about people I didn't know, saw their faces, the activities we did, their clothing (particularly a red golf or fishing hat on a particular person). When I woke up I remembered having a memorable dream (which I often don't remember my dreams). I went about my day the next day, and it wasn't until about the end of the day when I realized that everything I had done was exactly the same things I did in my dream the night before, and with the same people.
From my dream I remember three or four specific "scenes" if you will - and I didn't put two and two together until I was sitting in one of the scenes (the next day), and I remembered my dream, and said as much "I dreamed all of this last night", right after that I experienced the last "scene" from my dreams from the night before.
How do you explain this? This suggests that everything we do is pre-destined. And I've got to tell you I'm not a believer in pre-destiny. I think we all can make choices, but these dreams seem to be proof (at least to me) of the contrary.
Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks! Mari
Hey Mari!
Hey Mari!I too have had plenty of dreams that came true.I am a christian and I know that God knows you're destiny.Also,I know that the Lord will give you visions and warnings in dreams that will usually come true.Hey Mari,are you a christian?If not,I would suggest that you surrender you're life to Christ and pray to Him to reveal His Holy Word to you.Wether you are saved or not,please feel free to reply to this post if you have any questions about dreams or how to turn you're life over to Christ.May God bless you and take care!
Dreaming too long
I find that my dreams are too long and intense that i sleep till almost 5:30 in the evening .. Is this a bad this ? should i be worried ?
Half Asleep
Sometimes when I sleep it feels like I am half asleep. I can kind of hear things going on around me and I know I am laying in bed. I try to move but I can't. It takes several attempts for me to move and I fully wake up. This happened to me today I was half asleep and tried to move took me a few times before I moved and woke my self up. Right after that I fell half asleep again doing the same thing. This happened about 3 or 4 times before I was actually awake enough not to fall back asleep. One of the times it felt like my arm was shaking while I was trying to move it. It kind of feels like gravity is pushing me down. i think it's kind of cool but does anyone know what this is?
Sleep problems
Just thought id say im glad im not alone with constantly being tired and sleeping heavily. i am always so tired i struggle to focus my eyes and concentrate. I remember the last day i actually felt awake was a summer several years ago when i was a teenager. since then its been a struggle, even with doing things i love, getting the energy together to ride my horses or take my bike out takes forever. 1st i thought it was motivation, but quickly discovered it wasn't, then i got blood tests and everything came back ok. I am now trying iron and zinc tablets to see if that helps as i have been told that some people need more than others so i may be lacking. Am going to give it a few months and see what happens.
i used to be a really outgoing and sociable person, up every morning with the horses until late every night, now i struggle to even get up and make a coffee at 10ish and prefer to spend my days by myself.
Does anyone even have a slightest idea on what may be causing these kind of things. would much be appreciated.