Sleeping and dreaming

[imported_LoKe]

I call upon the infinite wisdom of AT to help me figure this one out.

To start: I don't sleep well. Each morning I wake up feeling restless, as if sleeping for 6-8 hours the previous night did next to nothing. I'm always groggy and feel like crap when I wake. I have not yet contacted any professionals for this issue, but I'm sure this will be the next step.

Now, about the dreaming. You know those 5 minutes in the morning when you can slightly recall the last dream you had? Well, I never get those. Well, I shouldn't say never. About once a month or a little longer I wake up and remember a dream. At the same time, I feel well rested and not so depressed anymore. I assume this is because I had a deeper sleep than usual?

My question: What are some normal methods of which a person could use to "activate" a deep sleep? I miss remembering my dreams, because the ones I do recall are often pleasant and relaxing in the sense that personal conflicts are brought into light and internally resolved.

So, any experts here that can help me?

EDIT; Thinking back, I realize that I've only had two incidents in which I could recall a dream. That's twice in at least eight months. That doesn't sound right.

 

[FoBoT]

dreaming normally happens during REM sleep
you need REM sleep to feel rested

i rarely dream/remember dreams anymore maybe once a month at most. most of mine lately are perverted versions of work stress anyway, so they are really nightmares

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_eye_movement

Various drugs, including alcohol, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants are known to suppress REM sleep.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
dreaming normally happens during REM sleep
you need REM sleep to feel rested

i rarely dream/remember dreams anymore maybe once a month at most. most of mine lately are perverted versions of work stress anyway, so they are really nightmares

At this point, I'd welcome nightmares. Anything to tell me that I'm getting decent sleep.

I used to have night-terrors when I was very young. I'd say maybe 5-6. My mother said that the things I would describe seeing in my dreams horrified her, and she said it was impossible for me to have known of these things outside of my nightmares.

I sometimes wonder if this is part of the reason I don't sleep well.

 

[rise]

i'll play dr.

i've gone months without remembering dreams. its not a big deal.

as for activating a deep sleep, just self med. it'll piss off your real dr. but dr. rise approves.

 

[BrownTown]

On average I remember probably 1-5 different dreams that I've had the night before. Personally I think dreaming DEFFINITELY helps, on the times when I can remember 5+ dreams from the previous night I feel much more rested (although this might be becaue those times are also longer sleeps). Honestly though, dreams are really cool, I love them, especially those times when you aren't in any real hurry to wake up and can wake up and go back to sleep 10 times in a row and weave in and out between dreams and consciousness.

 

[Whitecloak]

do you touch yourself at night?

 

[SagaLore]

Tips for better sleep, especially for those having problems:

- Pick up a low-dose melatonin supplement. Take it 1 hour before bed time.
- Do some kind of aerobic exercise 3 times a week. Do it first thing in the morning or right after you get home from work.
- Keep your water intake up, keep yourself hydrated.
- Lower your air temp at night and use more/thicker blankets to stay warm.
- Minimize how much meat and dairy you consume for dinner. Don't eat 2 hours before bed.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_eye_movement

Various drugs, including alcohol, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants are known to suppress REM sleep.

I rarely drink, don't do drugs, don't take antidepressants, and don't know what the hell benzodiazepines are.

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Tips for better sleep, especially for those having problems:

- Pick up a low-dose melatonin supplement. Take it 1 hour before bed time.
- Do some kind of aerobic exercise 3 times a week. Do it first thing in the morning or right after you get home from work.
- Keep your water intake up, keep yourself hydrated.
- Lower your air temp at night and use more/thicker blankets to stay warm.
- Minimize how much meat and dairy you consume for dinner. Don't eat 2 hours before bed.

I'll have to look into these melatonin supplements. Thanks!

 

[TallBill]

Melatonin or Valarian root supplement.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: FoBoT
dreaming normally happens during REM sleep
you need REM sleep to feel rested

i rarely dream/remember dreams anymore maybe once a month at most. most of mine lately are perverted versions of work stress anyway, so they are really nightmares

At this point, I'd welcome nightmares. Anything to tell me that I'm getting decent sleep.

I used to have night-terrors when I was very young. I'd say maybe 5-6. My mother said that the things I would describe seeing in my dreams horrified her, and she said it was impossible for me to have known of these things outside of my nightmares.

I sometimes wonder if this is part of the reason I don't sleep well.

this sounds almost exactly like me, i had night terror, couldn't remember half of them so when i woke up parents would be all crazy and i'd be like, wtf happened?

And also, i never, like, almost ever remember my dreams, and i can't even like get to sleep. ever

 

[imported_LoKe]

Will these melatonin supplements make waking up more difficult?

 

[Anubis]

sleep apnea?

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Anubis
sleep apnea?

I read something saying that if you have sleep apnea, it's likely that you snore at night. I don't snore. That's not conclusive, so is there any other way to know without having my sleep monitored?

As for the melatonin...I'm going to see if I can find it in one of those natural stores. I'm pretty sure it's something only available OTC anywhere else.

 

[Pepsi90919]

you can get melatonin and valerian root at wal-mart.

i've used both. melatonin will induce that groggy feeling within an hour but not necessarily help you sleep if you feel anxiety. remember that melatonin is a hormone produced by your body. however taking more of it will not make your body produce any less than what it would need if you weren't taking supplements. 3mg is a typical dose... a quick scan of google says it enhances REM sleep in placebo-controlled tests. turning out your lights stimulates melatonin production.

valerian root is a bit less severe, and sometimes it doesn't even seem to do anything.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Whitecloak
do you touch yourself at night?

But seriously, doing so before bed can help you relax, assuming you don't have some kind of crazy bondage fetish. Bleeding due to whip lashes probably isn't a good way to help get to sleep. Unless it's a bondage-sado-masochism fetish. Then it'd probably be best to lie back-down on a bed of rock salt. Hey man, I'm not judgin'.

How stressful are your days? Is your sleep schedule regular? What are you generally doing before going to bed? Do you consume any caffeine during the day? Any number of things can impair sleep. I find that if my feet get cold during the night, it will either wake me up, or else I'll feel lousy, possibly from partly waking up. Sometimes I do really freaky stuff though - I generally sleep with three layers, a sheet, a thin blanket, and then a quilt. One night I managed to remove the middle layer, line it up nicely beside my bed, and then cover myself neatly with the other two layers, in the proper order. Maybe I get possessed by some demon with severe OCD. More frequently I'll do that with the top layer, line it up neatly by the side of my bed, while remaining covered with the other layers.
People get weird when they sleep.

Oh, and if you get any caffeine at all, try to eliminate it from your diet entirely for awhile and see if that does anything.

 

[Tiamat]

I usually dont remember my dreams either. Except last night, i dreamed that my premolar suddenly exploded leaving a piece of it remaining. I spit out the other half of the premolar along with the blood and then i woke up. What an annoying and stupid dream.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I usually dont remember my dreams either. Except last night, i dreamed that my premolar suddenly exploded leaving a piece of it remaining. I spit out the other half of the premolar along with the blood and then i woke up. What an annoying and stupid dream.

losing your teeth is a very common dream (nightmare) and stems from anxiety.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Anubis
sleep apnea?

I read something saying that if you have sleep apnea, it's likely that you snore at night. I don't snore. That's not conclusive, so is there any other way to know without having my sleep monitored?

As for the melatonin...I'm going to see if I can find it in one of those natural stores. I'm pretty sure it's something only available OTC anywhere else.

microphone next to your bed + windows sound recorder ?

 

[imported_LoKe]

Alright, I picked up some Melatonin supplements, gonna give 'em a shot tonight with some B12 in the morning. Anything specific I should be aware of?

 

[IGBT]

..try a "B" complex vitamin and see what happens. May kick in after a week or so.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Not much more than an interesting anecdote, but when I was quitting smoking, I used the Nicoderm transdermal nicotine patch. Sleeping with one of those on produced some of the most vivid and memorable dreams I've ever experienced in my life. I'm not alone in that experience, either.

 

[FlashG]

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and didn?t snore at all. The sleep test found that I was having 80-90 episodes a minute! After 2 years on a bi-pap machine I?m doing quite well.
I use a BiPAP Pro 2 with Bi-Flex, REMstar Heated Humidifier

 

[Auric]

Goggle "How To Sleep & Have More Energy" for a freebee e-book.

It's promotional and sports a cheesy title page but read on and there is useful info, particularly about natural rhythms and how to syncronize with 'em.

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

Another tip - stay up! Always works for me - you can't have bad sleep when you don't sleep at all

gl OP.

 

[agentbad]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

- Minimize how much meat and dairy you consume for dinner. Don't eat 2 hours before bed.

Agree with everything except what you said about dairy. Drinking milk helps me relax before going to bed. It contains melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan which both help you sleep. The amounts aren't as high as a supplement so even if it's psychological it still seems to work for me.

Sleep apnea can occur without snoring but it's usually a result of heavy weight gain if not snoring. The extra fat pushes on your throat so you can't take in as much oxygen. I have had 2 sleep tests and they aren't fun for sleep apnea and asthma, it sucks. They literally paste a bunch of electrodes to your head, hook them up to a computer, and then turn out the lights and expect you to sleep like you would at home. After a few hours they start waking you up every 30 minutes. I was able to dream of electric sheep though.