Dreams

[dantheman]

So I am curious how many of you wake up remembering vivid dreams and how often? How about the feeling that you have been dreaming but as soon as you try to recall them they have already vanished from your mind?

I ask this because i had vivid dreams last night and did nothing differently, for the first time in a good 6 months. I know things like sleep apnea and depression can affect dream recall, so I'm wondering about your experiences.

[Tiny]

So I am curious how many of you wake up remembering vivid dreams and how often? How about the feeling that you have been dreaming but as soon as you try to recall them they have already vanished from your mind?

I ask this because i had vivid dreams last night and did nothing differently, for the first time in a good 6 months. I know things like sleep apnea and depression can affect dream recall, so I'm wondering about your experiences.

Normally I only remember nightmares.  Like last night I dreamt that I was back in high school and had an important maths exam in a few weeks and I'd basically skipped all the classes for the past 6 months and would not be able to catch up in time.  I have other nightmares and they tend to be recurring (e.g. final exams, being caught doing s**t I'm not supposed to be doing, being chased by groups of people)  Most of the time it's as you say - aware of the dream but unable to recall details.

I tend have especially vivid dreams (usually they're unpleasant) when I'm sleeping and too hot (and therefore sleeping lightly).  I think mild hypoxyia can cause very vivid dreams, too so I would expect sleep apnea to have some effect

Depression I'm not sure, I go through bouts of both severe and moderate depression (plus ongoing anxiety issues  ) and I can't say I notice a difference.  When I'm in a massively bad insomnia cycle I have weird 'waking dreams' though as my mind goes completely out of control when I'm not asleep but not fully awake.  Goes on for hours

[nrelax11]

I remember almost all my dreams most nights. Ive just always been like that. Well except when I use to smoke a lot of weed lol. It does really kill your dream recall. I use to actually be very into lucid dreaming and have been trying to get back into it, but my mind set isnt the same as it was when I was into it before. I love dreams though and have been having a bunch of surgery dreams lately. The weirdest was I was in my family room and my surgeon was removing my calf muscle and I was awake 

[dantheman]

Thanks for the input! Now that I think of it, I only have nightmares, usually provoked by drinking. Maybe my brain chooses not to recall my dreams for that reason! I once had the most vivid world war Z type dream, flat out terrifying. I had a dream about writing two exams at the same time in different rooms so I can identify with some of the themes of your dreams. In some ways I wish I recalled more dreams, the vivid ones seem like they last a lifetime and in their own unsettling way still made you feel like you actually slept.

[Tiny]

Thanks for the input! Now that I think of it, I only have nightmares, usually provoked by drinking.

Possibly because you're too hot

[dantheman]

I remember almost all my dreams most nights. Ive just always been like that. Well except when I use to smoke a lot of weed lol. It does really kill your dream recall. I use to actually be very into lucid dreaming and have been trying to get back into it, but my mind set isnt the same as it was when I was into it before. I love dreams though and have been having a bunch of surgery dreams lately. The weirdest was I was in my family room and my surgeon was removing my calf muscle and I was awake 

haha that's messed up. I like dreaming because I'm a pretty unimaginative person in real life and the unconscious mind can conjure up some pretty crazy sh*t. Like I said though, I rarely recall dreams since my teenage years, which is a shame.

[dantheman]

Possibly because you're too hot

I sleep with light sheets and the windows open summer and sometimes winter! Yes, I've had my thyroid checked. I do know what you mean though  I remember being in a sweat bath of a hotel room once and my dreams were an acid trip.

[Tiny]

I sleep with light sheets and the windows open summer and sometimes winter! Yes, I've had my thyroid checked. I do know what you mean though  I remember being in a sweat bath of a hotel room once and my dreams were an acid trip.

I don't drink any more but when I did, it would always make me boiling at night and sometimes the next day - ie beer sweats.

Alcohol affects sleep quite badly...it makes you sleep a lot more lightly.  I always used to say that 8 hours of drunk sleep was only 4hrs of real sleep

[dantheman]

He only thing that cures a hangover for me is sleep. I don't care what others say about greasy food, vitamins, or IV fluids.  A 3 hour afternoon snooze and at least I can salvage the evening!