2 replies to this topic

[faxmulder]

Hi guys,

 

my issue, that presented in the last year, is kinda odd, i.e. "too much dreaming". I understand that the REM stage is an essential component of sleep, but I think I have it in excess, and it is a hindrance to reaching the Deep Sleep stage.

 

I wake up quite often in the night, always from a dream, and seem to continue dreaming as soon as I fall back asleep again. They are not nightmares, I'd say vivid dreams.

 

It's like my mind is never shutting off when I sleep. I can usually fall asleep without problems (even if I'm a night owl, so I'm going to bed past midnight) and can generally fall asleep again within minutes of waking in the night.

 

Is there anything that could help me in reducing REM sleep in order to improve deep sleep?

 

Thank you!

[DaveX]

Dextromethorphan is anecdotally known to cause vivid dreams. So are certain nootropics, including herbs like Bacopa with an effect on AMPA (etc). I bet there are different ways to cause vivid dreams, or that could be responsible for it. Anyway, DXM is a strong NMDA-antagonist, so it might have something to do with this. However this article mentions that acetylcholine is mainly responsible for REM sleep: https://www.vice.com...up-weird-dreams

Maybe you could deplete more acetylcholine during the day to have a calmer sleep. Huperzine A, which is a acetylcholineesterase inhibitor might do this, and supposedly Piracetam. However Huperzine might also strengthen your acetylcholine and memory pathways, which might also intensify dreams. Anyway, you could also directly take an acetylcholine blocker, like the antihistamine diphenhydramine seems to be. Your REM sleep would either be strongly reduced or limited to the endphase of your sleep.

[YoungSchizo]

I have the exact same thing since 2016, mine was exacerbated by a psychosis.

 

Tried 20+ different sleep meds from which only Mirtazapine and Clonidine seems to work to prevent me from dreaming and waking up from it but my psychiatrist doesn't want to prescribe Clonidine (bought it offlabel and I noticed tolerance building up fast) and I can't use Mirtazapine because of drug drug interaction.

 

Had 2 polysomnograph's and on both my sleep/dream disorder was found but sleepdoctors and the psychiatry could not explain why I wake up from excessive dreaming.

 

I have a old forum thread about excessive dreaming and waking up from it of mine here with lots of suggestions.

 

The only thing in 3 years that I found really helpful (after the psychiatry and sleepclinic gave up on idea's to tackle my sleepdisorder) was alcohol abuse and/plus smoking CBD hemp strains. Alcohol helps but you know it's effects/side's and strong CBD hemp works really GREAT but it's too expensive in the long run for me.