[bubbles00]

So I was talking to my friend today about my sleep and how I feel like sleeping all the time so she sent me this:

hmm i actually never realized that I dream more when I'm depressed. A food for thought i guess.

she also sent me this too:

[Juuso]

I haven't really noticed any more dreams than from the times I wasn't depressed, although it's a long time ago and I can't be sure. Thinking about it though, I think my the dreams I do have become more 'tense', you could say.

[-jimi-]

I definitely dreamed more. And had less deep sleep. Not enough deep sleep and you will be tired and more depressed.

That is why I wonder why some people claim sleeping pills are bad because it shortens REM sleep. Well it NEEDS to be shortened in depressed people anyway!

Actually I think if more research into restoring sleep existed, depression would be cured much easier.

[-jimi-]

It's not only the REM time that can become longer, other abnormalities also exists, like REM sleep starts too early after you fall asleep (those dreams you will forget unless you wake up right after) and also REM sleep becomes more "dense" and intense.

[Hellion]

I don't really remember not being depressed as its been the case for so long, and I have more trouble with lack of efficient sleep rather than sleeping too much...I do have other disorders as well though.

[SkySailor]

Depression has a very wide spectrum, with so many sub groups. I think the original response on depression increasing dreaming is too grand of a conclusion... From my knowledge and experience, depression can be tied to reduced levels of dopamine and the greater level of dopamine tends to produce more vivid dreaming. So less dopamine can cause less dreaming. Also, insomnia can be a symptom of atypical depression, which can induce shallow sleep, causing non or less dreams. In addition, insomnia medication can reduce REM sleep, which reduces dreaming.

On a interesting note, anxiety can cause one to awaken from a dreaming state too early, which can cause two unusual phenomenons. First, when you dream, your body paralyzes it's self to prevent one from acting out his or her dream. When awaken from a dream too quickly, you can experience sleep paralysis; inability to move, speak, etc, for a few seconds. This has happen to me and it is scary. Second, if awaken from dreaming too suddenly, you can see a temporary hallucinate, as if the dreaming world and real world are still intertwined. For this reason, people have reported seeing demons, aliens, etc, upon awakening. This has been documented in allot of old literature. It only last for a few seconds. My overall point here is that depression, which can coincide with anxiety, does do interesting stuff to our sleep and dreams.

Overall, I do not think that such a general conclusion can be made about dreaming being increased, but how dreams are altered by mood is interesting.

[flours]

Originally Posted by SkySailor

On a interesting note, anxiety can cause one to awaken from a dreaming state too early, which can cause two unusual phenomenons. First, when you dream, your body paralyzes it's self to prevent one from acting out his or her dream. When awaken from a dream too quickly, you can experience sleep paralysis; inability to move, speak, etc, for a few seconds. This has happen to me and it is scary.

wow, interesting piece of information!
I get that a lot and was never really sure what was happening.
yeah, it's scary!!

(...find myself writing I get that a lot in too many different threads...)

[lovesdogs99]

Yeah, I dream like crazy man. I dream so much that I wish I didn't dream at all. Every night I am swamped with weird dreams that stir up anxiety or bad memories are incorporated into my dreams.

I also have the urge to sleep constantly. If I give in and nap, I wake up feeling worthless and terrible and my anxiety just goes through the roof.

[lovesdogs99]

Originally Posted by Hellion

I don't really remember not being depressed as its been the case for so long, and I have more trouble with lack of efficient sleep rather than sleeping too much...I do have other disorders as well though.

Depression either causes you to oversleep or have trouble sleeping.

[Creative1onder]

Originally Posted by bubbles00

So I was talking to my friend today about my sleep and how I feel like sleeping all the time so she sent me this:

hmm i actually never realized that I dream more when I'm depressed. A food for thought i guess.

she also sent me this too:

That's nonsense. Depression disrupts sleep and affects energy and daily activities because its physical illness as well as mental. help you sleep. The happier you are more likely you'll feel able to sleep well and get up early fresh and motivated for the day.

[buffieann]

So weird I just told my husband that I know I'm suffering from depression again and not sleeping well because I'm dreaming a lot and remembering them.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[glok]

Hello, bubbles00.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/02...ion/65322.html
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...ure-depressed/
5 Ideas for Boosting Your Energy When Depression Strikes | Psych Central

I wish you well.

[Creative1onder]

I don't dream /remember dreams much cos I don't sleep well cos of illness.

[woundedsoul]

Goodness, isn't this themail truth? I'm sleepy all the time. And I dream all the time, I dream about sleeping all the time.

[Creative1onder]

Good if you can have sound sleep to be able to dream. I have trouble getting to sleep cos of stuff in head and feeling uncomfortable or if do fall asleep its disrupted or short duration, I might early in morning. I think depression can make you either oversleep or undersleep and like for appetite either people put on weight or lose it cos lose appetite.

[Steiner of Thule]

I dream and sleep a lot.

[bubbles00]

i dunno but i find that i sleep wayyy too much and i dream a lot too (and even when i wake up im still super tired).

[buffieann]

My dr told me that when you're dreaming your not going into the deep restorative sleep you need. Dreams fascinate me, I've had to many come true and I always wonder what the subconscious mind can do. I'm going on no sleep in 2 days. Bipolar mania I've average only a couple hrs a night for a week now. Night night!

[hope156]

Wow. I often cannot fall asleep due to depression and worry. and when I do fall asleep I wake up after about an hour like clock work and then I sleep light some nights waking up a lot and end up tired, crying because I am so tired but I cannot sleep. On a rare night I will sleep so hard a severe storm cannot wake me up. Does anyone have that kind of experience?