I have had insomnia most of my adult life. I have found that, as I get older, I require less sleep, functioning quite well on 5 hours. And once every couple of months I will sleep 10 or 12 hours.Rather than fight it, I have always simply let my body set my sleep patterns. I recently decided to try a sleeping pill in an effort to sleep more normally but this resulted in a side affect I had not anticipated – I stopped dreaming.
I am one of those people that has crazy, vivid dreams – on occasion, I am being chased and as my pursuer catches up to me I open my mouth to scream and nothing comes out. If I could just scream, I would be saved, but, I cannot make a sound. I always wake up before I am caught, usually screaming in the “real” world. My husband has gotten used to this over the years and he knows the drill; ask me what the dream was about and then tell me, “you’re alright, it was only a dream.” I usually fall asleep again and dream of something nonthreatening.
So, after several weeks of no dreams I realized I missed them; even the bad dreams. Well, maybe not so much the bad ones, but not dreaming left me feeling sort of lacking every morning. My anxiety levels during waking hours had increased. I found myself more fearful, less sure of myself and that is SOOOO not me.I stopped the pills this week and found a more holistic approach to help me sleep in the form of a tea. While it takes longer to fall asleep, I am happy to report my dreams are back.
So far this week, I have been chased and shot at but this time I had
a big, strong guy with a gun to shoot back with me (decided to keep the Rambo guy to myself and not tell my husband), judged a contest between two sushi restaurants which my husband drove me back and forth between them with my truck (I don't eat sushi when awake) and I flew through the night sky to confront a bad guy. Kind of felt like Lara Croft, Tomb Raider this week.I also found two websites about dream interpretation. Neither is all that extensive or even accurate but it’s still interesting to look up their take on dream meanings.
So, for your interpretive pleasure here is the link to DREAM MOODS and DREAM MEANINGS.
Sweet dreams everyone and if your dreams are anything like mine then I sincerely wish that NOT all your dreams come true!
"a big, strong guy with a gun to shoot back with me"
ReplyDeleteAw shucks, weren't no problem. . .
Damn... dreams like that, I'm more exhausted when I wake up. Way to go for a more natural approach to falling asleep.
ReplyDeleteHA! I thought that guy look familiar - should have known The Fogg had my back! ;)
ReplyDeleteI am not a dcotor and have never stayed at a Holiday Inn, so here's what I used when I went for many months with terrible sleep habits. I started taking Melatonin in the evening with some Valerian root. It puts me to sleep and leaves me asleep with my dreams. I did the sleeping pills and was having nightmares so I stopped those. Melatonin is already produced by our body, this just boosts the amount of it and Valerian root is an old time herb that is a relaxant. I use 30 mg of M and two Valerian of 450mg strength. I buy them at the health food store but you can usually find them in any chain drugstore or wherever you shop. Hope this helps you a little bit, if you decide to try it.
ReplyDeleteJust viewed this before I read your post! You'll like it.
ReplyDeleteStill No Sleep
As a Young Man a dreamed of Sex.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in my 40s I dreamed of Running. As I near 60, I dream of walking. Hiking would be like Sex for me. It just means we all have personal dreams. Good night everyone;)
Rocky,have you seen Inception? It is a wild ride in the world of dreams. I am also a vivid dreamer and I have repeat dreams, the same setting but changes in the details.
ReplyDeleteSheria, I haven't seen it yet; trying to work up my nerve. I think if I see it, my dreams will be even crazier than they are now and I'm not sure I can afford any crazier. :)
ReplyDeleteRocky: Love the images. I used to dream like crazy but rarely do anymore. However, sleep? What's that? I get up several times a night. Read or get on the computer. I read somewhere that it's better to get up and do something than it is to toss and turn. I've been known to slam a pillow against the wall.
ReplyDeleteI've tried every pill in the book. None of them work.
TNLIB - every once in a while I get this insane idea to try some new pill or another and they never work for me either or they work so well I don't dream and for me, that's like dying every night!
ReplyDeleteI worked for years in sustance abuse rehab and most every night I led a progressive relaxation group. Learned it so well that the nights I can't settle, I just start doing the relaxation gig in my head. Works most of the time.
To all my fellow insomniacs! The Perseid meteor showers will peak this year Aug 12-13 between midnight and dawn. So pull up a lounge chair in the back yard, get a light cover, a bottle of wine or a thermos of hot coffee and join me in marveling at this celestial phenomenon!
ReplyDeleteYes and a pint of blood to replace what the mosquitoes take.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to ask, is that a Richard Lindner on the left?
No idea who painted it, saw it somewhere and filched it :)
ReplyDeleteMosquitoes are one reason I'd rather live in NC. I'll be able to sit outside watching the meteor shower without the prerequisite slapping and swatting. At least in my area of the state.