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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Alara on February 9, 2003, at 1:02:55
Has anybody who is busy during the week ever noticed the following?:
On the weekends you catch up on your sleep...Knowing that you can sleep for as long as you want, you keep drifting in and out of REM sleep after a full 8-10 hours of `catchup sleep'.
I find this happening to me every weekend. I can continue sleeping for another 3-5 hours after the restorative sleep phase, becoming semi-awake after each dream finishes..At this point I can decide whether or not to get up or to fall back asleep again. I am usually kind of enjoying the dreams and feel so relaxed that I take the easy way out and fall asleep again. Today I continued this cycle until 1pm!
I'm not worried about this, just curious. I think it's just the result of working long and stressful hours...It's probably just my mind/body's way of replenishing itself.. But I find it strangely therapeutic and was wondering whether anyone else had experienced anything similar.
Alara
Posted by Bob on February 9, 2003, at 2:27:24
In reply to Strange REM sleep Phenomenon, posted by Alara on February 9, 2003, at 1:02:55
> Has anybody who is busy during the week ever noticed the following?:
>
> On the weekends you catch up on your sleep...Knowing that you can sleep for as long as you want, you keep drifting in and out of REM sleep after a full 8-10 hours of `catchup sleep'.
>
> I find this happening to me every weekend. I can continue sleeping for another 3-5 hours after the restorative sleep phase, becoming semi-awake after each dream finishes..At this point I can decide whether or not to get up or to fall back asleep again. I am usually kind of enjoying the dreams and feel so relaxed that I take the easy way out and fall asleep again. Today I continued this cycle until 1pm!
>
> I'm not worried about this, just curious. I think it's just the result of working long and stressful hours...It's probably just my mind/body's way of replenishing itself.. But I find it strangely therapeutic and was wondering whether anyone else had experienced anything similar.
>
>
> Alara
Alara:I have ALWAYS experienced this phenomenon on all SSRIs I have ever taken. My sleep cycle starts to shift, and eventually I find myself staying awake late into the night, and sleeping into the afternoon. The nature of my sleep in the morning is always extremely heavy with a lot of vivid dreaming. If I am taking a robust dose of an SSRI, this sleep will be so heavy as to prevent me from hearing my alarm clock. I will often incorporate sounds around me into my dreams. I will sometimes dream that I am getting out of bed and getting ready for work. Later I awake to find it was just a dream. Sometimes in the morning I will wake up briefly, but the sedation is overwhelming, and I fall back asleep so quickly I don't even realize it. It is an utterly overpowering urge to continue sleeping. It is one aspect of the drugs that as contributed to the destruction of my life. I have experienced this phenomenon for many years and have tried many, many things to correct it, like stimulants, melatonin, thyroid supplements, light boxes, Welbutrin, coffee, taking my meds at different times of the day, etc, etc, etc. Nothing has ever worked for more than a few days to a week. No doctor I have ever spoken to has really understood the severity of it.
Anyway, it fortunately sounds like you don't suffer quite like I do, but I wanted you to know that I do experience the same REM sleep phenomenon that you do.
Bob
>
>
>
Posted by Ritch on February 9, 2003, at 11:07:41
In reply to Strange REM sleep Phenomenon, posted by Alara on February 9, 2003, at 1:02:55
> Has anybody who is busy during the week ever noticed the following?:
>
> On the weekends you catch up on your sleep...Knowing that you can sleep for as long as you want, you keep drifting in and out of REM sleep after a full 8-10 hours of `catchup sleep'.
>
> I find this happening to me every weekend. I can continue sleeping for another 3-5 hours after the restorative sleep phase, becoming semi-awake after each dream finishes..At this point I can decide whether or not to get up or to fall back asleep again. I am usually kind of enjoying the dreams and feel so relaxed that I take the easy way out and fall asleep again. Today I continued this cycle until 1pm!
>
> I'm not worried about this, just curious. I think it's just the result of working long and stressful hours...It's probably just my mind/body's way of replenishing itself.. But I find it strangely therapeutic and was wondering whether anyone else had experienced anything similar.
>
>
> Alara
>
>
>I noticed that when I was going to college and working at the same time. I had some sleep deprivation during the week (due to staying up and studying), and then on the weekend I would marathon sleep (12 hrs both days), and have a lot of excessive dreaming. Intellectual activity seems to increase the need for REM sleep. That also can translate into lighter sleep during the week. You might want to try a vigorous workout after you get off work (but not too close to bedtime). That might help with feeling more refreshed when you get up the next morning.
Posted by Kathii on February 9, 2003, at 21:09:17
In reply to Re: Strange REM sleep Phenomenon » Alara, posted by Bob on February 9, 2003, at 2:27:24
> > Has anybody who is busy during the week ever noticed the following?:
> >
> > On the weekends you catch up on your sleep...Knowing that you can sleep for as long as you want, you keep drifting in and out of REM sleep after a full 8-10 hours of `catchup sleep'.
> >
> > I find this happening to me every weekend. I can continue sleeping for another 3-5 hours after the restorative sleep phase, becoming semi-awake after each dream finishes..At this point I can decide whether or not to get up or to fall back asleep again. I am usually kind of enjoying the dreams and feel so relaxed that I take the easy way out and fall asleep again. Today I continued this cycle until 1pm!
> >
> > I'm not worried about this, just curious. I think it's just the result of working long and stressful hours...It's probably just my mind/body's way of replenishing itself.. But I find it strangely therapeutic and was wondering whether anyone else had experienced anything similar.
> >
> >
> > Alara
>
>
> Alara:
>
> I have ALWAYS experienced this phenomenon on all SSRIs I have ever taken. My sleep cycle starts to shift, and eventually I find myself staying awake late into the night, and sleeping into the afternoon. The nature of my sleep in the morning is always extremely heavy with a lot of vivid dreaming. If I am taking a robust dose of an SSRI, this sleep will be so heavy as to prevent me from hearing my alarm clock. I will often incorporate sounds around me into my dreams. I will sometimes dream that I am getting out of bed and getting ready for work. Later I awake to find it was just a dream. Sometimes in the morning I will wake up briefly, but the sedation is overwhelming, and I fall back asleep so quickly I don't even realize it. It is an utterly overpowering urge to continue sleeping. It is one aspect of the drugs that as contributed to the destruction of my life. I have experienced this phenomenon for many years and have tried many, many things to correct it, like stimulants, melatonin, thyroid supplements, light boxes, Welbutrin, coffee, taking my meds at different times of the day, etc, etc, etc. Nothing has ever worked for more than a few days to a week. No doctor I have ever spoken to has really understood the severity of it.
>
> Anyway, it fortunately sounds like you don't suffer quite like I do, but I wanted you to know that I do experience the same REM sleep phenomenon that you do.
>
> Bob
> >
> >
> >
>
>
Oh, Wow, Bob, I have exactly the same thing - thought I was all alone with it. The alarm clock becomes just a part of my dream, the sheets won't let me go, and I can sleep until 1pm if I don't have to get up. I tell people that I have chronic insomnia and have problems getting up early because I really haven't slept most of the night. It's like waking the dead...
But I *do* need to start getting up earlier.
I've recently started Lexapro (have been on Wellbutrin and Xanax) and have been enjoying the increased dreaming, although I had one dream where a TV weatherman kept telling me all my clocks were wrong.
Anybody have suggestions on how to get up in the morning?
Posted by Alara on February 13, 2003, at 4:24:01
In reply to Re: Strange REM sleep Phenomenon » Alara, posted by Bob on February 9, 2003, at 2:27:24
Bob, I do exactly the same thing: I incorporate dreams into what is happening in reality (eg; alarm clock ringing) and sometimes have to set 2 alarm clocks to wake up...I am on SSRIs but this was happening while I was off medication...
Maybe what we're experiencing is semi-normal???
Posted by Bittersweet on February 13, 2003, at 19:51:08
In reply to Re: Strange REM sleep Phenomenon, posted by Alara on February 13, 2003, at 4:24:01
> Bob, I do exactly the same thing: I incorporate dreams into what is happening in reality (eg; alarm clock ringing) and sometimes have to set 2 alarm clocks to wake up...I am on SSRIs but this was happening while I was off medication...
> Maybe what we're experiencing is semi-normal???* * * * *
Hey folks, I too have this [difficulty?].
Because I couldn't fall to sleep at night I told myself I need this extra sleep...but I could stay in bed til 3pm - the dreams are nice, and it is just so difficult to shake the fog. Even if I have an appointment or something, I still won't be able to rouse myself alot of times.I argued with myself that if I didn't sleep so late I would be able to go to bed at a reasonable hour, but even if I do manage to get to sleep by midnight, I continue with the deep sleep into the afternoon, and still feel I have no control to clear the fog...and the dreams, they do seem *so* worth getting back into, that I will turn right over and doze off again...oh heavy sigh :o)
I was last on Wellbutrin, but stopped those a few months ago. Nothing has changed. I switched from 2mg Adivan to 10mg Valium, of which I only use occasionally. This REM phenomenon happened either way. If my memory/awareness was greater I might be able to at least lean one way...who knows :o)
The worst part of it is that I end up feeling worse after too much sleep - very lethargic and guilty.
Posted by nails on February 14, 2003, at 20:33:21
In reply to Re: Strange REM sleep Phenomenon » Alara, posted by Bittersweet on February 13, 2003, at 19:51:08
It is so comforting to find that I'm not alone with this sleep/dream thing you all are talking about!
I've been on SSRI's (Prozac) for 13 years and feel "drugged" whenever I try to wake up. I finally became self-employed to I could work my own hours! I used to start my work at 9 a.m., then 10 a.m., then 11, now it's noon or later. (Today I slept until 3:00 p.m.!) I also find myself going to bed later and later, sometimes not until 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning. But, regardless what time I retire at night, I could (and often do) easily sleep 10-12 hrs or more.
And the DREAMS!! My dreams are SO VIVID, with beginings and endings and plots! They're very sensible. My husband keeps telling me I should use my dreams to write movie and t.v. scripts! I'll often spend an hour or more relaying a dream to him in colorful, vivid detail as he listens intently with genuine interest. I can recall verbal exchanges verbatim, which, like I said, will read like a movie script. Colors are vivid, I can smell smells, hear sounds, feel stimuli... all pertaining to the dream. What's kinda scary is that my dreams are so sensible and realistic that I often confuse them with reality. I'll think I dreamed something when actually, it really happened. Or, I'll swear something happened and it turns out I'd dreamed it.
I'd told my Pdoc about this sleep/dream stuff on more than one visit, but he'd just shrug it off. He NEVER told me this was not uncommon among SSDI users. And I've never before seen anything to state that it's a reported side effect of SSDIs. So, until I found this site last week and started reading these posts, I thought I was just weird. (and so did my husband!)
My theory was that I just had a very active imagination, therefore the long, vivid dreams. And the reason I felt "drugged" when trying to wake up was because my mind and body were busy all night "living my dreams" and didn't really get proper rest. Actually, it still makes sense.
Thanks for helping me realize I'm really not THAT "weird".
Now, does anyone on SSRI's experience periodic extreme sweating??
Posted by nails on February 16, 2003, at 14:47:24
In reply to Re: Strange REM sleep Phenomenon, posted by nails on February 14, 2003, at 20:33:21
I've been on SSRI's (Prozac) for 13 years and feel "drugged" whenever I try to wake up. I finally became self-employed to I could work my own hours! I used to start my work at 9 a.m., then 10 a.m., then 11, now it's noon or later. (Today I slept until 3:00 p.m.!) I also find myself going to bed later and later, sometimes not until 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning. But, regardless what time I retire at night, I could (and often do) easily sleep 10-12 hrs or more.
And the DREAMS!! My dreams are SO VIVID, with beginings and endings and plots! They're very sensible. My husband keeps telling me I should use my dreams to write movie and t.v. scripts! I'll often spend an hour or more relaying a dream to him in colorful, vivid detail as he listens intently with genuine interest. I can recall verbal exchanges verbatim, which, like I said, will read like a movie script. Colors are vivid, I can smell smells, hear sounds, feel stimuli... all pertaining to the dream. What's kinda scary is that my dreams are so sensible and realistic that I often confuse them with reality. I'll think I dreamed something when actually, it really happened. Or, I'll swear something happened and it turns out I'd dreamed it.
I'd told my Pdoc about this sleep/dream stuff on more than one visit, but he'd just shrug it off. He NEVER told me this was not uncommon among SSDI users. And I've never before seen anything to state that it's a reported side effect of SSDIs. So, until I found this site last week and started reading these posts, I thought I was just weird.
My theory was that I just had a very active imagination, therefore the long, vivid dreams. And the reason I felt "drugged" when trying to wake up was because my mind and body were busy all night "living my dreams" and didn't really get proper rest. Actually, it still makes sense.
How many of you other SSRI users experience this vivid dream and grogginess thing?
Posted by Tabitha on February 16, 2003, at 15:48:26
In reply to Vivid dreams on SSRI's?, posted by nails on February 16, 2003, at 14:47:24
I was on prozac and also had intense dreams. They were disturbingly physical--I'd dream that I was trying to sleep but my body kept getting flung around the room. It was a really apt image, the stuff was just too activating for me. Or I'd dream that parts of my body were coming off, including lots of gross stuff coming out my mouth. Another frequent theme was fantastical wild animals. It was not restful at all! One thing that helped my sleep cycle was adding a low dose of Nortryptiline. Before that I had 'early morning awakening' meaning I'd be wide awake at 5 am, but hadn't really had enough sleep to get up. With the nortryptiline+prozac I could at least sleep 8 hours, but I still had the dreams. Eventually I switched to serzone, and the dreams stopped.
Posted by Alara on February 17, 2003, at 5:01:35
In reply to Vivid dreams on SSRI's?, posted by nails on February 16, 2003, at 14:47:24
Nails, I have the vivid dreams and the grogginess factor whether I'm taking meds or not. I wonder if it's related to storing up too much emotional energy during the day and needing to `live it out' at night in a safe place (asleep in bed).
I don't see a connection between taking SSRIs and my REM sleep phenomenon - but many have reported this.
Maybe it depends on the individual.
Posted by nails on February 20, 2003, at 3:52:22
In reply to Re: Vivid dreams on SSRI's? » nails, posted by Tabitha on February 16, 2003, at 15:48:26
Thank you Tabitha!! I was so glad to see your reply regarding vivid dreams and Prozac. Weird... I have the same dreams about "body parts" and "gross stuff coming out of my mouth"!!! And, as you said, NOT a restful sleep. But, unlike you and many others on this site, I never wake up BEFORE my "restorative 8 hours" sleep. (unless I don't realize or remember it). In fact, when even a fraction of my brain senses morning consciousness, it quickly decides it's been too active in my dreams all night and feels justified in falling swiftly back into dreamland. Are you still taking Prozac or is the Serzone in liu of that?
Posted by katiemom on February 20, 2003, at 14:24:05
In reply to Re: Vivid dreams on SSRI's?, posted by Alara on February 17, 2003, at 5:01:35
I'm glad I'm not the only one that has vivid dreams on these drugs. I take Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Abilify and since I increased my Zoloft to 100mg I have found that my REM sleep cycles rapidly. I also too wake up and then go right back into a dream state. My dreams are full of anger and this causes me to wake up in a panic. This goes on through the night so I never get a full nights sleep. I hope this goes away for I seem tired all the time and I need my energy.
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