Vivid Dreams cause of excessive sleepiness

[Ms.April]

For years I have been "suffering" from excessive dreaming. I have dreams that are extremely graphic, detailed and vivid. Most of the time I am aware that I am dreaming and cannot wake up. It does not occur every night, but several nights a week. I wake up feeling EXAUSTED. I nod off during the day, cannot keep my eyes open. Last night (for example) I got 8 hours of sleep and yet today I'm so tired I could cry! I should also mention that I fall asleep almost instantly and I dream as soon as I fall out. There are some days where I "fall asleep" here at work and begin to dream instantly, it's almost as if It's an instant hallucination. My husband says I'm lucky to fall asleep when I hit the pillow but I'm to the point where if sleeping makes me THIS tired I don't want to. The dreams are often traumatic and I'm tired anyway. What's the point of sleeping?!

I'm not suffering from depression and I have a regular schedule in terms of sleep (Usually get at least 6.5 - 8.5 hours a sleep). My diet is pretty good and I get an average amount of excersize. Everything I do is in moderation (no drugs either, btw).

Can someone PLEASE shed some light on this? Why am I dreaming so much and why do I feel exhausted after a "good" nights sleep?

Perplexed,
Ms.April

[bostitch]

I'm a vivid dreamer too, I've noticed that sometimes I may even pick up the dream and continue it several times during the night. The dreams can be visually very vivid, with details as clear as digital photos, like seeing every fleck in every pebble at the bottom of a stream. Most of my dreams have lots of details, and are very true to life. Sometimes I really hate to go to sleep, because the dreaming leaves me so tired.

I noticed years ago, that when I have periods of excessive dreaming, that may go on for weeks at a time, I'd wake up with pain in my joints, and I'd often bite my tongue, sometimes quite hard. I happened to wake up right in the middle of a biting process once and heard my jaw slam shut. It sounded just like a puppet's mouth suddenly shutting tight.
I also noticed when I awoke suddenly one morning, that my elbows, wrists, ankles and knees were all  folded tightly, as though in a muscle spasm. I figured, no wonder I hurt in the morning. Even the tongue biting seemed spasmodic.

Anyway, at least I don't do this all the time. I have no idea what triggers all this.
I did want to say though, because it might help someone here, that I've found if I take one ibuprofin when I go to sleep at night, I have normal dreams and no joint pain. I started doing this a couple of years ago. I don't take one every night, only when I find I'm in one of those very vivid dream cycles.

[healthcom]

No one here has the solution for all this dreaming. People who dream much are owned by a spirit, this spirit loves them with eternity in mind. There is no way for one to get rid of this spirit unless it abandons this spirit for another one. One most preferred is called the HOLY SPIRIT obtainable at the local church when all sins are confessed and a person makes a walk to the front for the laying of hands. Whats happening is that a spirit lives through the mind of the human. Every person has a spirit owner no matter if they dream or not. So if you are still looking you simply need to find, believe what I say, when you don't believe, that means the spirit that owns has full power over you and will not let you go. Love is a dominating force (meaning, rules over you, much like a husband over the household) and when a person dies this spirit is still there with you in the next life if you get one. Herbs,  Lucid dreaming, and doctors who prescribe medicine for this is a confusion and a wast of money. The meds they give usually create other problems within time. Take my advice, become a Christian because it has been proven to escape this domination.

[rebel_angel]

I have almost all these same problems too, the very vivid dreams, feeling very tired in the morning (as if I didn't sleep at all!). I started researching today after a particularly bad night last night, I slept about 12 hours somehow, and I was aware I was dreaming (lucid dreaming apparently), and trying to force myself to wake up but was unable. It's awful! I get the twitching thing, and I have dreams that I've already woken up and end up telling my dreams over and over in other dreams. Last night was weird though because I remember physically trying to force my eyelids open and managed to get one open and somehow I could see my room and the dream at the same time.
I'm pretty sure I don't have sleep apnea as I don't snore and I'm definitely not overweight. However I have frequent chest pains which I took beta blockers for up till 2 months ago when I was diagnosed with Costochondritis. A side effect of beta blockers is very vivid dreams which I had while I was on them, but they seem to have continued and are now escalating so I can recall at least 5 dreams EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!!
I think I'll book an appointment with my GP as it's really getting ridiculous now, I end up missing uni because I actually cannot wake up, my boyfriend has even tried shaking me awake and can't, he often thinks I'm dead!!

[gooddreams]

After experiencing excessive, vivid, thoroughly entertaining and screenplay worthy dreams for what feels like all night, every night, this is great to find others that do this!

Combing the internet, going to sleep therapy and talking to so many people over the years has shown that most are completely clueless about it's existence, but this is a real pattern.

I will come back here and check for anyone who has worthwhile results in diminishing the amount of REM sleep.

This is the goal for me.

Perhaps a Stanford sleep study could help, has anyone done that?

Most sleep websites and postings are the opposite, people that say how good REM is...well anything in moderation!

[jdnails2]

I've listed some things I tried to reduce dreaming that are hit and miss. I am now trying to reduce sugars, as I read somewhere that eating before sleeping and the digestion process can create sugars and actually contribute to dreaming.

I also consider it may be helpful to not recall the dreams. ie: if there is a way to forget them upon waking but I have not been able to do this either, yet.

[gooddreams]

Interesting about the sugars. Sleeping pills don't reduce my dreaming. However the sugar hypothesis is hopeful. The funny thing is that while I read your reply I had this new bottle of herbal medicine in my hand! It says this "Gymnema - the sugar destroyer".

I tried it last night and want to test it for some time before reporting back with an opinion.