Nicotine Patch And Dreams

[NiGHTS]

I used to be really into the whole lucid dream thing, came on these forums quite a while ago and I had the best dreams ever, multiple lucids in a period of a couple months. Since then, I've fallen into a slump and haven't remembered a single dream for a very long time.

I recently decided to quit smoking, and I thought it'd be best to try out the patch. I've had this one on for almost exactly 24 hours, with no craving for a cigarette whatsoever, in fact when I look at them I'm slightly disgusted (yay I'm sane again).

Now here's where the two things tie in together. I was reading the back of the box for the patches before I put one on (always a good idea :P), and it said "if you have vivid dreams or other sleep disturbances (?), you may remove the patch at bedtime and apply a new one in the morning". I had a fear about waking up in the middle of the night and just going out for a cigarette out of habit, forgetting about the whole patch thing, so I decided I'd better keep it on. Also it just seemed like one of those things that don't really matter, they just put it on the box in case one or two people experience it, just in case.

Well, I went to sleep without taking it off, I didn't have trouble getting to sleep or anything, but I did have the most vivid dream I've had in years. I didn't even think about it right after I woke up, which is weird because usually that's the only way I can remember anything about dreams. Maybe ten minutes after waking up, when I was in the kitchen, it all came back to me.

Now this is the weird part: I think it's the only dream I have ever remembered fully. I mean I'm not 100% sure, I don't know how you would be, but this dream had a beginning, middle, and end. It had a plot, and characters with names and faces. There aren't any gaps of things I can't remember about it, it seems as solid as a movie. I know exactly how it started, and the exact moment when I woke up from it.


I thought I'd share this because I've never heard about this happening with the patch, needless to say I was completely surprised by this.

So yeah, if you're trying to quit smoking and you can't pull it off, you should try the patch and maybe you'll get an extra little bonus while you sleep. :D

[ShYne123]

The patch is used to induce LDs i guess.
The nicotine stimulates your brain all night.

Im suprised this post didnt get any replys.
-I just bought "dyphhencialte HCL" pardon my spelling LOL
-After experimenting with that i am going to try the patch.
-I read if your a non smoker you can cutt a patch into like 3 sections, so it will last a while.
-My teacher told me a few days go the stuff hes using to quit smoking gives him awsome dreams. Its not the patch though.
-It probabily has the same nictotine in it, i think thats what dose it.

[MrGrEmLiN]

Did you had these dreams while you smoked? Maybe if you smoked before going to bed you'd get the same effect...

[ShYne123]

In dont think so, smoking is a immediate nicotine fix or something, the patch is let out slowily over the night stimulating your brain. By the time you got into a decent REM cycle your nicotine "stimuli" would be gone from a ciggarett. Also, people that used to smoke who used the patch wouldnt normally be like "the patch gives you awsome dreams!" when ciggs did the same thing. I have yet to get the patch, for now i am happy with my B-complex and DMAE.

[dodobird]

If I am not mistaken, nicotine is REM repressor, so it can be used for the 'REM rebound effect'. If you take a small dose of it, it kills your earler REM periods, and then the later REM periods will be longer, as if to compensate.
The problem is that nicotine is addictive, causing dependence and desentization. There are other REM rebound causing substences that are less addictive.