Thread: Any research or thoughts on Hearing voices while sleep deprived?

Since I do not know any papers off the top of my head, try doing research into anticholinergic drugs that cause delirium. They cause many of the same symptoms of sleep deprivation in drug form. Dissociatives also tend to cause auditory hallucinations in the form of voices sometimes. Also maybe check out the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and the hypotheses behind them. They are all linked in one way or another. The simplest answer I can give is that it is an imbalance of neurotransmitters.

When one is sleep deprived, interestingly enough, there is a higher rate of dopaminergic firing. Dopamine and acetylcholine (which should ring some bells for you since I just mentioned anticholinergic drugs specifically) are linked, there seems to be a balancing act in the brain between the two neurotransmitters. The part where things start to get complicated is that different amounts of these neurotransmitters in different parts of the brain cause different and possibly significant effects on cognitive ability and one's state of consciousness (by that I mean like altered states, i.e., hallucinatory/dream/meditative/trance states). Not only that, but so many neurotransmitters and their subsequent levels in the brains are linked to one another by one means or another (be it to modulate levels of one another by directly binding to each other and neutralizing one another chemically or to release second messengers within neurons/brain cells that release or inhibit the release other neurotransmitters that may do the same or modulate other neurotransmitters mentioned just previously), not to mention there are sever subsets of receptor types that additionally cause different reactions in the way a neuron fires or does not fire (e.g., in the case of dopamine: D1, D2, D3, D4, D5; or in the case of acetylcholine: Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors M1 through M5, or nicotinic acetylcholine receptors α1, β1, δ, γ, ε (muscle type); α9, α10; α7, α8; α2, α3, α4, α6; β2, β4; and β3, α5 (neuronal type)). To even further complicate things, the way in which neurons are classified are known as ligand-gated receptors (made excited by excitatory neurotransmitters like glutamate and aspartate, inhibited by inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA and glycine) or G-Protein coupled receptors aka metabotropic receptors (which modulate excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters). I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but things are about to get even more complex. Now there are such things called pre-synaptic and post-synaptic neurotransmitter receptor sites which effect how the neurons will effect the neuron it is activating and possibly other neurons it may or may not continue to activate down the chain. Post-synaptic neurons effect whether the neuron the neurotransmitters activates will get excited or not. Pre-synaptic neurons can act as a "braking" system that will stop the chain and allow other neurons to stop releasing more neurotransmitters or second messengers which will continue to activate other neurons, effectively breaking the chain or allowing it to continue. This isn't even starting to mention the effects on hormone levels, their subsequent effects on neurotransmission, the effects on metabolism, and even more things, like oxygen intake, blood oxygen levels, blood CO2 levels, and your diet, whether you've just eaten, etc.

So, sorry to have to drop all that information on you, but you see now why it's difficult to pick and choose which papers to show to you; honestly if you still wish to open this can of worms you are going to have to read up on a lot of information, both on the topic you are interested in and supplemental information that allows you to digest and analyze what you've just read so you can actually begin to understand and comprehend the mechanisms behind hearing voices whilst sleep deprived.

Snoop, Wow

Good to have someone with a deep understanding onboard Dreamviews. Your post made me put " why do i hear voices in my head at night" into Google and found this:

Why do i hear voices in my head at night?

ok so it doesn't happen every night it happens maybe like 10 times over the past few months but recently iv'e been hearing them often. The voices are usually from strangers, men, women, and kids. They're all speaking at the same time so i can only make out a few words. like "over there" "hello" "why did you?" "stop it" also i hear my name a lot! they all mumble it at the same time. i just wanna know if this is serious or does it happen to everyone

9 Answers**•**Psychology

1st answer

Best Answer*(Chosen by Voter)

To understand what your going through your brain never sleeps. While the body sleeps that is the time when your brain sorts all the information that your senses had collected that day. It sorts information based on when it first experienced the thought,sight, smell, taste, etcetera. that is why most people experience memories from smelling a scent seeing an image to feeling a breeze or tasting something.

Being that you enter rem sleep before your body is fully asleep is why you experience hearing voices.

This happens to many people and the way a person deals with it is what makes it a problem or not. You have control over this you just have to teach yourself how to control it. That's where a therapist comes in. being able to talk to someone who is not judgmental can make a big difference for you.

ravenscardarkhope*

• 3 years

Here's the link

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https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/questio...7022159AAVIAvS

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try magnesium and b vitamins.

http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/119431

http://www.ancient-minerals.com/magn...ymptoms-signs/

Originally Posted by kadie

try magnesium and b vitamins.

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Neuropsychobiology 1990/1991, Vol. 23, No. 2 - Magnesium, Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Disease - Abstract - Karger Publishers

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Symptoms of Low Magnesium | Ancient Minerals

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Thanx kaddie

Am a gunna get some mag oil to rub on my feet.

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Source of magnesium which doesnt cause vivid dreams?

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The last anwere is very interesting. Here it is:

by Nutritionist_MS*0*· December 03, 2013 at 11:01 PM

Okay Geoff admittedly I cheated, I just copied my earlier answer from elsewhere in the forum.

The pineal gland, located roughly in the center of the head, depends upon magnesium for its own production of melatonin. So a body that is quite deficient typically will produce and secrete less of this hormone, which in turn can negatively impact a person’s ability to switch off at night and fall asleep. Essentially one can only bake as much cake as one has flour for. Of course the optic nerve, being connected to the pineal gland, signals the pineal gland to start producing melatonin once the sun goes down, also known as DLMO (dim light melatonin onset). A lack of light received by the retina permits this melatonin production, conversely light, particularly blue light, suppresses its production. This explains the use of “blue blocking” glasses in the later hours of the day or blackout curtains by those who have difficulty falling asleep.

Similar to a child waiting all year long for his parents to finally afford his expensive tastes in Lego, the pineal gland can be chomping-at-the-bit (eager) to produce melatonin, but lacking the magnesium, as one of the essential building blocks, to do so. As if by a stroke of luck the pineal glands owner has finally caught on to a potential magnesium deficiency and eagerly scoffs down (Brit. devour greedily) handfuls of the stuff (usually too much) and low and behold copious amounts of melatonin are rapidly produced.

Now vivid dreams primarily occur during what is considered the most important and lighter phase of sleep, closer to the morning, known as REM sleep (rapid eye movement). REM sleep is a normal part of a human’s daily sleep pattern and usually accounts for 1-2 hours of sleep a night, although occupies a majority of a new born babies sleep. And you guessed it, the hormone melatonin has been directly shown to increase REM sleep. So essentially magnesium allows for the production of melatonin and more melatonin equals more REM sleep and more REM sleep equals vivid dreams.

Don’t want vivid dreams (well who does?) moderate ones magnesium intake, spread it out throughout the day. Don't take it all at once, don't take it just before bed, it is not a drug and is not time sensitive like a drug. Put it in a bottle of water and sip it throughout the day just like the body is used to getting its magnesium i.e. 3 meals a day. If this does not sort itself out reduce the amount one is taking.

Magnesium the mineral itself is identical between all the different forms, so changing the form technically shouldn't change this circumstance, unless of course one uses a less absorbable form. The less absorbable the form, the less is actually utilized by the endocrine system and the more that goes directly to the bowels.

Also transdermal magnesium such as magnesium rubs or "oils" (typically magnesium chloride) are a great idea as@Dragonfly*suggests, as are magnesium sulfate baths as*@FED*at LiveCaveman.com suggests. In both cases less magnesium typically makes it into the blood stream and thus a reduced impact on the pineal gland (and other aspects of the body).

OP mentions aural hallucinations when sleep-deprived, so you guys recommend magnesium and Vitamin B supplements?

You know, I think sleep might be the better option here.

Originally Posted by BLUELINE976

OP mentions aural hallucinations when sleep-deprived, so you guys recommend magnesium and Vitamin B supplements?

You know, I think sleep might be the better option here.

Dont be such a dick and do some research before jumping to conclusions.

......

Oooooooooooo

you tell him kadie. (Heeheehee)

Chicken (buk-buk-buk)

Ah, your not a chicken. You have posted. Watchout

Originally Posted by kadie

Dont be such a dick and do some research before jumping to conclusions.

If the guy is sleep-deprived to the point of hallucinations, he needs to get some sleep. Really uncontroversial stuff here, kadie.

Magnesium is vital for the function of GABA receptors, which exist across all areas of the brain and nervous system. GABA is a calming neurotransmitter that the brain requires to switch off; without it, we remain tense, our thoughts race and we lie in bed staring at the ceiling. Whether the brain is in 'on' of 'off' mode is a very complex area, and can also be affected by chemicals like noradrenaline, serotonin and histamine. However, on a more simple level, the most crucial balance is that of GABA vs glutamate. Whereas GABA calms, glutamate fires the brain into higher states of activity; you use the latter when solving sudoku puzzles, but you need GABA to prevail in order to go to sleep.
Taken from this article....Help Me Sleep: Magnesium Is the Secret for Sleep Problems*|*Marek Doyle
More info....
Magnesium: Meet the Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Available - Dr. Mark Hyman

@ DThoughts,

I thought I might add some of my own experience with this and the reason I mentioned magnesium and B vitamins.
I had insomnia for almost 20 years. Of course I went to my Dr., and as usual, he prescribed sleeping pills, relaxation techniques and cut down on caffeine etc etc. After about 6 years of going through one sleeping pill after another (the effects of each wear off in time) They started me on low doses of anti psychotic medicine. After all, when you go through years of sleep problems, you tend to show signs of psychosis right? Depression was active as well. I also had experienced hearing things repeat in my head long after the actual sound was gone. ( for me it was fire truck, ambulance and police sirens) I would hear them all the time and even ask my family if there was a fire nearby or if they heard the sirens etc. Of course they would look at me as if I was crazy. So, now after several years of bouncing from one anti psychotic med to another, mostly due to side effects, I began to have restless leg syndrome and serious bowl problems, twitching in my muscles and a few other things, so they started me on another med to control the restless leg syndrome, and that crap gave me heart problems, tachycardia, basically racing heartbeat, which felt like anxiety attacks all over again (had those really bad too due to lack of sleep) I got sick and tired of being sick and tired and began looking for the real reason for my insomnia, and somehow, I stumbled across an article about magnesium.
So, after nearly 20 years of sleep problems, anxiety, depression, muscle spasms, tachycardia, prescription drug overdoses, bowl disease and a whole host of other difficulties, I tried the magnesium. I can honestly say that it was the single most helpful thing for nearly all of the symptoms I was having. All those prescription pills and the cost of doctor visits and filling prescriptions was just bullshit! Now, I only take extra magnesium when I feel that I'm having muscle spasms or sleeplessness, but I would recommend you at least give it a try.
The B vitamins, especially b-6 is important to help your body synthesize the magnesium, but I would take the B's earlier in the day and Magnesium more in the evening when you need to rest.
Just my 2 cents there Dthoughts.

Originally Posted by kadie

Magnesium is vital for the function of GABA receptors, which exist across all areas of the brain and nervous system. GABA is a calming neurotransmitter that the brain requires to switch off; without it, we remain tense, our thoughts race and we lie in bed staring at the ceiling. Whether the brain is in 'on' of 'off' mode is a very complex area, and can also be affected by chemicals like noradrenaline, serotonin and histamine. However, on a more simple level, the most crucial balance is that of GABA vs glutamate. Whereas GABA calms, glutamate fires the brain into higher states of activity; you use the latter when solving sudoku puzzles, but you need GABA to prevail in order to go to sleep.
Taken from this article....Help Me Sleep: Magnesium Is the Secret for Sleep Problems*|*Marek Doyle
More info....
Magnesium: Meet the Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Available - Dr. Mark Hyman

I know full well what GABA is; we've studied it pretty well in my biological clocks class. However, none of what you've posted above is relevant to what I said. If the guy is sleep-deprived, his first step is to get some sleep, not pop supplements.

Are you really that stupid! Do you hear yourself. If the guy is having insomnia, why would it not occur to you that a magnesium supplement might help him get that sleep. I think you are full of shit and full of yourself, you really are not as cleaver as you would like to seem. Good day and stay the fuck away.

And yet Dthoughts said nothing of being affected by insomnia.

Whoa, where's all the hostility coming from? No one actually said anything all that offensive, is there really a reason to be arguing right now? This is a topic I assume that was made purely out of interest in the subject, there's not really a reason to be terse or get all pissy at each other, god damn lol.

Originally Posted by kadie

Dont be such a dick and do some research before jumping to conclusions.

Originally Posted by kadie

Are you really that stupid! Do you hear yourself. If the guy is having insomnia, why would it not occur to you that a magnesium supplement might help him get that sleep. I think you are full of shit and full of yourself, you really are not as cleaver as you would like to seem. Good day and stay the fuck away.

spock_slap.gif~c100.jpg :jk:

oh

my

rofl

Originally Posted by gab

spock_slap.gif~c100.jpg :jk:

Wow, I wrote what's below befor gab and OpheliaBlue posted. Wow, yeah, Spock is the "rock".

I Love Ding-Dongs

Blueline is as steady as a Rock

Kadie is a black-bucking-bronco, w7ld and free, (this year's pdc precognitive dream comp target was a bucking bronco.

No one can break (tame) Kadie.

And no one can move the rock, Blueline.

But seriously

I took two fizzy tablets of Swisse magnesium befor bed. I have had them a long time but never took them. It is over 6 months since my magor surgery, (total hysterectomy+) but my energy is soooo low. I'm practically housebound.

When I get the energy I will go shopping for a good B complex and magnesium tablets and massage oil.

Thank you Dthoughts for this thread, And thank you Kadie and Blueline for*Spicing-up* Dthought's thread.

Originally Posted by snoop

Whoa, where's all the hostility coming from? No one actually said anything all that offensive, is there really a reason to be arguing right now? This is a topic I assume that was made purely out of interest in the subject, there's not really a reason to be terse or get all pissy at each other, god damn lol.

And you up there on your high horse! Just kidding snoop, Im not pissy am I? lol

Gab....ROFL sorry: oops:

Originally Posted by kadie

And you up there on your high horse! Just kidding snoop, Im not pissy am I? lol

Gab....ROFL sorry: oops:

Lol, I was referring to anyone in the thread who was getting upset that shouldn't be. Yes, you were one of them, but not the only one. Most of the reason I chose to response is because I like you and I was surprised to see you posting this way, so hopefully by responding somewhat neutral/positively I could get you to snap out of it. Glad to see it's still the old you, anyway, sorry to derail the topic any further than this.

Well thank you Mr. Snoop. It was all good on the first post, I was joking with him at first. Yeah, the second one was over the top.
Sorry to Dthoughts and everyone contributing. Insomnia and sleep deprivation suck as I well know. My reason for suggesting magnesium should be obvious to anyone who looked at the links.

Oh it's okay, I had a good laugh.

[Will edit with updates, busy with homework atm]

Edit #1

I was actually specifically referring to Internal sounds heared usually in the sound of someone's voice. It is actually more reminscent to thought-forms as actual hallucinations. But on the other hand, I also experience music. Mostly music that I have danced to for extremely long periods of time (30 minutes +), but not limited to this. This suggests to me a muscle memory a.k.a. Acetylcholine system. An emotional load also seems to help. Very sometimes this music seems to be coming from external but usually it is very clearly an internal hallucination. I have audible hallucinations during Sleep Paralysis or Drug-induced, these ones are more hyper-real and confusing. There is a difference. But nice to know there is such a wide disparity of experiences. One time I was hearing GOA music for hours on-end and fell into Sleep Paralysis. I actually had a dream-like thought that I was having my stereo too loud and clearly heared stairs (even though i don't have one) and people knocking on my door and thought they would literally break my huge door that's how loud it was. Only to awaken and realize my stereo was off. The reason I share this because here is a clear link between my internal hallucinations and a dream-like experience.

Edit #2

Also want to say something about Muscle twitches, Magnesium Calcium Potassium.

Originally Posted by BLUELINE976

I know full well what GABA is; we've studied it pretty well in my biological clocks class. However, none of what you've posted above is relevant to what I said. If the guy is sleep-deprived, his first step is to get some sleep, not pop supplements.

Well then, maybe you can give us some more information about the necessity of GABA and it's relationship with sleep? Perhaps a Melatonin connection and GABA? I would love to hear what you learned in class. Or just another Random question to spur our cognition, what happens with the GABA-System when sleep deprived for example? Any type of damage from sleep deprivation?

Originally Posted by Dthoughts

Well then, maybe you can give us some more information about the necessity of GABA and it's relationship with sleep? Perhaps a Melatonin connection and GABA? I would love to hear what you learned in class. Or just another Random question to spur our cognition, what happens with the GABA-System when sleep deprived for example? Any type of damage from sleep deprivation?

It's an inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning it hyperpolarizes the cell membrane (makes it more negative) which inhibits an action potential (rapid depolarization of the cell membrane -- makes it more positive -- which is the basis for cell signaling). GABA is actually the primary inhibitory NT in mammals, so it's ubiquitous in the body. It's a given that GABA will play some role in sleep regulation.

For example, this study seems to show that bicuculline (a GABA-A antagonist, meaning it blocks GABA-A receptors and prevents GABA from binding to them) stops the inhibition of light exposure at night on melatonin production by the pineal gland. In other words, at night time, melatonin is being produced. Light exposure during that time will inhibit that production. But if you block GABA-A receptors, there is no inhibition of melatonin production, suggesting that GABA plays a role in melatonin production inhibition. Unfortunately, the article isn't free, so I can't see exactly what they did, but from my knowledge their results seem plausible.

I'm in the middle of writing a mock NIH grant for that bio clocks class, so for now I'm just going to throw some links at you. If there are terms you don't understand (probably quite a few), feel free to ask.

This paper (well, abstract, since it isn't free either) may interest you: GABA mechanisms and sleep. - PubMed - NCBI

As for GABA and sleep deprivation, this is relevant: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%...l.pone.0024933

Originally Posted by kadie

@ DThoughts,

I thought I might add some of my own experience with this and the reason I mentioned magnesium and B vitamins.
I had insomnia for almost 20 years. Of course I went to my Dr., and as usual, he prescribed sleeping pills, relaxation techniques and cut down on caffeine etc etc. After about 6 years of going through one sleeping pill after another (the effects of each wear off in time) They started me on low doses of anti psychotic medicine. After all, when you go through years of sleep problems, you tend to show signs of psychosis right? Depression was active as well. I also had experienced hearing things repeat in my head long after the actual sound was gone. ( for me it was fire truck, ambulance and police sirens) I would hear them all the time and even ask my family if there was a fire nearby or if they heard the sirens etc. Of course they would look at me as if I was crazy. So, now after several years of bouncing from one anti psychotic med to another, mostly due to side effects, I began to have restless leg syndrome and serious bowl problems, twitching in my muscles and a few other things, so they started me on another med to control the restless leg syndrome, and that crap gave me heart problems, tachycardia, basically racing heartbeat, which felt like anxiety attacks all over again (had those really bad too due to lack of sleep) I got sick and tired of being sick and tired and began looking for the real reason for my insomnia, and somehow, I stumbled across an article about magnesium.
So, after nearly 20 years of sleep problems, anxiety, depression, muscle spasms, tachycardia, prescription drug overdoses, bowl disease and a whole host of other difficulties, I tried the magnesium. I can honestly say that it was the single most helpful thing for nearly all of the symptoms I was having. All those prescription pills and the cost of doctor visits and filling prescriptions was just bullshit! Now, I only take extra magnesium when I feel that I'm having muscle spasms or sleeplessness, but I would recommend you at least give it a try.
The B vitamins, especially b-6 is important to help your body synthesize the magnesium, but I would take the B's earlier in the day and Magnesium more in the evening when you need to rest.
Just my 2 cents there Dthoughts.

Wow, another case of pharma causing more problems than solving. I'm glad you found a simpler and safer way to fix your insomnia, it's really too bad you had to go through all of that. A lot of doctors seem to be turning into quacks, quick to write off some pills.

It usually takes me about 2 hours to fall asleep, and I too hear stuff sometimes (in my case talking or screaming outside somewhere), but it's been mostly severe anxiety. I've been taking nootropics (alternating L-theanine and Phenylethylamine) and it's been somewhat helpful (has given me more vivid dreams too), but since they influence serotonin I try to only take them a few times a week....