Dreams within minutes of falling asleep, not really fully sleeping?

**isthisit** · 06-18-2012 10:41 AM

It seems like since joining this forum I am analyzing everything to do with my dreaming! Whereas this would never bother me usually, after reading about sleep stages I wanted to ask a question.

Am I right in thinking the first sleep stage (NREM1) would just be lightly sleeping, not fully unconscious? Last night I went to bed before my partner, and as I fell asleep (I was pretty tired after a weekend of traveling / driving) I was dreaming instantly. The dreams were just the usual, non lucid dreams, but I would wake up after maybe 5 minutes, and be kind of shocked that I was dreaming so fast. It happened about 5 or 6 times until my partner joined me in bed, then I fell asleep fully.

I even think that during one of the dreams, I was a little shocked to think 'wow, I'm already dreaming.' And then woke up. So I guess that was a very short lucid dream!

Anyone have some better info about why I was dreaming as soon as I nodded off?

Thanks!

**Morten** · 06-18-2012 11:55 AM

You might have experienced what is known as REM rebound. This happens if you for a period of time have deprived yourself of sleep. You will enter REM sleep a lot faster than usual and spend more time in it than usual. Your body attempts to catch up for the lost REM.

**isthisit** · 06-18-2012 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Morten

You might have experienced what is known as REM rebound. This happens if you for a period of time have deprived yourself of sleep. You will enter REM sleep a lot faster than usual and spend more time in it than usual. Your body attempts to catch up for the lost REM.

Ah! I have heard of that but didn't realise it could be that (dur) thanks, come to think of it the couple of nights before I had little sleep. However I did get some (6 hours each night) which would seem like enough sleep so why the REM rebound? Is it because I usually sleep a lot more? (12+ hours if I can help it) or is it just something that varies with person to person?

Thanks for your help x

**Morten** · 06-18-2012 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by isthisit

Ah! I have heard of that but didn't realise it could be that (dur) thanks, come to think of it the couple of nights before I had little sleep. However I did get some (6 hours each night) which would seem like enough sleep so why the REM rebound? Is it because I usually sleep a lot more? (12+ hours if I can help it) or is it just something that varies with person to person?

Thanks for your help x

I'm not sure, but I think it varies a lot from person to person. I usually sleep about 9 hours, but others might be comfortable with more or less. It also depends a lot on the age, since the older you get, the less sleep you need, but you also spend less time in REM sadly. 12+ hours sounds like a lot! Is that your ideal sleep amount? If it is the 6 hours of sleep is only half of what you need and if you only get 6 hours a few days in a row REM rebound is very likely.

**isthisit** · 06-18-2012 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Morten

12+ hours sounds like a lot! Is that your ideal sleep amount? If it is the 6 hours of sleep is only half of what you need and if you only get 6 hours a few days in a row REM rebound is very likely.

Yeah, 12+ is ideal for me, during the week I can get up to 14 on certain nights, but usually on the weekends I get a lot less, so that must induce REM rebound. Interesting!

**Carrot** · 06-18-2012 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by Morten

You might have experienced what is known as REM rebound. This happens if you for a period of time have deprived yourself of sleep. You will enter REM sleep a lot faster than usual and spend more time in it than usual. Your body attempts to catch up for the lost REM.

Sorry for asking something irrelevant to this thread, but why do our bodies need to catch up for lost REM?

**Ekyu** · 06-18-2012 08:10 PM

I was wondering this myself, so i did a really quick search on google. This is what i found. "When a person has been deprived of REM sleep for long enough they will not cycle through sleep patterns as a well rested person would." Not sure if there is any other hidden reason out there, but this seems to make sense to me.

I guess your brain needs to fix your sleep loss, in order to function like it used to considering your sleep stages.

**isthisit** · 06-18-2012 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by Ekyu

I was wondering this myself, so i did a really quick search on google. This is what i found. "When a person has been deprived of REM sleep for long enough they will not cycle through sleep patterns as a well rested person would." Not sure if there is any other hidden reason out there, but this seems to make sense to me.

I guess your brain needs to fix your sleep loss, in order to function like it used to considering your sleep stages.

I guess the sleep you get in REM stage is beneficial, going without it is bad for your health and so it tries to restore it on the next sleep. Hmm. Wonder how many times this has happened to me, without me noticing. And weather getting REM through REM rebound rather than the usual stage progress effects me or my health?

**Morten** · 06-19-2012 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Carrot

Sorry for asking something irrelevant to this thread, but why do our bodies need to catch up for lost REM?

I thought about the exact same thing yesterday, Carrot!

I really don't know, but nevertheless it tells me that REM sleep seems to be very important for our health even though nobody really knows why we REM dream.