Dream recall and smoking.

[GreRee]

After 20 years of smoking I quit October of 1999. Unfortunately, I started smoking again 3 or 4 years ago. Yes, I know, stupid. Anyway, several years ago I realized that I could no longer remember my dreams. Sometimes I would wake up with no memory of having dreamed. Other times I would wake up in the middle of a dream, and remember the dream vaguely for a second or two, but then completely lose all memory of the dream. I could remember having dreamed, but not the dream itself. At the time I didn't make the connection between smoking and dreaming. It never occurred to me that smoking could affect dream recall. Last August I was deployed to Afghanistan with my National Guard unit. I had intended to quit smoking when I got here, but it didn't work out that way. Until last month. What was supposed to be a two day mission turned into a 15 day mission. Needless to say, there was no tobacco left in the convoy after the 4th day. After we got back I managed to continue not smoking, so it's been a total of 24 days since I've smoked. Oddly enough, I've started remembering my dreams. The only thing I'm doing differently now is not smoking. Has anyone heard of this?

[StephL]

Really? From smoking only tobacco? Interesting! When I starting reading - I thought, you'd talk about weed - and that wouldn't have surprised me one bit, if stopping it would do your recall good. I use a nicotine vaporizer - can't see me stopping it at the moment - if I will eventually - I'll be on the lookout. Keep away from cigarettes - good luck!

[Liquidaque]

Nicotine suppresses REM sleep, which is where most dreams take place. However, it also makes dreams more vivid, should you have (remember) them. About the only time nicotine is good for dreaming (overall), is if you wear a nicotine patch to bed. This suppresses your REM sleep to the point that you end up having REM 'rebound'. You then have a rather long REM cycle, and it will be VERY vivid (and not just because of the nicotine). This usually leads to a lucid dream, as increased vividness usually equates to more awareness... plus a longer REM cycle means a longer dream, and thus; more time to realize you're dreaming.