Newbie advice please :-)

Hi, have just found this forum :)

I have been having very vivid dreams for the past 4/5 nights (result of wearing patches to stop smoking!) The dreams have been great and I have been really enjoying them.

I started to read on the web yesterday how the patches are well known to cause this and that some people find they have to remove the patches at night as the dreams they are having are disturbing and unpleasant.

Last night for the first time my dream was unpleasant, similair to dreams i've had in the past when i spend the whole time trying to get away and feeling stressed.

Last night when I got to the point when I realised that I was dreaming I decided I would try to turn the light on (as I had read about this on the web yesterday.)

I tried to turn around to turn the light on (I couldn't see a switch but knew it was there.) Everything in my dream was clear and colourful , people I knew and all realistic looking things.)

It felt as if there was a great force that I was pushing against to try to turn around to turn the light on. As I finally reached half way round I decided it was too hard and gave up. I turned back to the front and continued in my dream.

A couple of seconds later I decided it was stupid, it was only turning a light on!! so again I tried my hardest to turn around and this time managed to do it (did not see a switch or my arm lift up) and as I did, the force suddenly disapeared and as I turned easily back to the front everything in my dream faded to white and by the time I was facing the front again all I could see was white cloudyness, then I woke up!

I did notice last night that from when I became aware I was dreaming I felt like I was removed from the dream and watching on.

What do you think I could try to do tonight to remain 'in' the dream when I realsise I am dreaming instead of looking on to it?

And why do you think the dream finished when I switched the light on?

Would be interested in your thoughts ;)

Oh yeah. Nicotine withdrawal causes crazy dreams.

Try rubbing your hands together and feel the friction that it causes, or spinning around in place. That'll stabilize your dream.

I dunno why the dream finished when you turned the lights on, you may have woken up from excitement or your REM period ended. Welcome to the forums :)

Hi b12, thanks for the welcome and the advice :)

Had read about the spinning thing earlier, think I might give it a go.

Not looking forward as much to dreaming tonight since last night's dream was less than pleasant - the one's before that were brilliant.

I think tonight I will concentrate on trying to get the good dreams back again ;)