Depression leads to more Dreams

[I H8 Reality]

I was just doing some researching, and I just found out that people with depression have more dreams/REM than normal people. And people with Mania (Opposite of depression) have less dreams, than normal. So it seems that people with depression have an edge! Heres just one article on it... http://mindsalot.wordpress.com/2007/...olar-disorder/

[Clairity]

Now that's interesting! I know that when I'm depressed I have trouble sleeping and my dreams suffer.. but when my sister suffered from "severe" depression all she wanted to do was sleep (i.e., escape from the waking world) so I could see how she would have had more dreams.

[Vex Kitten]

Like Clairity, depression didn't help my dream recall. I didn't sleep well at all actually. What depression did do for me dream-wise was create some severely messed up nightmares when I did dream.

[Ailos]

This has more to do with serotonin levels in the brain than anything else. When the brain is stimulated (throughout the day or whilst in REM sleep), serotonin levels drop. Since serotonin is found as both a somatic hormone and neurotransmitter, low levels can propagate a variety of effects within the body, such as tiredness and weakness, or even effects on the opposite extreme, such as stimulation. If levels of serotonin get really out of balance, it can cause psychosis. Depressed people have less active brains throughout the day (likely do to a more subdued lifestyle) than happy or manic people, and thus their serotonin levels don't have time to drop enough. Thus, when they sleep (if their depression doesn't affect their sleep) they have a larger bank of serotonin that needs to be used up, and thus they dream more. Why serotonin is needed to dream isn't exactly entirely clear (asides from the fact that an active brain uses it up). Perhaps it is used in the production of endogeneous dimethyl tryptamine within the hypothalamus, the only known endogenous (produced within the body) psychedelic. It is found to be released whilst in REM sleep, and is thought to be responsible for the varied and realistic nature of dreams, along with other phenomenon, including OBEs and NDEs.

[DreamingGod]

Interesting, i never knew that

[StephenT]

I'm always really happy, so I don't get as much dream time. Now I'm sad. I'll get more now, but that makes me happy. Damn paradoxes.

[DreamingGhost]

Thats interesting. I suffer from depression and I know when it is really kicking my butt I do not sleep worth a crap, even though I am tried all the time. But I also suffer from sleep troubles lol so I guess I am not the best person to judge by. Anna

[rampage]

I suffer from bouts of depression quite frequently (although things do seem to be improving) and I can't say that I dream more when I'm depressed. However, I do think that my dreams are more 'depressed' to match my mood. Perhaps I'm just an exception to the rule.

[Captain Sleepalot]

I'm always really happy, so I don't get as much dream time. Now I'm sad. I'll get more now, but that makes me happy. Damn paradoxes. Ha ha!

[Vex Kitten]

So emo = master dreamer?

[Oneiro]

I was just doing some researching, and I just found out that people with depression have more dreams/REM than normal people. And people with Mania (Opposite of depression) have less dreams, than normal. So where does Manic Depression fit in, then?

[StephenT]

So where does Manic Depression fit in, then? Maybe sometimes you dream great, and others you don't dream well at all.