Stress and Paralysis

[Spork]

I used to be able to dream all the time. Now, I don't dream at all, or I just can't remember anything. I have ADD and OCD which both help in preventing me from getting any good sleep. I usually go to bed around 2:00AM and always wake up at 6:40AM. Any dream I have had in the past few weeks is actually weird. I will lie in bed and I know I am awake and suddenly I can not move and everything feels like it is shaking. When I try to move, that just makes it worse, so I calm down which allows me to awake. I am under a lot of stress and will be for a little while longer. I don't believe in medicine and do not take anything, unless I really must. I would like nothing more to end my day with those few hours of sleep, and being able to control that would make those hours well worth it. I will be experimenting with dream control, but I would like to know, is it normal to have no dreams, except the sudden paralysis I explained above?

[Night Wolf]

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear about your ADD and OCD. Firstly, everyone dreams, but sometimes we don't remember them. There are a few things you can do to start remembering dreams, like waking up in the middle of the night and immediately thinking about what you were dreaming about (although if you can't sleep very well then this might not be an option?) Try saying to youself every night before you sleep "I will wake up and remember my dreams", and most importantly, keep a dream journal. The paralysis you experienced is perfectly normal, and it happens every time you sleep. It is a natural phenomenon that your body puts in place to stop you from hurting yourself while dreaming. It can be quite frightening to awake into such a state, but as you said, if you just relax, then you will be fine. If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask! And welcome to Dream Views!

[Burns]

Welcome to the forums! I second Night Wolf's advice about the dream journal - although I'm sure you're saying you won't have anything to write in it and that's the problem! But what he said about saying to yourself before you fall asleep, "I will wake up and remember all my dreams," really does work. It's like conditioning your mind to act a certain way. Keep at it and try not to get discouraged. Everyone dreams - it's just a matter of training yourself to start recalling them. And if you can't remember whole parts of dreams, but only short flashes, jot those down, too. That way you can work your way up to more recall. Good Luck.

[Spork]

Thanks for the quick, informative and welcoming responses. Last night I tried to control the paralysis and on the first try, I counted to 100 slowly and achieved the same state. After that it freaked me out so I woke myself up, I think? I tried again, but with no success. I thought it was neat that I had the ability to almost put myself to sleep but I think I need more time to understand it. When I tried again, though, it seemed as if I were drained and my mind did not have the ability to focus at all, I tried counting to 100 once again, but I would be side tracked every five or six numbers. I am keeping a dream log, I so far have two days, but they are both logged as 'Nothing.' When I woke up this morning I felt much better than I have over the last few days but in the morning, like last night, I seemed not to have the ability to focus.

[Burns]

If you've got a lot going on in your life, it can be difficult to focus (I know my mind wanders a lot more when I'm stressed out). Instead of writing "Nothing" in your dream journal, write about the techniques you've tried, if they've succeeded or failed, and why you think they either worked or didn't work. By doing this, you may see a pattern emerge. If you are trying a technique and get frustrated, set it aside and forget about it, and try it again the next night. Sometimes trying too hard can create the opposite of what you're trying to achieve.