Thread: New here; Am I dreaming or awake?

I take naps daily and often feel that I haven't been able to fall totally asleep because real life noises keep waking me up (doors shutting, phones ringning,etc.). I do feel somewhat rested when I finally decide to give up on a nap and get up. Meanwhile, while I am trying to sleep, I dream like crazy and can remember the dreams if I try (by reviewing them as soon as I wake). I know I am dreaming while I am dreaming, and I often do direct the dreams from one subject to the next, but this seems to be a bit different from the times in my nighttime dreams when I have actually been able to control my own actions (turning around and facing a person chasing me for example, and commanding them to stop, or waking myself up.). So now I am wondering if I am asleep during my attempted naps or not. Is it normal to dream so much when just falling asleep? Is this lucid dreaming, or is my mind just "wandering" as I go to sleep? It sort of feels like I am half asleep, but the dreams are not reality, definately dreams. It is very easy to wake myself up during these dreams because I never fell totally asleep, or at least not in a "deep" sleep.

P.S. Actually, I'm not sure I "know" I'm dreaming. That feeling comes and goes, but I can change the subject anytime, by sort of half waking. Hard to explain.

P.P.S. If anyone wants to encourage lots of "vivid" dreams, all they have to do is take Vitamin B-6. I can't take it before bed as the dreams wear me out (I was taking it for morning sickness.).

Well i must say that much of what you describe, I experience.
This is what i propose:

During afternoon naps, our minds are more aware...or concious. Now in the night, when our bodies usually sleep, the subconcious takes over, but i suppose it has less of a hold on us during the day, during unregular sleeping patterns.

Now...lucidity will come through trial and error, and determination. Also, don't burn yourself out...don't get too zealous, or else you will become stressed about it. Work and make GOALS to achieve, but don't beat yourself up over it!

OH! by the way...welcome!

Welcome to the Forum Thalia! :aphiusisonecrazySOB:

I haven't experienced what you are talking about before so I couldn't help you, but Lowercase seems to have said more than I could have anyway.

Originally posted by Thalia
It sort of feels like I am half asleep, but the dreams are not reality, definately dreams. It is very easy to wake myself up during these dreams because I never fell totally asleep, or at least not in a \"deep\" sleep.

ahhh finally someone unlocked one of my curiosities that i had forgot about.

i know exactly what u mean, and i get these type of dreams all the time when i drift off on the couch, sometimes i will wake from one of these dreams and just about jump off the couch or kik a hole through it

anyways nice post and welcome to the forum Thalia, nice to have ya here

catchya

Couch dreams... mmmm hehe good stuff =)

I always hear that you dont really start dreaming until you enter REM sleep, but with couch dreams you doze, start dreaming, and then wake up and its only 5 minuts later so I duno why I hear it so often. *shrugs*

As fot the vitamin b-6 yes its a precursor to a couple of neurotransmitters your body uses and it increases vividness and recall, I use melatonin myself, works wonders if you dont use it that often.

I also agree with the too much idea... Sometimes if you live too much in the dreaming, your body will feel rested but your mind will not its kinda a bummer since I duno how to controll being consious or not, and not an aspect of a pill =/ You sure your just not tired out due to the pregnancy? (assuming that is the morning sickness your talking bout... if so congrats =) thats gotta be messing with your body chemistry and how rested you feel too.

Welcome to the forum

WELCOME THALIA!!!!!!!

Is that as in the Mexican singer?

P.S. Seri, how come you only show 42 posts?

Read the hitchikers guide to the galaxy...

Its funny, and wil lmake you think, I highly reccomend it, and you will understand the whole 42 thing.

Originally posted by Serinanth
Read the hitchikers guide to the galaxy...

Its funny, and wil lmake you think, I highly reccomend it, and you will understand the whole 42 thing.

They also use that joke in Better than Life, which is the sequel to the Red Dwarf book.