Mental Hyperdrive?

**Ceonsamea** · 10-23-2010 12:30 AM

So here's something which has happened to me only on a few occasions, albeit not recently, but which i find to be quite interesting.

Typicly, it occurs when I have spent my last few days doing the same thing non-stop (playing a particular videogame, for example), but not allways.

So I awaken from a dream, often about the thing in which I have spent the last few days doing, but my mind and body is on hyperdrive. I can't lie still, I have to keep repositioning and moving around constantly, much like the 'tests' described when attempting to WILD, the moment I lie still I'm feeling uncomfortable and I simply HAVE to move.

But the main thing that gets me is that my mind is screaming out on the particular topic in which I dreamt. Its like no matter how hard I try, I can't stop thinking about this particular thing. I can't stop imaging it and I can't focus my attention elsewhere (not with ease, anyway). If i pay attention to my physical movement, the second I lie still the thoughts are being forced into my mind. It feels like my mind is so active that it is literally removing any posibility of falling asleep.

Anyway, after an annoying 5-10 minutes of constant repositioning and trying to calm my thoughts, next thing I know I've fallen asleep again.

So, my question is as follows:
How many other people have experienced similar occurences?

**Snowboy** · 10-23-2010 01:22 AM

Yeah, this happens to me a lot. The only difference is I am not completely aware of what's happening, so I can do that for thirty minutes and not notice. It's annoying, but I think it's a result of the high activity that occurs in your brain during sleeping. It can also keep you from LDing (remember, not fully awake?), which is a reason it is annoying. I hope I helped you out at all.

**Supernova** · 10-23-2010 05:22 AM

I sometimes have something similar, it happens every once in a while, as I'm trying to fall asleep my mind gets in this state where I get in a sort of thought loop where I'm trying to work out some sort of situation or problem (I usually can't remember exactly what it was, just a vague concept of it), and I'm not awake enugh to realize what's going on and snap out of it, but it's too much mental activity for me to fall asleep. Sometimes getting up and going to the bathroom or something similar will help me wake back up fully and get out of it, but sometimes that doesn't even do it.

**Ceonsamea** · 10-23-2010 04:22 PM

Thanks for the replies. Interesting, I never thought about just getting up/waking up properly. I usually try my hardest to fall to sleep again, which is probably counter-productive. I usually do feel very aware/conscious though, and very restless. Getting up sounds like a good idea.
Anyway, its not really a problem for me as it only happens on rare occasions, but it came to mind and raised some interesting questions.

**Snowboy** · 10-23-2010 05:33 PM

No problem!

**tommo** · 10-24-2010 02:58 AM

Don't play videogames for at least 30 minutes before going to sleep. An hour is probably better. The refresh rate of the screen changes your brainwaves and also just concentrating on one thing too much just makes you think about it while going to sleep, whereas if you do a few things during the day, you start to think about a wider variety of things while falling asleep and then before you know it you're getting HI and then you're asleep.

**Ceonsamea** · 10-24-2010 06:04 PM

I never get HI, unfortunately, although I wish I did, it sounds awesome!

Getting to sleep initially isn't the problem, this has only ever happened to me after waking up in the night.
But I have to agree, doing the same thing all day really does get it on the brain way too much ^^

The thing about the refresh rate of the screen affecting brainwaves is interesting. Just wondering, is this a proven fact or are you speaking theoretically? More often than not I'm either watching TV, playing video games, or am on the computer prior to sleeping, so if it does have an effect it would be the norm for me, in which case I wouldn't notice it.

I'm aware that flashing lights can influence brainwaves, but so does engaging in a passive and thoughtless exercises (such as watching TV, or playing games which require little thought or effort).

**tommo** · 10-26-2010 01:24 AM

Well, yeah I'm basing it on the fact that flashing lights at certain hertz change brainwaves. And the high rate of most screens should put your brain in an alpha state.
I'm unaware if there's been any research though, because as you point out you are in a passive state a lot of the time while watching tv and maybe that just makes you tired, counteracting the flashing screen.

By 'you' I mean everyone, cbf fixing it or looking for research right now gotta go! I'll post back later.