Help, I can't control myself while I'm dreaming!

[Pandabear]

Hello Dreamers. First, this isn't about Lucid dreaming. It's real life, while I'm sleeping. Okay. Here's my problem. When I was younger, I sleep walked a lot! I spoke and answered, and sometimes people thought I was awake. I could cry and be mad, and draw and everything! When I woke up, I could sometimes remember something (my eyes were open), but I thought it was a dream. Now, after 1/2 year with insomnia, I'm sleeping okay. Sometimes I can't sleep, but I guess that's normal. I got this Protac Ball Blanket, and it helps me a lot. While I had sleeping deprivation, I didn't talked or anything. Last night (and many other nights) I've been doing something like this again. I'm using the WBTB technique, and I have an alarm for 4 am. I also have it on vibration, so I can feel it. Well, I "dreamed" that something made a stupid noice, and I tried to stop it and hold it! It stopped and I woke up. Argh, my hand was hurting!! I looked at it, and found my phone (alarm) in it. I remembered it all, and started lookingat my phone. The vibrations were turned off, and so was my other alarm.. I turned it on again, road about LDs and went back to sleep. In the morning I dreamed that I throw my phone under the bed, and I woke up and looked under the bed. But it wasn't there, so it didn't happened. I was soooo confused. I hate it, and I'm afraid of doing it again. I don't know about my alarm. And what can I do? I hope you guys can help me. Oh, by the way, I'm sorry if my English isn't so good, I'm from Denmark. - Pandabear.

[Pandabear]

Is it too confusing? Sorry.

[Darkmatters]

[Pandabear]

I'm confused too.. Well, it's like sleep walking. I just don't walk, but turning my alarm off and flipping out.. I just wakes up with my alarm turned off or my pillow throwed out of my room. When I see it, I remember it, but only like it was a dream.. (Which it is NOT) I hope it makes more sence now. Oh, and by the way, that owl is so cute!

[Arch]

So you are a sleepwalking destroyer!

[Puffin]

Narcolepsy is the only explanation I have that's even remotely close to what you're describing. Spoiler for wall of text: The main characteristic of narcolepsy is Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), even after adequate night time sleep. A person with narcolepsy is likely to become drowsy or fall asleep or just be very tired throughout the day, often at inappropriate times and places. Daytime naps may occur with little warning and may be physically irresistible. These naps can occur several times a day. They are typically refreshing, but only for a few hours. Drowsiness may persist for prolonged periods of time. In addition, nighttime sleep may be fragmented with frequent awakenings. The classic symptoms of the disorder, often referred to as the "tetrad of narcolepsy," are cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, and excessive daytime sleepiness.[6] Other symptoms include automatic behaviors.[7][8] These symptoms may not occur in all patients. Cataplexy is an episodic condition featuring loss of muscle function, ranging from slight weakness (such as limpness at the neck or knees, sagging facial muscles, or inability to speak clearly) to complete body collapse. Episodes may be triggered by sudden emotional reactions such as laughter, anger, surprise, or fear, and may last from a few seconds to several minutes. The person remains conscious throughout the episode. In some cases, cataplexy may resemble epileptic seizures.[9] Sleep paralysis is the temporary inability to talk or move when waking (or less often, when falling asleep). It may last a few seconds to minutes. This is often frightening but is not dangerous. Hypnagogic hallucinations are vivid, often frightening, dreamlike experiences that occur while dozing, falling asleep and/or while awakening. Automatic behavior means that a person continues to function (talking, putting things away, etc.) during sleep episodes, but awakens with no memory of performing such activities. It is estimated that up to 40 percent of people with narcolepsy experience automatic behavior during sleep episodes. Sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations also occur in people who do not have narcolepsy, but more frequently in people who are suffering from extreme lack of sleep. Cataplexy is generally considered to be unique to narcolepsy and is analogous to sleep paralysis in that the usually protective paralysis mechanism occurring during sleep is inappropriately activated. The opposite of this situation (failure to activate this protective paralysis) occurs in rapid eye movement behavior disorder. In most cases, the first symptom of narcolepsy to appear is excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness. The other symptoms may begin alone or in combination months or years after the onset of the daytime naps. There are wide variations in the development, severity, and order of appearance of cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations in individuals. Only about 20 to 25 percent of people with narcolepsy experience all four symptoms. The excessive daytime sleepiness generally persists throughout life, but sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations may not. Although these are the common symptoms of narcolepsy, many people with narcolepsy also suffer from insomnia for extended periods of time. The symptoms of narcolepsy, especially the excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, often become severe enough to cause serious problems in a person's social, personal, and professional life. Normally, when an individual is awake, brain waves show a regular rhythm. When a person first falls asleep, the brain waves become slower and less regular. This sleep state is called non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. After about an hour and a half of NREM sleep, the brain waves begin to show a more active pattern again. This sleep state, called REM sleep (rapid eye movement sleep), is when most remembered dreaming occurs. Associated with the EEG-observed waves during REM sleep, muscle atonia is present (called REM atonia). In narcolepsy, the order and length of NREM and REM sleep periods are disturbed, with REM sleep occurring at sleep onset instead of after a period of NREM sleep. Thus, narcolepsy is a disorder in which REM sleep appears at an abnormal time. Also, some of the aspects of REM sleep that normally occur only during sleep—lack of muscular control, sleep paralysis, and vivid dreams—occur at other times in people with narcolepsy. For example, the lack of muscular control can occur during wakefulness in a cataplexy episode; it is said that there is intrusion of REM atonia during wakefulness. Sleep paralysis and vivid dreams can occur while falling asleep or waking up. Simply put, the brain does not pass through the normal stages of dozing and deep sleep but goes directly into (and out of) rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This has several consequences. Night time sleep does not include as much deep sleep, so the brain tries to "catch up" during the day, hence EDS. People with narcolepsy may visibly fall asleep at unpredicted moments (such motions as head bobbing are common). People with narcolepsy fall quickly into what appears to be very deep sleep, and they wake up suddenly and can be disoriented when they do (dizziness is a common occurrence). They have very vivid dreams, which they often remember in great detail. People with narcolepsy may dream even when they only fall asleep for a few seconds.

[Pandabear]

Narcolepsy is the only explanation I have that's even remotely close to what you're describing. Spoiler for wall of text: The main characteristic of narcolepsy is Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), even after adequate night time sleep. A person with narcolepsy is likely to become drowsy or fall asleep or just be very tired throughout the day, often at inappropriate times and places. Daytime naps may occur with little warning and may be physically irresistible. These naps can occur several times a day. They are typically refreshing, but only for a few hours. Drowsiness may persist for prolonged periods of time. In addition, nighttime sleep may be fragmented with frequent awakenings. The classic symptoms of the disorder, often referred to as the "tetrad of narcolepsy," are cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, and excessive daytime sleepiness.[6] Other symptoms include automatic behaviors.[7][8] These symptoms may not occur in all patients. Cataplexy is an episodic condition featuring loss of muscle function, ranging from slight weakness (such as limpness at the neck or knees, sagging facial muscles, or inability to speak clearly) to complete body collapse. Episodes may be triggered by sudden emotional reactions such as laughter, anger, surprise, or fear, and may last from a few seconds to several minutes. The person remains conscious throughout the episode. In some cases, cataplexy may resemble epileptic seizures.[9] Sleep paralysis is the temporary inability to talk or move when waking (or less often, when falling asleep). It may last a few seconds to minutes. This is often frightening but is not dangerous. Hypnagogic hallucinations are vivid, often frightening, dreamlike experiences that occur while dozing, falling asleep and/or while awakening. Automatic behavior means that a person continues to function (talking, putting things away, etc.) during sleep episodes, but awakens with no memory of performing such activities. It is estimated that up to 40 percent of people with narcolepsy experience automatic behavior during sleep episodes. Sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations also occur in people who do not have narcolepsy, but more frequently in people who are suffering from extreme lack of sleep. Cataplexy is generally considered to be unique to narcolepsy and is analogous to sleep paralysis in that the usually protective paralysis mechanism occurring during sleep is inappropriately activated. The opposite of this situation (failure to activate this protective paralysis) occurs in rapid eye movement behavior disorder. In most cases, the first symptom of narcolepsy to appear is excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness. The other symptoms may begin alone or in combination months or years after the onset of the daytime naps. There are wide variations in the development, severity, and order of appearance of cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations in individuals. Only about 20 to 25 percent of people with narcolepsy experience all four symptoms. The excessive daytime sleepiness generally persists throughout life, but sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations may not. Although these are the common symptoms of narcolepsy, many people with narcolepsy also suffer from insomnia for extended periods of time. The symptoms of narcolepsy, especially the excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, often become severe enough to cause serious problems in a person's social, personal, and professional life. Normally, when an individual is awake, brain waves show a regular rhythm. When a person first falls asleep, the brain waves become slower and less regular. This sleep state is called non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. After about an hour and a half of NREM sleep, the brain waves begin to show a more active pattern again. This sleep state, called REM sleep (rapid eye movement sleep), is when most remembered dreaming occurs. Associated with the EEG-observed waves during REM sleep, muscle atonia is present (called REM atonia). In narcolepsy, the order and length of NREM and REM sleep periods are disturbed, with REM sleep occurring at sleep onset instead of after a period of NREM sleep. Thus, narcolepsy is a disorder in which REM sleep appears at an abnormal time. Also, some of the aspects of REM sleep that normally occur only during sleep—lack of muscular control, sleep paralysis, and vivid dreams—occur at other times in people with narcolepsy. For example, the lack of muscular control can occur during wakefulness in a cataplexy episode; it is said that there is intrusion of REM atonia during wakefulness. Sleep paralysis and vivid dreams can occur while falling asleep or waking up. Simply put, the brain does not pass through the normal stages of dozing and deep sleep but goes directly into (and out of) rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This has several consequences. Night time sleep does not include as much deep sleep, so the brain tries to "catch up" during the day, hence EDS. People with narcolepsy may visibly fall asleep at unpredicted moments (such motions as head bobbing are common). People with narcolepsy fall quickly into what appears to be very deep sleep, and they wake up suddenly and can be disoriented when they do (dizziness is a common occurrence). They have very vivid dreams, which they often remember in great detail. People with narcolepsy may dream even when they only fall asleep for a few seconds. Thanks, Puffin. I'm afraid, that I can recognize some of it.. Does it makes my chance to have a LD lower, or..?

[Puffin]

I don't know much about narcolepsy, just the basic symptoms, so I'm probably not the right person to confirm whether you have it. If you have do it, though, it can increase the chances of entering sleep paralysis when going to sleep or waking up, just because of how your internal sleep clock is. Here's an interesting article if you want to give it a read. First though, you should probably see a doctor (specifically one who specializes in dreaming/sleep) just to see if you have narcolepsy.

[Arch]

On a serious note, are you worried that Lucids are inducing this behaviour?

[Pandabear]

Thanks for the answers. Right now I'm just very confused. I think I'll read more about it. On Danish. To understand it better. Have nice dreams.

[Pandabear]

Okay - Now I've road a little bit about it, and I'm almost sure, that it isn't my problem. Sometimes I can just fall asleep, yes. And sometimes I'm dreaming after short time, but.. U can't explain it. It's rarely. But I guess that's all.. Uhm.. But it doesn't explain my problem..

[Kitties]

I can't help, and my experience isn't quite as bad, but I think I know what you mean at least. Sometimes when trying to WBTB, I'll wake up in the morning and vaguely remember that sometime in the middle of the night, I'd woken up and turned off my alarm, because I didn't want it to ring for some reason. When I set my alarm to get up in the morning, I sometimes turn it off without remembering, too. Also, I've often had complete conversations with people in the morning that I barely remember or don't at all. But I don't know how to control this either, unfortunately.

[Pandabear]

Thanks, Kitties. It's good (not good - I hope you understands) to know, that I'm not the only one.

[Arch]

Is there no way you can contact a doctor, seems like the best thing to do.

[Pandabear]

Is there no way you can contact a doctor, seems like the best thing to do. I'll think about it. I'll read a little bit more about it, before I will take the decision. Thanks for your time.

[Trevorm7]

I never sleepwalked before but something like this happens to me. I set my alarm for 4:45 but usually when it goes off I decide I don't feel like getting up, sometimes it mixes up with my dream and I don't remember it. One time when the phone alarm "woke" me up I was dreaming that I was playing a game on it, then the game started fading and the controls weren't making sense, it was frustrating because I was in the middle of a battle. After an unknown amount of seconds disappointed, I realized I was just randomly pressing buttons going through menus like a 2 year old.

[Darkmatters]

It sounds to me like you're just waking up and turning off your alarm, throwing things under the bed etc, and going right back to sleep afterwards so you don't remember it later. That's very common. We usually wake up several times every night just for a few seconds, after each REM period I think, and don't really "wake up all the way" if you understand me. Just a little bit... enough to throw a shoe at somebody who's talking to us, or to shut off an alarm, but you're still mostly asleep, you might still be in a semi-dreaming state. The you immediately fall back asleep and you don't remember it later.

[Pandabear]

Thanks for your answers. Darkmatters; I guess that makes more sence to me. Thanks.