Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
1355301 tn?1287967641

Dreaming

Does anyone have issues with going into dream sleep but feeling like you are awake watching the dreams wishing you could sleep?  I will wake up feeling like I have worked all night long.  A friend told me that she learned in a dream class in college that you only remember your dreams is you wake up during them.  My doctor disagrees.  But it seems logical if I wake up remembering dreaming all night long and feeling like I haven't slept a bit.

I am taking lunesta which has helped but I don't like being dependent on a sleep med.
7 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
1355301 tn?1287967641
Well, I have gone 3 nights without the lunesta and was able to sleep better.  I still dream, but not as vivid and not as wild.  I know it won't take long before I'll need something different, but maybe I can gather the courage to try the ambien soon.  My PCP is scared of it because it caused her to do weird things that fortunately her husband was there to stop her from getting out of hand.  Maybe I can get her to get me a sleep study as well.  I have a deep desire to get up 8 hours later fully awake!!  Some days I get up fully awake, but by the time I get to work I just can't function because I'm so tired.

Thank everyone!  You have given me some reasons to re-think the ambien.

Love and prayers,
Sharon
Helpful - 0
1376893 tn?1278865778
Hello!

I used to take Lunesta and I didn't care for it. I had a bad taste in my mouth 24/7 from it and found that I just didn't sleep as well. Now I take Ambien every night. There is a 5mg dose and a 10mg dose. Years ago I was on the 5mg dose and I found out I WAS doing stuff at night (at least once) without realizing it, but it was nothing dangerous. A few weeks after that episode, I woke up still feeling the effects of the drug which I describe as being drunk. That day, it didn't wear off until about 5 hours after I woke up! I quit taking it then.

Last year, I was having trouble with insomnia again and went back on the 5mg dosage. Recently, the 5mg did nothing for me so I started taking 10mg. I always wake up 8 hours later completely wide awake. When I go to sleep at night, I'm dead to the world and haven't done any sleep walking or anything this time around. The only adverse side effect I've noticed is if I don't go to bed right away, I hallucinate.

Also, do you take any SSRI? I am on Lexapro and it turns out when you start and stop that drug, you will have very vivid dreams. Or it could be the result of some other medications you are on. You may also want to ask your doctor about a sleep study. In the course of my sleep studies I learned that extremely vivid dreams can be the result of a sleep disorder.

Good luck!

Emily
Helpful - 0
1353650 tn?1429463374
Have you ever tried a more natural way of fixing your fibromyalgia? Have any of you tried to get off of simple sugars? That means no white sugar, no white flour, no caffeine, no fruit juice or honey. Have you ever noticed that you dream more when you have your menstrual cycle? If you do that is a sign of low blood sugar. Do you wake up in the morning with headaches or like you have a hang over? That is low blood sugar also. Sharondodge If getting off of lunesta doesn't stop your dreams you should look into the blood sugar possibility.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I can understand why you're leary about trying the Ambien - I've never had any trouble with it, but of course, everyone is different and how a medication affects one person may or may not be how it affects someone else.  I would suggest if you do decide at some point to give the Ambien a try, definitely try it on a night when your husband is not working, just on teh off chance that you do have a "reaction" to it.

What dose of teh Lunesta are you currently taking?  I'm wondering if you're currently on a higher dose, if you check with your doctor and see if it's ok to try a lower dose for a while and see if it makes any difference - it could be that maybe the dose you're currently taking is just too high for you.

I also understand about you wanting to try goign a night without the lunesta to see if it makes any difference.  Just remember that a) you may have a hard time sleeping for a couple of nights after not taking the Lunesta - quite normal and is called rebound insomnia - so you may not get a clear "view" so to speak as to whether it IS the Lunesta causing the "problem".  and b) even if you don't have trouble sleeping if you don't take it, it could take a few nights to really know if it is the Lunesta causing the problems, so if you're able to, you may want to try a few nights in a row of not taking it and see how your dreaming/sleeping goes.

Is your prescription written for you to take it IF needed?  Or is it written for you to take it EVERY night?  If it's written for you to take it EVERY night, definitely check with your doctor before you do the trial of not taking it.  You never want to adjust any medications on your own without first checking with your doctor.  I would say, however, if it's written to be taken IF needed, then it shouldbe fine to do the trial.

Another option instead of Ambien, if you find that it is in fact the Lunesta causign this weird dream state, would be to possibly give Melatonin a try - again, ONLY after checking with your doctor.  Melatonin is a natural substance that our bodies produce, so it's not necessary to have a prescription for it - you can get it pretty much at any drugstore and even Walmart or places like that.  Obviously it's not as strong as a prescription sleep aid, but for some people it really does work quite nicely - I have a good friend who takes it and it seems to work very well for him.

Best of luck and please let me know how you make out - believe me, I understand COMPLETELY about feeling like you've worked a full day or run a marathon when you wake up in the morning - it's not fun.
Helpful - 0
1355301 tn?1287967641
I'm starting to think it is becoming a side effect of the lunesta.  I am going to try to go a night without it and see what happens.  I am afraid of the ambien because I am at home alone at night, (my husband works 3rd shift) and if I tried to cook or drive, there would be no one there to stop me.

Love and Prayers
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I actually found that when I tried Lunesta (or had to switch to it from my normal Ambien because I was in the hospital and they only use Lunesta there) - that I had the same thing happen to me.  As soon as I was able to go back to my normal Ambien, it stopped.  I wonder if it's a side effect of the Lunesta... but maybe not since you said taking the Lunesta actually helped the situation for you.
Helpful - 0
1353650 tn?1429463374
I was having dreams that seemed like movies as well as night mares and then that morning I would wake up with a headache, kind of like a hang over. My doctor believes it is from the low blood sugar I would get during the night from the insulin resistance. It causes reactive hypoglycemia and at night my blood sugar would drop instead of staying stable like a normal person. Once I began medication for the insulin resistance my blood sugar stays more stable. I don't remember my dreams except when I get my period. When I get my period it is very difficult to control my blood sugar. Maybe when she ups my meds this coming month it will help. You may want to look into insulin resistance and see if it sounds like your symptoms. I suffer from fibromyalgia, reactive hypoglycemia, inflammation of the thyroid and insulin resistance.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Fibromyalgia Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.