Hey there Leah, hope yu are well. here are a few thinks for our readers (and you) from our sleep site concerning dreams and nightmares.
Dreams and their effect on both Sleep and Art
Dreams Throughout Religious History
Sleep Paralysis and Waking Dreams ...
Hope this helps and all the best, sue
Leah...I dream more than I used to. In my dreams I am always trying to find my way home or I am trying to find my way out of somewhere. I keep repeating things over and over just like I do in everyday life. It can become frustrating at times. Also, my dreams seem to be in vivid color and I see things flashing like a kelidescope. I have been doing this for the last few years. I can not tell you why... but I have become accustom to it.
Hi, Sandy. Thanks for responding to my dream blog. The term you used, "kaleidoscope" describes exactly how some of the 'vignettes' occur. Scenes which whir by your point of vision as you dream. My dreams lately have seemed very long and involved. Two nights ago, I dreamed that I designed an ancient building, which then through the eras that followed, I also revamped the inside, using it for many different things. It spanned from ancient times to intergalactic times...and i was able to teleport people and objects from space to space within the building. But I didn't just stay inside the building, I knew what was going on outside, too. I was quite omnipotent in this particular dream... Contrast that to the dream, then the fear when I awoke, about someone shooting me through my bedroom window, which was open, from the deck which stands nearby... I am having difficulty becoming fully awake and dismissing what I dreamed to be just a dream. The feelings from the dream continue with me for a long time after waking... Weird.
Sandy, have you talked with your doctor about your dreams? If so, what is being done to help you?
Hope to hear from you soon. Leah
Leah.....I did talk to my doctor about my dreams but he had no idea what may be causing them to be so vivid. A few months ago I was waking and having heart palpatations and sometimes nausea. Also, I would have this tremendous anxious feeling. I again questioned my neurologist about this and he said they were panic attacks. I could not remember about the dream but he said it must of been very frightening or upsetting to me. I never thought you could have a panic attack over a dream so now I try to be observent about my dreaming and if it was a upsetting dream and I awake with these symptoms, I know what it is. Sometimes it takes me quit awhile to be relieved of these symptoms.
I'm sorry you are having such difficulties, Sandy. Does your doctor have any ideas or medications which could help you? Have you tried writing a dream diary? Do you watch the news after 6 PM? What kinds of TV do you watch? Do you work? I seem to have lots of questions...
God bless you. Take care!
Leah
I do not have these episodes often. I did keep a dream diary for a while and found these episodes would come about after a very stressful day. If I have a stressful day I try meditation before retiring and it does seem to calm the response of the dreams. I do not watch the news after 6PM and do not watch much TV. I do not work outside the home. I think the best result is the meditation...that seems to help the most. Also, for anyone who takes Aricept and has nightmares, you take it at night, try taking it in the morning....that is what I did and it aleviated the nightmares. Keep me informed. This subject is very interesting.
I understand all too well in respect to intense, wild and animated dreams. Your question asking if these strange dreams could be early onset of dementia is very interesting to me. My mom suffers from Dementia/Alzheimers and it did not occur to me that my dreams and their intensity make me wonder if they could possibly be related to early onset of dementia. I wish I had some good information for you.
JC
THanks, JC. You might want to keep on eye on other areas of your life, such as short term memory: losing things, forgetting appts, difficulty following directions, etc.. But, I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point. It won't help to worry about getting Alzheimers/dementia. If you are predisposed to getting dementia, you can do things to keep it at bay: keep your mind busy, learn new things, get into good shape, exercise, read, watch and evaluate the news... Lots of things can be done to keep your mind active. Just be watchful...and stay calm. I have always been a very active dreamer...I have kept my family enthralled all my life with some of the antics of my dreams. The ones I am having lately are different, though. Much more active and involved; lots more color; a kaleidoscope of activity. Thanks for your response.
God bless you.
Leah
Everyone on my mother's side of the family have have very vivid, colorful dreams. Sadly, one by one, they have all developed Alzheimers and Dementia. I am convinced that the 2 are indeed related. It's almost as if their dreams start to take over their waking life and they can no longer separate the two.
The fact that this has encompassed several generations and no one has escaped the ailment at least leans in that direction.
I have been told I have early stage alzheimer's and I am on Aricept. My dreams have change a lot lately. I have always been able to remember part of my dreams and sometimes they meant nothing and other times I knew the people or places. My dreams have become more scary and when I get up in he night I can go back to the same dream. Sometimes druing the dream I can make myself come out of it. One of the very strange things for me is I will be looking at shelves of products - different things different times. They will have words but they make no sense - I will look at the container and thing I can read it and they the letter are all jumbled. The product or sign or whatever will start to go by fast until I can make myself open my eyes and then I can usually stop it. It seems to me my alzheimer's is getting worst during my sleep - I don't know if this makes any sense. I know what you mean also about having dreams that are like vignettes - it's almost like a short TV show but not one I have seen or am familiar with.
I just happened on this page and It sort of answer some questions and opened up many more. Would love to hear from others.
Cheryl
Hi, Cheryl. I don't know that i have any answers for you. I, too, think my dreams are a bit more lively and vivid since being on Aricept. I have many of the same experiences that you mentioned. Once I closed my eyes and slot machines and other brightly colored stuff started going past my vision (my eyes were closed so it was all in my mind). Part of it was from the game I had been concentrating on earlier...it seemed it must have left a strong pattern on my brain which it kept repeating even with my eyes closed. If your dreams are becoming very vivid and scary or if you are concerned about not being able to make sense of the labels you are seeing in those dreams, please discuss it with your doctor. One of the side effects of Aricept is problems with dreaming. Your doctor can tell you whether these effects are normal for dementia or whether they may be resulting from medication.
I do hope you will continue to read and comment and question on this site. I love all the communication! Take care and God bless. Let me know how it goes with your dreaming!
Leah
I have mitchondrial disease. I have hearing loss, heart problems, and deterioration of balance. Now I have started with horrible dreams. I wake up and I can still see the dream, as though it was real. One night I woke and my bedroom was filled with smoke, or so I thought. I got out of bed and ran to the family room. It was there that I discovered no smoke and no smell of smoke. Back to my bedroom, and no smoke there either.
Another night I dreamed of a floating hula-hoop and snakes writhing out of it. I sat up in bed and still sawit!! Just as I started to scream, it disappeared. I could go on and on here. The quality of my sleep is poor. I go to bed tired and wake up the same way.
I am 64 and retired. I am college-educated and worked in a very responsible position for more than 40 years. Am I going crazy? Is this the beginning of something?
Please Please Please go to your doctor. Get a good checkup. Go through your medications list with him/her. There are many reasons for such lucid dreaming, so don't fret about going crazy just yet! I know how disconcerting it is to dream so vividly. I'd like to know how your visit goes with your doctor, so please feel free to write again.
The situation continues for me. I am not dreaming this. My eyes are open and I am aware of the environment when I see these things. I have decided to reject what I see as real, blink my eyes a couple of times, and what I "see" disappears. I have seen a woman standing on the other side of the bed, and another time a huge bug the size of a small saucer that ran up the dresser and disappeared into the bottom of a skirt I had hung to wear the next day. I was so convinced that I had seen this that I got out of bed, grabbed a shoe, and went looking for the "Bug" to kill it with the shoe! No bug.
It always happens just as I wake up. I'm afraid to tell the doctor, for fear that he'll decide I'm going crazy.
I have schizophrenia, and this happens to me all of the time along with night problems. There are like organic robots after me. i've decided not to sleep at night and a lot of my issues have improved. I can hear my backthoughts and have had my blog read as a 'crime' according to the cave, and I see random memories of the day and forecast the next day even. I mean, only so much changes. Sometimes, randomly, my 4 (length, width, height, time) gets jacked up and reality comes through me, if that makes sense. Our dreams are not our dreams, BTW. We're running off of automachines. I can't wait until they find and stop our 'crimes.' We're not allowed some realizations.
The gods couldn't figure out how to code and advance us, so they did it that way. I'm not delusional. I'm on meds but that's what I make of it from what I've experienced. "They're coming back, you know," she said. That scares me. She gave me something to protect me a couple years ago. My dreams are so story-like and tangled in with reality.
don't listen to your backthoughts if you can hear them. I did, and I paid dearly. It'll mess up your reality pretty bad because they are ranked. Thought 42 isn't as important as what was for dinner.
sorry to post so much. It concerns me because it feels fatal to me when it happens. I'm scared to sleep. I started listing what I do think and like during a normal day, and I thought about thinking. For awhile, I stopped dreaming altogether, and I got really dumb. i got around that by writing. They used to say that schizophrenia was like young form dementia. I believe so. I was on geodon for awhile, and it made me have dreams about cannibals. Other people who've taken geodon have experienced the same thing, long pigs and such. I had the backthoughts happen when I wasn't on meds. That really messed with my head. Do you keep a journal or anything? Logic puzzles are good too.
Thanks for writing, Kaela. Medications can be a double edged sword; they can help one problem and cause another, such as lucid dreaming. My best advice is to talk with your doctor and, possibly, seek some psychological counseling to help you cope with your dreams. I've had much counseling and it has always helped. But, be sure to go to someone you like and trust. It may take going to more than one counselor before you are comfortable. No matter what you do, though, don't lose hope for a better life ahead.
As for whether I journal...I try...I forget... I've got the beginnings of journals all over the house and in my computer. It is always fascinating to me to come upon one and read it.
Take care and God bless!
Leah
I looked this up as my nan, who is 91 with dementia, is regularly telling us of dreams she has with a women asking her to come with her. She gets confused in the day but she remembers her dreams clearly, is this something to do with her meds???
Thank you for your question. It looks like you are doing some research on this. Best idea is to go to her doctor and describe what is going on. He can look at her meds and may want to change something. I would try to reassure her, in the meantime, that she is dreaming...hopefully she will be able to understand. If not, assure her that she is not alone, that you are there and she is safe.
Some people have very vivid dreams all of their lives, and as they lose cognitive ability, the dreams may seem even more real. However, it's possible her medications are part of the equation. I would definitely ask her doctor about this. A medication change or adjustment may be in order, as some medications can cause disturbing or more vivid dreams. However, her doctor may decide that the medication is more important and that reassuring her about the dreams is enough. Only the medical person can make this decision.
Good luck - this is disturbing for you, too!
Carol
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2013 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
10 Signs of Alzheimer's 
10 Ways to Protect Your Brain Against Alzheimer’s 
10 Things to Do After an Alzheimer's Diagnosis 
Seven Facts You Should Know About Alzheimer's Disease 
Hi Leah,
My Dad has very vivid dreams and quite often. Sometimes while he naps in his chair during the day. Last night he had some sort of dream about being employeed by our Apartment complex. "Someone" told him that he has a box of money inside the office, because he is an employee. He has already asked me 5 times to take him to the office so that he can see his box. We will probasbly haft to go over there, so he can look around. His dreams are so real and matter of fact to him.
I am guessing that this is what you are asking about.
Take Care of YOU!
Kay
I suppose what I have experience is close to what your dad goes through, though I am at an earlier level. It probably would be a good thing to just take your father by the office and peruse around, explaining that what he had was a dream, a very vivid dream that felt real. Hopefully, he will be able to understand that. Good luck, my dear! I'll be visiting my internist soon so I'll tell him about my dreams. He'll probably send me to my neurologist. You know the insurance companies--always have to have a referral... Good luck with Dad!
Leah
Thank you, Leah
That sounds like a good plan, we will try it. I appreciate your sharing and you!
Sincerely,
Kay