Thursday, April 26, 2012

Sweet Dreams? Or Not?

 Nightmares are more common in children than in adults and when people are upset, worried, or distressed.
 Do you have dreams and/or nightmares? 
  Do you remember them? 
 Do you write them down for future writing projects?
(I've done this...)

If you are having troubling dreams it might make you anxious about going to sleep.  Some things you can do are tackle any problems that are worrying you before you go to bed, avoid diuretics, caffeine and too much alcohol before bed, establish a night time routine that involves winding down time, and remind yourself to relax and that it's not the time to worry.  Managing Your Mind recommends counting backwards or counting your breaths.  It also recommends tensing each of your body parts and relaxing until you have done your whole body.

On average adults sleep seven and a half hours.  But that can vary.  (Einstein needed more sleep than average and Churchill slept less.)

How many hours do you sleep at night?  I write best after a nap... (I don't dream when I nap, but I do at night...)

30 comments:

  1. Right now I sleep 6 1/2- 7 1/2 hours a night. When my kids were littler though, I probably averaged about 5-6. I love my sleep!
    I have goofy, crazy dreams and the occasional nightmare. And the nightmare is 100 times worse if my kids are in it. Luckily I don't have too many bad dreams.

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  2. I rarely dream...or if I do, I certainly don't remember having done so, which is strange because my 'winding down' time is in bed, usually reading a thriller complete with dead bodies all over the place. I sleep for about 7 1/2 hours a night and wake when the light hits my window. I've never owned or used an alarm clock. Weird eh? Smiles - Astrid.

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  3. I have nightmares all the time. I've learned to wipe them from my memory fairly quickly, but some of them stick with me for days. I dream vividly and they're horrific. I'd rather dream of puppies and rainbows!! :)

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  4. Love these shots!! It's a story in itself!!

    I need seven hours sleep! Any less and I'm grumpy!

    I dream my subconscious state of mind - and always fail to remember the details after! Take care
    x

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  5. Hi Sharon .. I love my bed and need 7 1/2 hours .. I can do with less and I could do with more occasionally - bliss.

    I don't dream much thankfully - I have the occasional falling dream .. but I don't dwell on them.

    Hope all's well your end of the world .. keep happy - cheers Hilary

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  6. Winding down before bedtime is so important for me. That's one reason I wait until then to read for pleasure--at least I try to read for pleasure. lol

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  7. I usually only get about 6 hours sleep. I tend to have a hard time sleeping. Get up even on the weekends early.

    I tend to remember the nightmares but not the dreams. Wonder what that means.

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  8. These days I average about 7hrs, if I get less for a longer period of time, then I usually end up sick. I've always wanted to be one of those that only needed 5 hours of sleep...
    As for dreams, the ones I remember are vivid - some scary, some not.

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  9. I had a nightmare about zombies and i was saved in the nightmare by fire-breathing dogs.

    Yes, I would like to own a fire breathing dog, thank you very much.

    xoxo--

    Shelley

    P.s. I might have to write about one...

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  10. These photos are really thought provoking. Sleep is an issue for me but I'm working on it. Lately I've had vivid dreams and they inspire stories. :)

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  11. I often dream that my five sisters are chasing me....oh, sorry, that wasn't a dream!

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  12. I dream, but rarely have nightmares. I remember nightmares as a child, but fortunately not so much now.
    I typically sleep 6 hours a night (and always wake up once or twice a night); wish I got more!

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  13. Yes, I do dream. And vividly enough at times that I retain the emotions and memories when I wake up. Jotting down the dreams for future projects? Hmmm .... Interesting. Maybe worth a try next time! :)

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  14. Lately I've been sleeping about 6-7 hours a night. I've also been taking short naps lately.

    Another thing to do, to try and avoid a bad nights sleep, is to not eat anything 2 hours or less before going to bed. You don't want your body trying to digest that food while you are trying to sleep.

    I've written down some of my dreams/nightmares, but haven't done it for quite sometime now. I probably should do it again.

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  15. I seem to function best if I get 6-7 hours of sleep OR over 9 hours. For some reason 8 hours of sleep makes me feel tired all day. Must be my REM cycles or something.

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  16. I loved all your pictures. I don't really remember any dreams when I wake up! But whenever I make a story, I start with a dream sequence!

    Riya

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  17. mostly i sleep a couple hours in my chair and then got at my bed and sleep til i gotta get up for school. ack! for sure im gonna have weird dreams if i eat a banana before i go at my bed. my doctor says everyone dreams but we dont always remember what we dreamed. ilike when i have a fun dream and it like a story and i dream the next chapter on the next night. i did a james bond kinda story for 5 whole nights. i could wait to go at my bed so i could know what was gonna happen next. ha ha.
    ...hugs from lenny

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  18. Hey Sharon,
    Sleep? I stay awake just so I can be a really nice guy and interact with all my friends in North America. Time zones, oh my.
    I check my eyelids for cracks every once in a while. I find having a power nap helps me get ready to post up my incoherent and disjointed postings. I wonder what I might write if, good grief, I had more than a few hours sleep.
    I don't drink alcohol but oops, me thinks I consume a bit too much coffee...And with that and my eyebrows up to the top of my forehead, I bid thee a fond goodnight.........zzzzzzzzzz...huh......
    Take care and happy writing.
    Hugs, Gary :)

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  19. Great pictures!

    I usually sleep between 7 and 9 hours; if I sleep less than that for too many nights I tend to get sick.


    The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

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  20. Occasionally I'll have a nightmare. Most often I'm able to wake myself up from them though. I also remember the majority of my dreams.

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  21. I'm loving Lenny's comment. :-)

    I do dream, but this week I've been so busy and tired,I don't think I did. I do not like nightmares. Hubby had one about our dog Frodo. He's a shiatsu and he dreamed he was killed by one of the horses. I think he got away from hubby and Mr. Ed. stepped on him. I need eight hours, bestie. And I have not been gettin' it. *sigh* Oh and. Probably going off the diet at the reception. But I'll be back on it tomorrow. People are staying with us. I'm pooped! So pooped! What a bittersweet day this will be. *sigh* I heart you.

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  22. I have the odd nightmare once in awhile but dream frequently. I usually remember them.

    How many hours of sleep a night? If I get 4 hours of solid sleep a night I am a happy woman. What I wouldn't do to get 7 or 8!!

    Love your images Sharon!

    Happy Saturday!
    xo Catherine

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  23. Nightmares used to shake me up when I was a kid, but they don't bother me too much now. They startle me and I wake up in a cold sweat, but I'm able to go back to sleep right away. I don't write them down either.

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  24. I can't remember my last nightmare...and if I nap I'll never write.

    I very seldom remember my dreams at all, but when I do, they are very clear.

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  26. I need to get at least 7 hours sleep, sometimes more. I dream often but usually can't remember what I dreamed after I wake up. Thankfully, not too many nightmares! Love the photos, and thanks for the tips for helping you sleep.

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  28. At the SCBWI conference I just attended, author Bonnie Becker talked about how we are most creative when our brainwaves are moving at a slower speed, the same speed as when we're sleeping or resting. So, it makes sense you write best after a nap! :)

    I don't get enough sleep. I would love to sleep 8 hours a night, but I usually get 6 or less. :/

    My daughter was reading a book before bed last night that had info about the KKK in it and she's had trouble going to sleep last night and tonight. I had to pray for her a lot before she could finally fall asleep. Poor little thing!

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  29. I usually get 7 hours...These are neat photos...I like the naps but it messes up the night:)

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  30. I've rarely had nightmares in my life, but I dream profusely and weirdly. I often use my dreams for writing inspiration. I usually sleep about 5 1/2 to 6 hours per night and take at least one nap (usually about 20 minutes) during the day. I probably need more sleep but I've fallen into bad habits.
    Love the topic of dreaming. Couldn't resist this post.


    Lee
    An A to Z Co-Host
    Tossing It Out

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