Too much REM sleep - non-stop dreaming- always tired

I sleep for 6-8 hours every night.  Never have a problem falling asleep.  I dream so much I feel like I lead two lives.  Zero energy/mental alertness, feel like I didn't sleep at all every darn day.  Had bouts of this back in the day after quitting xanax in 2013.  It would last two nights to two weeks.  At this point I have had two refreshing nights of sleep since February.  Started using a CPAP for very mild sleep apnea, no change yet.

 

Anyone else have this problem?  I searched but couldn't find a specific thread addressing this.

 

Thank you.

Excessive REM sleep is pretty common for those of us on this site. As far as I know, there are two factors that can cause it. The first is REM rebound (google it). This happens when you have not been getting enough REM sleep. When you do fall asleep, your brain skips the regular sleep cycle and goes straight into REM sleep to help make up the difference. Deeper sleep restores the body while REM is thought to restore the brain, so this is probably some sort of brain self-defense mechanism.

 

Another possible cause for what seems like too much REM sleep is a disruption of sleep cycles. Normally we progress through several stages of sleep that progressively get deeper and deeper. REM sleep, where most dreams occur, is the last phase of a cycle. After REM we experience a brief period of awakening then we drop back into the start of a new cycle. Most people are not aware of this awakening period since they promptly nod back off. If something causes you to become more awake at this stage you tend to remember any recent REM dreams. If something wakes you up from a deeper sleep stage there will probably be no memory of dreams. As we progress through complete sleep cycles, they tend to lengthen in duration. If you keep experiencing a more pronounce awaking between cycles they don't. As a result, you keep waking up with memories of recent dreams. This happens to me all the time. Sorry, but I don't know how to change this.

thanks for the detailed response.  You were actually way more informative than the sleep doctor I have seen.  I guess I'll just have to keep waiting for the problem to resolve.  I will not take benzo's or AD's to fix this, no way.  Have a great day, sorry for such a late response.

If you had this problem following both of your experiences with a benzo I would say that it is most probably due to the benzos. It can last for a long time. I am more than 3 years off and still have a lot of short choppy REM sleep full of dreams. Last night for instance. In my experience sleep doctors are only interested in diagnosing sleep apnea and prescribing a CPAP.

I have this exact problem and the reason why I started taking Clanazepham over ten hrs ago. I actually went to a sleep Dr today to go over my sleep lab results and I was certain that I had Narcolepsy from the symptoms I have. He said I didn’t. It’s very frustrating to say the least and I am extreme tired all the time. The only thing that has ever really helped me was Clanazepham. I’ve been of benzodiazepines for 8-10 months and it never did get better. Started taking Remeron and it has helped some. My sleep Dr prescribed me Midafinal today and I’m yet to try it. If you have anymore questions I can try to help you as much as I can but I too am struggling. Please DM me with any questions.

I have had this same problem while on K and now off around 17 months . I only sleep around 4 to 5 hours a night however its light non restfull sleep  and yes the dream dream dream . From the moment I fall asleep until I wake up . I also do not feel rested at all. I was told and read that when  person is on a med it prevents them from going into all 5 stages of sleep which is needed to get fully rested. According to a sleep study I was told I only go down around 2 possible 3 stages of sleep thats it.

 

My normal sleep pattern ended on May 14th 2014 after I suffered a seizure during My sleep . This was due to a head injury and have never been the same since. I live on 4 maybe 5 hours of sleep . I also question if benzos actually do change the physiology of the human brain.  I guess I will never really know and now I am 65 and sleep gets lighter as We age so heaven help Us all.

As Aloha said, it is very common to go right into REM sleep (REM Rebound) after not sleeping well for an extended period of time.  I am 2 years 4 months off and still have lots of dreams too.  Although I believe I am getting deep sleep now as I often sleep for 3-4 blocks of time and once in a while 5 hours. I get 6-8 hours pretty much every night.  It is a lot easier to remember your dreams if are getting sleep back after Benzo induced insomnia.  I always liked remembering my dreams as I knew I was sleeping. 

 

As we age, we need less sleep.  4-5 hours per night is night is not ideal, but very livable.  I know lots of people that work the night shift and only get that much sleep during the day.  They try to get a bit more on the weekend.  In the bigger picture, if you are getting 4-5 hours per night, you are doing OK.  It could be worse!