I have carpal tunnel syndrome, so on nights when it is bothering me, I take a couple Aleves (naproxen sodium) so I can sleep. I have noticed this usually results in very long and intense dreams.
Anybody else experience this?
I used to take huge quantities of that medication for my arthritis, and I can’t say I noticed any difference in the amount or intensity of my dreams, but then dreaming is what I like best about sleep, and I already consider my dreams long and intense. I can no longer take any NSAIDS after my gastric bypass, and I’ve noticed no decrease, so it’s not like the steady diet of naproxen had kept my dreaming up at some intense level.
Maybe you just got relief from the pain and then had a better night’s sleep, which made it easier to dream? I remember my carpal tunnel days, and there wasn’t a whole lot of REM sleep going on!
I take it every day but in the morning so, sorry, but haven’t noticed it with my daydreams. 
Would a morning application be worth trying for you? Curious though… don’t they say Aleve works best if taken over a longer duration? It works for you as a “spot” treatment? Obviously, I’m in no way suggesting you alter your intake, just surprised that single application does work. Interesting…
ALeve’s the most effective thing so I take large quantities on a reoccurring basis and I’ve never noticed any affect on my dreams.
Um, isn’t what you’re talking about what they say about Prilosec? I’m not sure why anyone would advocate taking an NSAID every day if you’re not in pain. Particularly considering package instuctions tell you not to take it for more than 10 days without consulting a doctor about it.
OK, that’s incoherent. It was supposed to read “Aleve’s the most effective thing for my cramps…”, point being that I take it every month for a few days and thus have a good frame of reference for non-Aleve sleep vs. Aleve sleep. If anyone cares…
I take 2 other medications, each of which contributes to intense dreams. Plus during PMS my dreams become more intense. It is like an IMAX in there sometimes. But I have never noticed Aleve contributing to intense dreaming. But everyone is different, and if you think it is happening to you, it may well be.
I take naproxen daily with my doctor’s okay with similar problems. It does not cause more dreams for me.
In fact, without it, the slight pain I’m taking it for would keep me awake (I’m a very light sleeper). So I actually sleep better with it.
I have been taking it regularly because of a tooth problem ( and awaiting a dentist appointment) I haven’t noticed more vivid dreams,but when I do a Tylenol PM or some ZZZZZZ tea , I have deeper, more movie-like dreams.
I’ve been taking Aleve on and off since the car crash. I’ve not noticed anything different in dreamland.
Of course that might be because I don’t sleep very well. Being inside my body is somewhat uncomfortable at the moment.
Not Aleve, but Nyquil. Pepper Mill found that the licorice-flavored night time cold medicine gave her nightmares, and refuses to take it anymore.
No one is suggesting he take drugs when he’s not in pain, especially NSAIDs which with continued use can have serious gastrointestinal side effects like bleeding and may cause life threatening damage. Most definately, they’re only to be taken for longer than 10 days under the advice of a doctor. To that end, four disparate health care professionals (GP, pharmacist, drug rep & Rheumatologist) told me the full benefits of Aleve may not be apparent immediately but manifest themself more apparently over time. Therefore, my surprise, and I guess a pleasant one at that, is that Aleve can be used for short term relief instead of another drug or class of drugs.