Is there a medical title for this?

[Sir_T-Cups]

I’ve mentioned once before in various other forums here that I dream a lot; and super vividly.

When I dream I almost always remember them, I dream pretty much every night, and in the dreams I feel everything…pain, emotions, water, wind…everything. The dreams I have a realistic as anything in real life. I am curious as to whether or not there is an official medical title for this phenomenon.

[hellpaso]

I don’t know that it’s a medical term, but “lucid dreaming” comes to mind. I do that as well, and can even direct the outcome or events within the dream.

[pan1]

Lucid dreaming is being aware that you are dreaming while you are dreaming. It might be related, but in most cases the bits of the brain that create memory are inactive during the REM phase (or may be in the process of changing short term memory to long term according to most theories). Many people who enter a lucid dreaming state gain control over the dreams at that point.

Its possible that if you do lucid dream you will remember it. One of the theories on lucid dreaming is that it wakes up part of the brain that is normally inactive during REM - the same part that regulates memory storage.

[Sir_T-Cups]

I hesitate to call it “lucid dreaming” because I very very rarely know it’s a dream. It’s vivid dreaming if that’s a real phrase.

Although comically enough I will dream, then have a dream where I am telling a person about the first dream. Those are always fun.

[picunurse]

Often, vivid dreams are caused by medicines or other chemicals. Nicotine is one.

Sleep problems when using a 24-hour patch, such as having trouble sleeping or having especially vivid dreams.

Caffeine, cocaine, and other stimulants also cause nightmares and vivid dreams. Some antihypertensives may cause sleep disorders, including dreaming.

Untreated sleep apnea may cause vivid dreams or nightmares as well.

PTSD can also cause vivid reinactments of the traumatic incidents

This article discussed the difference between ordinary nightmares and post traumatic stress nightmares. Posttraumatic nightmares are a memory intrusion of the traumatic event and differ from an ordinary nightmare in content and repetitiveness. The Traumatic Dream Defusing Process has the potential to assist survivors of disaster in healing some of the symptoms of PTSD by working with posttraumatic nightmares. To date, little research has been conducted on the effects using the TDDP model. The author has used the model in working with survivors of childhood incest and automobile accidents. Since these clients experienced some relief in from their symptoms of PTSD by working through the posttraumatic nightmare and survivors of disaster also experience nightmares as symptoms, it seems logical to extend the TDDP model to working with survivors of disasters.

[Sir_T-Cups]

@picunurse

Often, vivid dreams are caused by medicines or other chemicals. Nicotine is one.
Caffeine, cocaine, and other stimulants also cause nightmares and vivid dreams. Some antihypertensives may cause sleep disorders, including dreaming.

Untreated sleep apnea may cause vivid dreams or nightmares as well.

PTSD can also cause vivid reinactments of the traumatic incidents

Cool read…but not applicable. Don’t and have never smoked, and not PT

[FlyingRamenMonster]

Everyone dreams every night, but isn’t remembering your dreams often a sign you’re not sleeping well?

[Blue_Mood]

@FlyingRamenMonster

Everyone dreams every night, but isn’t remembering your dreams often a sign you’re not sleeping well?

It seems to be for me. I remember all my dreams and in which order I dreamed them, in a very vivid way as the OP describes. I remember them so well that the emotions evoked can carry over to the next day or longer. I also sleep poorly, and waken many times during the night, which I think allows for this recall.

[Serenata67]

@Blue_Mood

It seems to be for me. I remember all my dreams and in which order I dreamed them, in a very vivid way as the OP describes. I remember them so well that the emotions evoked can carry over to the next day or longer. I also sleep poorly, and waken many times during the night, which I think allows for this recall.

I’m on this boat, too. Unless I’m completely and totally out of my mind exhausted (which doesn’t happen very often), I have a hard time sleeping through the night. I have super vivid dreams, where I’m still experiencing the emotions when I wake (if it was a sex dream, I’m still horny. If it was an anxiety-ridden nightmare, I’m still anxious. If it was a sweet, romantic dream, I’m still feeling all goey about that person the next day.) And when I take sleeping pills, I don’t have/remember the dreams.

[picunurse]

Poor sleep and bad or vivid dreams are often seen with undiagnosed sleep apnea ((skip the ad)

Sir T-Cups, do you dream in color? there’s controversy as to how much people dream in color. I couldn’t find a specific link (most were forum answers) on color dreaming but, I’ve read that color dreaming is more likely to be remembered.

I have had a few color dreams that I remember to this day.