To Sleep... Perchance to Dream

 (Originally Posted By Leslie Coggin to Living with RSD/CRPS at 7/24/2011 01:53:00 AM)

Shakespeare once said "to sleep perchance to dream."  Unfortunately, those of us with CRPS don’t see sleep that often and we rarely dream.  The question of sleep is one we often bring up.. How did you sleep, did you sleep at all, how long did you sleep.. But no one ever seems to ask us if we dream.  Well... from my personal experience we don’t.  

 A person with CRPS does not go deep enough to achieve REM sleep which is where we dream.  Our sleep is broken up into units of an hour or two at a time and it can get disheartening after a while.  I tried to keep a normal schedule but found that since the pain was worse at night that it was hopeless.  I had a doc tell me once that since I couldn’t and didn’t sleep like others then I ought to try different sleeping schedules.  So, since I usually have no place to go; I sleep when I can, relax (meditate) when I can and stay active when I can but, still no dreams.

There are all kind of sleep meds for us; Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, Trazadone etc...  and I have tried them all with limited success.  I’ve tried combinations of meds and meditation that I know will make me drowsy and sometimes that is not enough to bring on a nice, long, tranquil sleep.  I keep trying though, hoping that the meds will help me nod off and occasionally they do but, its not consistent,  But there is not one single med to help you dream.

I miss dreaming.  Dreaming was a way for me to solve my problems, be creative and relax all at once.  I couldn’t tell you what I had dreamed just that I knew I had.  Dreaming was a way to recharge myself and let my outer self know what was going on with my inner self.  Now, I feel kinda lost and sometimes stagnate.   I usually go for four or five days with little to no sleep to find out that the next day I have crashed for 8 hours and still no dreams.

Perhaps one day when there is a cure for CRPS; they will discover a way to induce dreaming too.  Wouldn't it be nice?!!