Sleep, Dreams and Hallucinations
Why we may start hallucinating if we don’t get enough sleep
As we drift off into a state of sleep, sometimes we may see weird or confusing visual images. 
The visions that we see as we are falling asleep are called hypnagogic images. The images that we see as we emerge from sleep are known as hypnopompic images.
Some of these images are pleasant and visually appealing. Other times they may be nightmarish or frightening. On rare occasions, these images may remain even after our eyes have opened.
The line between sleeping and waking is not as clear-cut as we think. So when a person is deprived of sleep for a period of time (and in particular deprived of REM sleep), they may start seeing these images in the course of their daily waking life.
The REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep is the part of the sleep cycle where we have vivid and intense dreams. The process of dreaming during this stage is very much like watching a movie in the way that our eyes move under our closed eyelids. 
Sometimes the emotions that we may understandably experience in dream situations such as persecutory feelings or intense rage may creep into inappropriate situations in waking life, if we don’t get enough sleep. This can lead to a pattern of paranoid or aggressive behaviour.
And if, for any reason, we are totally deprived of sleep, the REM stage of brain activity starts to occur when we are awake. Then the dream images that we would normally be experiencing when we sleep, cross the line of consciousness and emerge in every day waking life.
Natural REM sleep is crucial for our emotional health and physical well-being. Many forms of sleeping medication can suppress REM sleep.
Download my ebook, Banish Insomnia Now for natural tips on getting the most out all stages of your sleep cycle.
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Dreams, Sleeping Disorders | Chantelle | 
August 24, 2010 1:55 pm
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