Is it normal to dream while awake?

72% Normal
5 Comments

When I wake up from sleeping I gradually fade from my dream to waking state. Upon waking up my dream starts fading away for about 15-20 minutes. This isn't the same as sleep paralysis. I will often get out of bed and start my day while still somewhat dreaming. For that time after waking I experience visual illusions where the waking state pieces itself back together. Usually stuff moves and I notice more images in patterns than usual. An example would be the tiles on the floor move around in the bathroom and everything shifts around. Visual and auditory illusions are more noticeable.

Other than just dreaming while awake upon waking up I also gradually start dreaming while falling asleep while aware of what is happening. Sometimes I even dream while wide awake, for example I will be driving on the highway while simotaniously snowboarding in another world. I'm not sure if this is the same thing as people describe as "day dreaming" or not.

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72% Normal
Based on 39 votes (28 yes)
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Comments ( 5 )
  • thegypsysailor
    9 years ago

    A day dream believer, I guess?

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  • NormL.
    9 years ago

    this is a key symptom of narcolepsy.
    (affects ~ 1 in 2000 americans, is how normal it is.)
    no, you don't have to fall over fainting, it's more about the brain waves being produced not following a normal -- well, let's instead say AVERAGE-- pattern of timing. You are getting too little or low quality REM each night, so your body/brain fall into it almost instantaneously,instead of cycling more slowly in and out.
    schmoogle up "hypnagogic hallucinations" , hypersomnia, and narcolepsy

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    • [Old Memory]
      9 years ago

      I would not be surprised if I do have narcolepsy. I took a sleep study and they diagnosed sleep apnea with hypersomnia. I did fall into REM right away like somebody with narcolepsy but they said I didn't fall asleep fast enough every time to get diagnosed.

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  • howlsilver
    9 years ago

    Its a good feeling, right? I think its lucid dreaming. You are gaining control of your own dreams by being aware of it. By means of being aware, it means even if you are sleeping, you know you are dreaming. So you can create some happenings there. Best part of lucid dreaming is not only being aware of whats happening but also experiencing a dream within a dream. The feeling that you have awaken and your in the real world then suddenly you wake up again and realize its just another dream. Im experiencing lucid dream and sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis scares the hell out of me, I cant move and no sound coming from my mouth and I can hear voices. I really feel so great having lucid dreams, so after waking up I write down all that I can remember in my dream journal notebook.

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    • [Old Memory]
      9 years ago

      I wasn't quite talking about lucid dreams but it may be connected to that.

      I do have lucid dreams regularly and I am usually aware of what is going on in my dreams and that I am dreaming.

      I have noticed dreams often have certain laws of physics, similar to here but different, that I cannot seem to control, although I can usually control things as much as I can here.

      I keep a dream journal as well and I have excellent ability to recall events in my dreams. I can usually report several pages about what I dreamed.

      What I was explain in my original post though is that there seems to be a blurred line between the dream world and the waking world for me where I will fade in between them.

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