Sleep, dreams and nightmares

I’m not sure this is the whole story, but it raises an additional factor - not only is there the side you sleep on, there’s also the side of the bed you sleep on.

These days I sleep on the left side of the bed, and more often on my left side, partly because Mrs AC lies on her left and otherwise we’d be face to face and snoring at each other!

When I’m on my left side on the left side of the bed my left arm and elbow is generally tucked in as I’d otherwise have it dangling or knocking drinks off the bedsise cabinet. If I turn to lie on my right side however I generally try to extend my right arm out under her pillow as it’s more comfortable.

So yes depening on the side the arm may be more compressed in one position than another.

Does head position during sleep significantly affect perfusion to one cerebral hemisphere or another, it could well do I suspect.

Out of curiosity, how does this app track your sleep? How does it know what sleep fase you are in and for how long?

Have always thought Mrs. H. would sleep a damn sight better if she would take the Fit Bit off. I would certainly wake less when it lights up!

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I used to enjoy several pillows when younger - these days I often find one more comfortable, chucking the other to the bottom of the bed or having it between my legs to give me something to lean into.

I don’t have a full sleep tracker but have found it interesting to watch when I have a good sleep how my heart rate gradually drops the longer it goes on. Even if I wake and get up, as soon as I’m back to sleep the curve almost continues from where it left off and continues to decline.

During lockdown, consequently doing far less exercise, I’ve also noted that my resting/sleeping rates are higher than they used to be.

There are certainly apps that monitor rates and predict sleep quality based on teh HR curve overnight with several different patterns identified.

I’m using a wrist band tracker that measures a number of things (pulse rate, breath rate, skin temperature, oxygen level, movement etc). It’s not a perfect measurement i think but it can be insightful to track the changes in the patterns that it measures.

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I see.

That reminds me, I need to try and turn notifications off on my watch - a certain company sends me notifications on a Sunday at around 6am to tell me when my bill is due! Other times the thing tells me to Stand or Breathe in the middle of the night, utterly daft.

Also useful to consider the aspect of sleeping position.
Head to toe pointing true south. With the natural flow of sunlight left heading to right was recommended by my sleep yogi.

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I seem to have “phases” of recurring dreams.
Presently going through a sitting on the top deck of a double decker bus going too fast along a mountain range narrow pass. Eeeek.
Past phases have involved walking barefoot over rough painfull terrain, with the occasional levitation and flying superman like.
Doesn’t take an expert to reinterpret the significance.

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I very rarely remember my dreams; however, as a teenager I had vivid dreams, often linked to deja vu.

The only thing that disturbs my sleep now is my dog. When SWMBO stays, she’s the one who has disturbed sleep.

Of course I dreamt last night and I awoke trying to figure out where I was. I just could not place the location; it seamed to be an amalgamation of places where I have lived. Strange.

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I often get those night terrors.
I believe in academic terms is those moments when for some reason you are half awaken out of a deep cycle of sleep - when naturally your body is in a motionless state - then half consciously making sense of the situation by fear.
That something is insidiously making its presence felt beyond a capability to respond to.

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I have a few recurring ones too.

One is of having an utterly enormous attic, with various roof leaks and odd heating components about to fail.

The other is of living in a considerably bigger house and wondering why I want to move to something larger when I rarely use the ‘middle section’ or several rooms on upper levels.

I seem to dream often, but the strangest experience was several years ago staying at the Russell Hotel in London whilst doing some consultancy work.

I awoke and seemed fully conscious, but completely unable to move. Whilst in this state it seemed to me that someone got into the king sized bed next to me, but out of my line of vision. I was desperate to move my head to see, but could not.

This state lasted for no more than a few minutes and I have no recollection of how it resolved save I woke perfectly normally a while later.

On checking out I jokingly asked at reception whether anyone else had reported anything strange in my room which was penthouse suite at the top of the hotel (I had a free upgrade). The receptionist refused to answer and avoided eye contact. I admit I look a bit like the bast**d child of Quasimodo and Medusa, but most women will at least look at me.

Later, I put this down to a bout of sleep paralysis. However, it was damn weird to say the least.

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i moved from london to manchester in 2011. i keep dreaming of places and friends
from london even though we go back nearly every 2 months. it is because my roots
were there.

I need to re-listen to this audiobook I started a few years ago:

Screen Shot 2021-02-22 at 22.59.55

I have far too many audiobooks I’ve not finished and always nod off listening to them!

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I once dreamt i ate a huge marshmallow, when i awoke my pillow was gone.

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:rofl:

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I will look at earlier recommendations, but this is a stunning very scientific appraisal of sleep.

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