# Is there a connection between sleep and DP/DR



## J. (Apr 2, 2007)

Is there a connection between sleep and DP/DR?

J


----------



## flat (Jun 18, 2006)

There could be. That "dream-like" state that we feel being depersonalized is very similar to how our dreams feel like. Once I sleep deprived myself because of an all-nighter studying and felt less depersonalized the next day. I thought it had something to do with preventing the dream state temporarily. I then tried to wake my self up every 2 or 3 hours with alarm clocks just to prevent the deep-sleep dream state as an experiment. Again I felt much less depersonalized the next day. Unfortunately you can't keep doing that all the time.


----------



## medo (Dec 19, 2006)

sleep deprive and oversleeping makes my dp worse.


----------



## J. (Apr 2, 2007)

Thats the thing.
When i don't set an alarm, i can sleep way too long. When i sleep long I feel much worse then when i sleep less.
When i go out and go to sleep late (i.a. 4 to 6 hours),the next day, i feel a bit less concerned with the whole dp/dr thing.

Whats with that?


----------



## Springbok (Mar 2, 2008)

Oversleeping agitates my DP too. The following day is really bad if I get somewhere near my normal 8 hours of sleep. For the most part though I've only been getting about 4-5 hours a night since it all happened. In one way I don't mind because it lessens the effects of DP, but I can't help but think it's not good for me.


----------



## Gorblethorp (Mar 13, 2008)

Well, I normally get around 5 hours of sleep on weekdays (I wake up at 6:25), and when the alarm goes off I don't even have trouble getting up. I just automatically leap off my bed like I've been awake for hours and shut it off. Then, I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. This is about when my DPD kicks in and I start just focusing all my energies into thinking about how ****ed up I am. Everything just becomes really unimportant and detached. I look in the mirror and don't really recognize myself. I know it's me, but there really isn't anything else backing up the fact that it IS me. The feeling subsides a little when I start showering, but it never completely goes away.

When I sleep in, however, I feel even worse. I feel afraid when i wake up. Like I'm still dreaming, but I know it's real. Everything seems fake, but it's all real. I get really freaked out and start walking around the room, trying to get my head in the right place.


----------



## DRyan (Jan 19, 2008)

Same with me. Depriving myself of sleep brings some hints of feeling back, until I pass out.

Its probably the mind being forced to slow down for lack of energy?


----------



## therese cowen (Oct 2, 2007)

My symptoms get worse with either too little or too much sleep. 7 - 8 hours is best.
Is there anyone else out there who dreams constantly. I seem to dream as soon as I go to sleep, and dream all night every night.
Even if I wake up at, say, 6.00 and doze back off I dream for that few minutes.


----------



## J. (Apr 2, 2007)

:!: PLEASE READ: :!:

I did some research about DP/DR and i found a Dutch article about DP/DR.
There were serious clues that DP/DR has strong relations with sleep. 
It even suggests that DP/DR isn't primarily triggerd by for example fear, but that the fear is triggered bij the bad sleeping. 
For example when people have trauma based DP/DR, its because of the bad sleeping (and probably they don't realize that they are bad sleeping). traumatic events can change your sleeping pattern. THe same that can happen with drugs. 
Thats why there are so many overlaps with drugs induced DP/DR, traumatic DP/DR and other forms. Sleep is the primair subject here.


----------



## Dave69001 (Dec 28, 2005)

therese cowen said:


> My symptoms get worse with either too little or too much sleep. 7 - 8 hours is best.
> Is there anyone else out there who dreams constantly. I seem to dream as soon as I go to sleep, and dream all night every night.
> Even if I wake up at, say, 6.00 and doze back off I dream for that few minutes.


I believe DP is heavily interlaced with sleep problems also, since ive had DP ive had many sleep hallucinations / sleep paralysis etc.

And I have the exact same thing as you mate my alarm will go off at 8 ill hit snooze, go to sleep for 5 more minutes and in these 5 minutes I will have multiple dreams that seem to go on forever. I didnt even think it was possible to dream from such a short amount of sleep.

Sometimes I even dream when im awake but laying in bed real tired, so hard to explain but its like I can see my dream acting out in front of me yet I can still see my room etc out the corners of my eyes but im just in such a weird state I cant move or do anything except lay their.


----------



## Guest (Mar 17, 2008)

J. said:


> :!: PLEASE READ: :!:
> 
> I did some research about DP/DR and i found a Dutch article about DP/DR.
> There were serious clues that DP/DR has strong relations with sleep.
> ...


Thats interesting because I started having panic attacks when sleeping then I'd wake up feeling strange and thinking "omg I'm dead" lol then going back to sleep, that went on for ages until one morning I got up with full Derealization and thinking I had some sort of stroke or seizure in the night that caused it.

So I think undisturbed sleep is a cause.


----------



## Springbok (Mar 2, 2008)

I've never been a good sleeper, but since the DP it's totally screwed. I'd be interested to know whether people who develop DP were good/deep sleepers before developing it, or whether light sleepers are more pre-disposed.

I've been experimenting with sleeping tablets prescribed to me by my doctor. When I take them I sleep a full 8 hours, no dreaming, but the following day my DP is far worse. If I don't take them I get about 4 hours sleep, lots of disturbed dreaming, but the DP isn't quite as bad the following day. It doesn't make sense :?

Oh, and Dave69001 that feeling of dreaming while you're awake is called hypnogogia, and I've experienced it too (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia)


----------



## nemesis (Aug 10, 2004)

Ive noticed a similar connection between sleep deprivation and a lowering DP/DR symptoms. There are a few studies available on the web including a wikipedia entry which show a relationship between a sleep deprivation and a lowering of anxiety and depressive symptoms. My guess is that its the sleep dep which lowers the level of anxiety which thus reduces the DP/DR symptoms.


----------



## J. (Apr 2, 2007)

im trying melatonin tablets each night now. 
Hope it helps, but so far no luck


----------



## dotcom85 (Mar 12, 2008)

This can be a solution. I also notice that when i sleep to long or to short i have more this dp feeling than when i sleep normal (8 hours or something). I also notice that i had a bad sleep over years im tired the whole day since many years and now i have this DP/DR because a panic attack of weed.

I will make some tests over myself for 2-3 Weeks and post the results here:

test 2-3 days with less sleep
test 2-3 days with to many sleep (10 hours or more)
test 2-3 days with normal sleep and sametime sleep (11:00 PM)
test the sleep in my room without any electronic hardware
test the sleep with some relax music and some relax oil or something (maybe it works xD)
and i will record a video of my sleep  im just wondering wy im so tired when i wakeup after 8-9 hours of sleep and just want to watch if i make something strange in the night xD


----------



## J. (Apr 2, 2007)

i keep you update on the metonin effects.


----------



## dotcom85 (Mar 12, 2008)

whats metonin ? is this a medical to have a good and long sleep ? or what happen when you take this ?


----------



## Islander1 (Mar 25, 2008)

J. said:


> Thats the thing.
> When i don't set an alarm, i can sleep way too long. When i sleep long I feel much worse then when i sleep less.
> When i go out and go to sleep late (i.a. 4 to 6 hours),the next day, i feel a bit less concerned with the whole dp/dr thing.
> 
> Whats with that?


I cant beleieve i just stumbled upon this website, this is the first iv heard of depersonalization and now i understand fully that this is what i have. i was diangosed with GAD and SAD. (general anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder )
To the OP - I also notice this when i over sleep, THE DPD seems to be allot worse compared to when i sleep less say like 7hours of sleep or less, why the hell does this happen? Also i would like to add i was diagnosed with GAD and SAD due to excessive drug use, which in turn upset the chemical balance in my brain, im currently taken natural meds for this. However i am going to go to my GP and talk to him about depersonalization to clear up my miss diagnoses. Great website


----------



## J. (Apr 2, 2007)

dotcom85 said:


> whats metonin ? is this a medical to have a good and long sleep ? or what happen when you take this ?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin


----------



## Guest (Apr 1, 2008)

dotcom85 said:


> This can be a solution. I also notice that when i sleep to long or to short i have more this dp feeling than when i sleep normal (8 hours or something). I also notice that i had a bad sleep over years im tired the whole day since many years and now i have this DP/DR because a panic attack of weed.
> 
> I will make some tests over myself for 2-3 Weeks and post the results here:
> 
> ...


Thats a great idea! I want to sleep with some music on.


----------



## IbizaParadise (Apr 7, 2009)

guys i found this thread which was posted a year ago...i was just wondering if any of you guys feel more DP/DRilzed when you dont get enough sleep...i slept about 6 hours last night and today i was so tired and my anxiety and DP/DR was a lot worse..i was about to have few panic attacks due to the DP/DR...i was kind of feeling like im dead or something and im just a ghost walking around the town...my symptoms get a lot worse when i dont get enough sleep..anyone else like that?


----------



## adyttzzzzu (May 14, 2009)

I always feel more dpd when i don't have enough sleep.


----------



## Deja_vu_256 (Apr 27, 2009)

DRyan said:


> Same with me. Depriving myself of sleep brings some hints of feeling back, until I pass out.
> 
> Its probably the mind being forced to slow down for lack of energy?


i've seen studies on this... for example - going a night with little or no sleep may cause the brain to release dopamine to help aid for fatigued brain - there was a while i was working alot and getting between 2-4 hrs of sleep almost every night and in the morning (3-5hrs) i was tired but relaxed, i felt like i was on a cloud even though i was working - some days i barely even remembered the first 4 hours (but they were easier that the last 8!!) - but i had hints of certain emotions i never felt otherwise - and it wears off and was still VERY tired - i would have to be forced into it though - i don't know that could motivate myself to go that again...


----------

