Friday, 29 May 2009

  • Dreaming: Unhealthy?


    As a diagnosed insomniac, I understand how queer it must seem to keep mentioning the 'dreaming' aspect of my life. However, due to the fact that when I do sleep I suffer from 'half sleep' (hence the dreaming) I do have a need to record what my subconscious dwells upon in my very own CG Wonderland realm of sleep.

    What really makes me ponder though is the why and how of something so wonderfully fantastic as the swirling colors of our subconscious (illusions and imagery) could be considered unhealthy? Why? Well, half sleep. You get the hours of rest, but not the sleep needed. With our twenty first century schedules that restrict us to the little sleep we gain, it is no wonder that there has been a substantial increase for the amount of people who are diagnosed with insomnia. Shouldn't it be deemed ridiculous that the majority of students, adolescences on the brink of adulthood, have only 4-6 hours of sleep each day? Does no academic advisor question the remarkable amount of assignments given to our potential scholars of today, and then expect them to do an exceeding amount of extracurricular, plus if you put into the question teenagers who have jobs because they cannot afford (at the moment in 'said' question, i.e. high school) a higher education? Where is the time for sleep? Sleep contributes to health (and to clear skin, for those who suffer from inflammation, breakouts etc). We need to be in good health to work. It makes sense. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.

    With this, it's clearly shown that at the growing stage of a young person’s life, we are not concerned with the health at a time we should be. Diet is one thing, but why is sleep left constantly left out? And if it isn't, how is it not many people seem to acknowledge the problem? They simply say or write “And have good sleep”. Possibly this is just the simple rant of a severely sleep deprived person, but where is the acknowledgement on this issue of grave importance?

    For an example of a typical day, I’ll give you mine:

    An average day for me would start by getting up at 6:20 AM and catching the bus by 7:00 AM. Reaching school by 7:55 AM and the first bell ringing by 8:15 AM. The school day finishes by 3:20 PM, and I would get home at around 4:20 PM. Then it’s the assignments given for completion, which aren't normally typical or practical. Most of which don't get completed until 12:00 AM if you start the instant you get home. However, if my day was the average day, who would start the instant they get home? Generally, students would retire to their beds for the hours they had lost the night before. The majority waking up at around 9:00 PM and then having to start work, and so the cycle continues.

    An acquaintance of mine has this incessant need for Red Bull. Caffeine is a teenager’s best friend, with slogans such as "IDK, my bff latte, whip cream and no milk?" or "IDK, my bff red bull?" appearing on more MSN names and/or icons as I’ve grown older (thus the work pile has grown taller). It could be that I’ve been ignorant to this particular subject before and have only become aware of it with time.

     Also, did I mention those facebook statuses? 3:00 AM - Still up.

    You think that one day this might contribute to evolution? Or will we have to rely on sleeping pills and caffeine until we grow old and die. Assuming we actually grow old, considering how we are continuing to function, heavily relying on substance.

    With people starting from a young age, it’s no wonder people are either suffering from half sleep or insomnia. As our bodies progress, we as 'hosts' (if you will) contribute to the cogs and wheels that work, including creating our own personal time zone. For example, during my study period (since I'm off on exam leave) I've had to kick the habit of sleeping at 5AM and waking up at 3PM the next day. It's unhealthy, but my stubborn attitude, and past moments have now caused me never to use sleeping pills as an alternative (unless it’s a last resort). I'm not one for medication, allowing a substance to control me is a fear of mine. I like to be in control, but, not quite in control (if you can comprehend that statement).

    So why do academics come above the students health? Achieving the best grades/standards is all well and good, but you might as well be alive to actually put those to use. From my own personal experience and those of sleep studies, the affects of no sleep are as follows.

    - Unawareness
    - Dream like state
    - Hallucinations (due to your sensory functions not working properly, both for hearing and sight, and on rare occasions touch)
    - Paranoia
    - Can't achieve a straight train of thought.

    By the fourth day you hallucinate (I would know this considering it’s the reason I had to purchase a new hairdryer) and by the tenth day, you're dead. So where do dreams come in? After that entire student ramble about rights for sleep (I am biased, I do realize) where do dreams come in? Well, dreams are an aspect of half sleep. We all know that dreaming is due to our subconscious, and perhaps you might also know that it’s due to the fact that your consciousness is aware of everything around you. When you dream, you're aware, and this is only for light sleepers (half sleep). People, who dream, will wake up still feeling that tiredness they fell asleep with, probably not to the same extent, but it is still there. Whereas deep sleepers (those who don't suffer from half sleep) will wake up feeling well rested, and will not suffer from exhaustion. Deep sleepers are not prone to dream, and if they do, it is often forgotten. Half sleepers will remember their dream either as a whole or in details. The worrying aspect of dreaming is the fact that you will only dream during the second half of your sleep, and you must note that if you are not sleeping properly by the second half, then your sleep is not helping energize your body as it should do.

    I have to admit my hypocrisy in writing this. I'll admit, I love dreaming. When I eventually do give in two downing two sleeping pills, I suffer from half sleep. I dream, and unlike most, I remember every detail of it. Not so much the dialogue, though to be honest, any dialogue (apart from the ones shared in anger) are remembered in mute. It's the imagery, the faces, the people I meet, the things I do, touch even. That is what I remember. However, I wake up feeling exhausted and probably worse then when I fell asleep. Perhaps it can be all brought down to the shock of sleeping, due to the fact my natural bodily function doesn't allow me to do so without the assistance of prescribed drugs, but all I can say is that psychologically, dreaming is fascinating. For health, it can be considered your nightmare (pun somewhat intended).

    As a person who takes great interest in psychology (particularly those taken place in the subconscious) it’s in my personal perspective that a world without dreaming would be significantly dull. I can picture that world, and I picture it in black and white. There has never been a so obvious door to our subconscious as the one that is shown in the realms of sleep. Though there are some who believe that dreaming is due to our spirit stepping out of our body, and bringing us places (though I wouldn't understand the batman dreams a friend of mine has, if that is so) I believe that our subconscious is speaking everything we have beneath the surface, loud and clear.

    What if dreaming doesn't just affect our physical health but our mental health too? Images or words that stick with us and affect us emotionally and/or mentally.
    And half sleepers also could suffer from sleep walking. That is for the restless, the ones who wake up feeling exhausted. Also the stories you hear of sleepwalkers doing themselves or others physical harm.

    Dreaming - is it all as it seems? Are we clinging onto our imaginary worlds? Or could it do us damage beyond what we can comprehend?

    What about you? Dreaming - is it healthy or unhealthy?

    x

    Celtic Girl

     

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