Hallucinations from sleep deprivation?

[RealGanjaMan]

Shit man...

Has swiy ever experienced considerably intense hallucinations from sleep deprivation?

SWIM has (unfortunatly) experienced sleep deprivation plenty of times, but the hallucinations usually are just flickers out of the corner of his eyesight, brief flashes of light that arn't there, etc. Well, this time, SWIM is experiencing some pretty intense hallucinations considering the only substance he has ingested in the last 24 hrs was 10mg Add(which is a nothing dose, only enough to keep him awake).

Swim was gazing at a counter, and there was a bottle of shampoo on it. Gradually everything in the room (the counter, the walls, cieling, floor etc) started "breathing" (sort of like a less intense mushroom hallucination), except this shampoo bottle he was staring at. Then, as he kept gazing at the bottle, the rest of the room (everything except the damn bottle) began slowly 'zooming in'. Some other effects... he would see/hear a fly/bug fly buy him, but as soon as he would look at it, it would dissapear. Light seems to be always slowly changing and shifting around him.

So anyways... It seems very odd to swim. He would honestly compare it to a low-dose mushroom trip.

Oh yeah, I had I point to this thread.
Does anyone know what exactly causes these hallucinations from sleep deprivation?

I have a hard time believing that its only/mostly placebo. The only logical thing I can think of is maybe the brain needs sleep so bad that it just stops trying to make sense of its surroundings?

[bewilderment]

Originally Posted by RealGanjaMan

The only logical thing I can think of is maybe the brain needs sleep so bad that it just stops trying to make sense of its surroundings?

yeah, basically you hit the nail on the head. I just found a quite informative article about sleep deprivation, found here: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neur...b3/Ledoux.html

Here's a snippet about hallucinations:

The implications of this data seem to be fairly important in supporting the location of the I-function within the brain. The prefrontal cortex is active whenever a person is awake, no matter how little sleep they have had. Also, this area is active while dreaming. Since the individual is aware of him or herself during both of these instances, but is not aware during the stages of sleep when the prefrontal cortex is shut down, it seems logical that the I-function is located within this region. This indicates that the I-function is what is resting and regenerating during the first stage of sleep. It would be interesting to study prefrontal cortex activity while a person is conscious, but unaware of his or her actions, due to an influence such as drugs or alcohol. According to the results of the sleep deprivation studies little or no activity should be seen in the prefrontal cortex at anytime when the individual is unaware of his or herself.

One of the symptoms of prolonged sleep deprivation is hallucinations (10). This could also be related to the I-function since it is the system that integrates the input from all other areas of the brain. If the neurons composing the I-function become too taxed then the picture in the head that the I-function produces may be more dissimilar from reality than usual. The neurons, under pressure to continue functioning but unable to perform optimally, create an image useful enough for a person to see most of his or her surroundings. Metabolic activity in the prefrontal cortex can drop as much as eleven percent after a person has missed sleep for only twenty four hours (8). As a person loses more sleep or continues to receive less-than-adequate amounts of sleep the neurons become even more taxed and the I-function may begin to generate even less coherent images possibly resulting in temporary insanity.

I assume by "I-function" they simply mean self-awareness.

I used to sleep a few hours a week when I had chronic insomnia. I don't vividly recall hallucinations, but I was so out of it I probably wouldn't remember it much anyway. However, I did become delusional, paranoid, and began experiencing synesthesia. I was also not on any drugs during this time period aside from an antidepressant, but considering that I was acutely sleep-deprived on a consistent basis for about a year I doubt this had much of a role in the above symptoms. It did, however, contribute to my insomnia.

[RealGanjaMan]

Originally Posted by bewilderment

yeah, basically you hit the nail on the head. I just found a quite informative article about sleep deprivation, found here: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neur...b3/Ledoux.html

Here's a snippet about hallucinations:



I assume by "I-function" they simply mean self-awareness.

I used to sleep a few hours a week when I had chronic insomnia. I don't vividly recall hallucinations, but I was so out of it I probably wouldn't remember it much anyway. However, I did become delusional, paranoid, and began experiencing synesthesia. I was also not on any drugs during this time period aside from an antidepressant, but considering that I was acutely sleep-deprived on a consistent basis for about a year I doubt this had much of a role in the above symptoms. It did, however, contribute to my insomnia.

Thank you! That pretty much summed up everything I wanted to know. Yeah insomnia sucks, all my life I've had it on and off... and it really can make your life shitty at times. It did to me atleast.

-RGM

[adzket]

you need some pills from your doctor if you suffer badly with this they may even send you for a sleep study. i get it realy bador did could not switch brain off to relax and fall asleep. so over the last 4yrs have been on verious sleeping pills gradualy going up in strength as i become tolarent. i have a sleep study coming up soon as the doc recons there are few stronger pills left and those that are he is not willing to perscribe.

[RealGanjaMan]

Originally Posted by adzket

you need some pills from your doctor if you suffer badly with this they may even send you for a sleep study. i get it realy bador did could not switch brain off to relax and fall asleep. so over the last 4yrs have been on verious sleeping pills gradualy going up in strength as i become tolarent. i have a sleep study coming up soon as the doc recons there are few stronger pills left and those that are he is not willing to perscribe.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to try and go about it naturally first, maybe try a couple different herbs etc... I'm not a fan of most prescription meds... but if the herbs don't work out I will definatly look into it.

[The Doors]

SWIM has problem sleeping to a certain extent, but no where as bad you. SWIM usually smokes a bowl or two of marijuana an hour before going to bed and he falls a sleep pretty much instantly. I'm pretty sure you considered it already but just giving my input.

[adzket]

Originally Posted by RealGanjaMan

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to try and go about it naturally first, maybe try a couple different herbs etc... I'm not a fan of most prescription meds... but if the herbs don't work out I will definatly look into it.

lavender oil on you pillow and in your bath at night can help if you want natural remadys.

[bewilderment]

Originally Posted by The Doors

SWIM has problem sleeping to a certain extent, but no where as bad you. SWIM usually smokes a bowl or two of marijuana an hour before going to bed and he falls a sleep pretty much instantly. I'm pretty sure you considered it already but just giving my input.

Marijuana tends to only work well for a few nights then loses effectiveness in terms of treating insomnia. Swim says it still works well if one hasn't been smoking lately though. She still usually smokes it consistently on a nightly basis though.

[IHrtHalucingens]

SWIM finds that no matter what if he smokes at all during the day, even one bowl upon waking up he can sleep at night, but if no marijuana is used all day he cannot get to sleep for many many hours, and the sleep he does get is terrible and unrefreshing. He smokes every day too and it works every time.

he doesnt like benzos for sleep as they always make him very groggy the next day and he ends up sleeping for 18 hours or something outrageous like that. And with a smaller dose he gets no effects, its one or the other with him. Not to mention the rapid tolerance build up.

Marijuana is the only "sleep med." that has ever worked effectively and consitantly for SWIM. he gets to sleep fast and sleeps very well and wakes up refreshed even after only a few hours of sleep.

[The Doors]

Originally Posted by IHrtHalucingens

SWIM finds that no matter what if he smokes at all during the day, even one bowl upon waking up he can sleep at night, but if no marijuana is used all day he cannot get to sleep for many many hours, and the sleep he does get is terrible and unrefreshing. He smokes every day too and it works every time.

he doesnt like benzos for sleep as they always make him very groggy the next day and he ends up sleeping for 18 hours or something outrageous like that. And with a smaller dose he gets no effects, its one or the other with him. Not to mention the rapid tolerance build up.

Marijuana is the only "sleep med." that has ever worked effectively and consitantly for SWIM. he gets to sleep fast and sleeps very well and wakes up refreshed even after only a few hours of sleep.

SWIM is pretty much in the same situation as you. He's been using marijuana on a daily basis for about a year now, and everytime he smokes, he sleeps very well at night and wakes up feeling refreshed. When SWIM doesn't smoke, it takes him forever to fall a sleep and wakes up feeling drained out and tired for the rest of the day, which is a pain in the ass when SWIM has to work or go to school. Nature takes care of us once again!

[adzket]

could this not be because swiy are addicted to canabis in some way as people offen find it hard to sleep when they no longer have a substance in them that there body has become used to functioning on (just a thought) i know no one realy thinks of them selfs as a canabis addict but i think thats because it is so acseptible for people to smoke draw nower days even if its every day. its got to be at least habbit forming or people would not do it all the time.

[IHrtHalucingens]

Absolutely. That definately has something to do with it, but not entirely as SWIM has quit for over a month before, clearing his system completely, and he still had this problem to an extent. Not quite as bad as while msoking but it was there. So as long as its possible for him to smoke he will because he knows he will feel better that way. He really feels that marijuana evens him out and makes him more normal than being sober.

[HandyMan81]

many times E.T had sleep deprivation, from clouds in the sky (in the living room) and ppl who arent really there. This is no joke, E.T one time talked with a friend of his for like 1 hour. The friend went to bed and like after 5 min. E.T saw him come down again, so asked if he could not sleep. Turns out that he wasn't even there talking to E.T. Was in bed all the time. E.T swears on everything he loves that he did not dream it, and in E.T's memory it still happened.

[Dogears]

I have experienced very mild auditory halucinations from being up for three days once.

[RealGanjaMan]

Originally Posted by adzket

lavender oil on you pillow and in your bath at night can help if you want natural remadys.

Thank you! That sounds very interesting, and I will try to find some lav asap.

And yeah, The Doors, SWIM is a weedsmoker and he agrees it definatly helps. Sometimes its not enough to do the job on its own though. Also, he finds it a rather expensive sleep medication, even though it is by far the most enjoyable

-RGM

[The Doors]

Originally Posted by RealGanjaMan

Thank you! That sounds very interesting, and I will try to find some lav asap.

And yeah, The Doors, SWIM is a weedsmoker and he agrees it definatly helps. Sometimes its not enough to do the job on its own though. Also, he finds it a rather expensive sleep medication, even though it is by far the most enjoyable

-RGM

It is SWIM just smoked about an hour ago. SWIM usually smokes 2-3hours before he goes to bed, thats when hes just smoking by himself. SWIM will be heading to bed shortly as if he feels he is going to burn out soon, he's had a long day at work.