“I struggle with vivid, recurring dreams – how can I stop them messing with my energy levels?”

Sleep Diaries cover

Credit: Ami O'Callaghan

Strong Women


“I struggle with vivid, recurring dreams – how can I stop them messing with my energy levels?”

By Lauren Geall

2 years ago

In partnership with Pukka

Pukka

In this week’s Sleep Diaries, a 30-year-old digital editor asks how to stop her dreams getting in the way of her energy during the day.

Welcome back to Stylist’s Sleep Diaries, where we take a deep dive into one of the most important (and elusive) factors in our day-to-day lives: sleep. To help us understand more about it, we invite women to share their habits with our sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan for analysis.  


About me

Age: 30

Occupation: digital editor

How much water you drink on average per day: at least 8 glasses

How much caffeine do you drink on average per day: I have one matcha each morning, then the rest of the day is tea – some herbal, some caffeinated.

What time do you go to bed at night: 10.40pm

What time do you wake up in the morning: my alarm is set for 6am, but I often don’t get out of bed until 7am.

How often do you exercise? I cycle to work and back twice a week, walk on a treadmill while working from home and do pilates. 

Do you eat breakfast within 60 minutes of rising? Yes.

My story

“I often feel tired but find it hard to fall asleep. Once I nod off I tend to sleep deeply, but I regularly talk in my sleep, experience vivid, recurring dreams and wake up feeling exhausted. I also struggle with teeth grinding.

“I regularly enjoy lie-ins at the weekends and often take an accidental two-hour nap on Sunday afternoons, so I think my energy levels could be improved. 

“My job is challenging but I rarely work overtime. Instead, I log off and work on my side projects, which include writing fiction and my newsletter. To stay organised I use a to-do list and have recently started timeboxing in a bid to gain more control over my routine.

“My biggest struggle is getting out of bed once I’m awake. I have so many plans for the mornings but struggle to get things done because I end up sleeping in. 

“Ultimately, I’d like to understand more about my recurring dreams and reduce their impact on my waking hours. I’d also like to feel more energised so I can wake up at 6am every day ready to face the day. Can you help?”


So, what does it all mean? Sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan shares her thoughts…

Headshot of Dr Nerina Ramlakhan

Credit: Courtesy of Dr Nerina Ramlakhan

“There are a few issues at play here,” says sleep expert and physiologist Dr Ramlakhan. “I feel you’re somewhat of a perfectionist who likes to be in control – the teeth grinding and time management planning are indicators of this – so I advise you to write your lists before you go to bed rather than first thing in the morning. This might help you to go to bed feeling more in control and able to let go of the day. Carrying all of those ‘must dos’, and ‘have to dos’ into your sleep could add to the intensity of your dreams.

“Your creativity could also be playing its part in creating those vivid, ‘out of control’ dreams. It would be helpful for you to start a ‘morning pages’ practice – even if it’s just dumping some thoughts onto paper first thing in the morning before you start your day.”

She continues: “You could pour your dreams and waking thoughts and feelings out onto the page. It doesn’t have to be perfect prose; you just want some raw, uncensored creativity that takes you on a healing journey and helps you to recover some suppressed vitality. Sometimes we think we don’t have energy when in fact there are elements of our energy that are stored as trapped or potential energy that is waiting to be unleashed.

“On another practical note, your Sunday naps are too long and could be setting you up for disrupted sleep during the week. A shorter, power nap – no more than 20 minutes – is recommended with more restful breaks built into your working days.”


Cover image: Ami O’Callaghan

Image: Dr Nerina Ramlakhan

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Credit: Pukka

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