(no subject)

[bluesilverkdg]

I haven't written much about my sleep disorder in a while, but something happened last night that prompted me to want to talk about it. For those of you who haven't been around that long, just a brief overview: I have a sleep disorder called REM Sleep Behavior (sometimes called REM Sleep Disturbance.) I stay in REM sleep pretty much the whole time I'm sleeping, which means I dream constantly, never really getting much, if any deep, restful sleep. Not only that, but I get up and act out my dreams sometimes. So, technically I am a sleepwalker, but not in the classic sense. I basically know what I'm doing, because I'm sort of on the verge of being asleep and being awake, and what I'm doing makes sense to me at the time, even though it's usually pretty stupid and when I do totally wake up and realize what I'm doing (taking pictures off the wall, chasing the cats, etc.), I feel like a total idiot. So, I've had this disorder since I was four years old. Both of my parents are sleepwalkers, although my dad's disorder is much closer to my own, and I inherited the tendency.

For those of you who HAVE been around for a while, you may remember that the TV is a big trigger (or a trig bigger?) for my sleep disorder. If I fall asleep with the TV on, I generally believe that the people on it are talking either to or about me. I once wanted to hunt Matthew Broderick down and kill him because I thought he was airing my dirty laundry on Conan O'Brien. Then there was the time I almost called the drug and alcohol helpline in a rage to tell them that I DID NOT have a problem with drugs, thankyouverymuch, and I was insulted when I apparently thought their infomercial said that I did. (I get a wee bit testy when I'm sleeping.)

So, last night, I fell asleep with the TV on. I normally set my timer on the TV so that it goes off 30 minutes or an hour after I go to bed, because I do usually go to sleep more easily with it on. That way I get the benefit of dozing off with the TV on, without the hassle of thinking that the people on there are talking to me. But last night I couldn't find the remote for the actual TV...the one that controls the timer. So, it stayed on all night. At about 5 am, there was a show about Ancient Rome (or something like that) on Investigation Discovery. And evidently there was something in it about statues. I was under the impression that I was going to be turned into a statue, but if I could figure out what was making this happen, I could prevent it. And what was making us all turn into statues? Herculineum.

Yes, you heard right. I got up in the middle of the night, found a notebook (that I'm pretty sure was downstairs) and wrote the word "Herculineum" in the margin. I even recognized that there was already writing on the page, and that I should not write over it, so I had the presence of mind to go over to the margin.



This would be strange enough if it was the first time it had ever happened. However, it's happened before.





Back in 2004, I was relentlessly searching for The Code in my sleep. It apparently had something to do with either the TV remote or my phone, because I'd wake up each night punching numbers furiously into both of them. And I dreamed about The Code almost every night. I have no idea what it meant or what it was for, and I still don't know what it was, but for almost a year, I had this recurring dream of searching for The Code. One night I did actually dream that I figured it out, and boy was I proud of myself. I got up to go to the bathroom, so happy that I finally had The Code, and while I was sitting there on the potty, I realized I'd already forgotten it. So much for that.

But back in August of 2004, "Rescue Me" was a new show coming on, and I saw a commercial for it one night when I was sleeping. Evidently I thought that it had something to do with The Code, because I got up and wrote this:



What's crazy (OK, crazier) is that neither one of these look anything like my regular handwriting. Or my handwriting when I'm awake, I should say. And what's even crazier than THAT, is the fact that I can (kind of) type when I'm asleep. Who remembers The Infamous Sleepwalking LJ Post? http://bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com/2006/05/30/

Yeah, goodtimes.

So I don't have the foggiest idea what Herculineum or Dennis Leary have to do with anything, but I have them both now immortalized in sleepwriting. Maybe I should start a sleep journal. That could be interesting...

Comments

[girlafraid.livejournal.com]

WOAH! And what a word to write too. You're even smart in your dreams! HA!

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Haha! Thanks. :-) Although, while I did spell it correctly, I did not remember to capitalize. :-/ Minus ten points.

But seriously, could I have picked a more random word?

Hey, shouldn't you be hooping?

[virginiapaints.livejournal.com]

Chemical elements like carbon, hydrogen.... herculineum (?) wouldn't be capitalized. You could potentially be stepping into an alternate reality/time line while in your dream state. Hey, we only use about 10% of our brains. Who knows what the potential for the human race is if we could access it all, or at least more of it.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

From what I can gather Herculineum is/was a city or town in Italy. It's frequently listed when mentioning other ancient cities or tourist sites like Pompeii or Mt. Vesuvius. It does sound like it should be a chemical or element though, huh? I'd never heard of it before, but evidently, it was going to save me from being turned into a statue. Talk about an alternate reality and time!

[virginiapaints.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of it as an element but many of the elements have been named after ancient locations, names, etc. When it's discovered I'll know you can see into the future in your dream states. I'd definitely keep a book by the bed for writing things down. Have you ever talked to anyone about controlling your dreaming?

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if that happens, please let me know. Perhaps I could use my psychic sleep powers to save the universe or something! :-P I used to keep a dream diary when I was younger, but I usually remember my dreams well enough that I don't need to actually write them down right away. Whenever I have a really good (or bad/vivid) one, I go over it in my head repeatedly when I wake up until I know it, and I've learned how to remember key points to write it down later when I'm more coherent. (Although reading some of the stuff I wrote while half asleep was a lot of fun sometimes.)
Control my dreams...like lucid dreaming? I do know how to do that, although I only learned a few years ago that it was called that and that it's apparently a desirable thing to do know what to do. I can't really lucid dream through the night though, mostly in the morning. Or by "control my dreaming" do you mean actually get out of REM sometimes and get into Delta sleep? If my doctors can figure out how to do that for me, other than heavy-duty sedatives (which render me useless the next day), I'm there!! That's the classic element of my sleep disorder. When I went to a sleep clinic, I "slept" for 6.5 hours. The doctor showed me my brain waves, and they were off the charts all night and morning.

[nessachan.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised you thought about this in your dream-state... like Pompeii, Herculaneum was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius....it's less famous for some reason, but it was also well preserved by volcano fallout n' stuff.

I think it's pretty fascinating that you can write when you're asleep!

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Crap. I misspelled it, too! I thought it had an i, not an a. Ah well. I watching a show on Investigation Discovery about it, so I was just copying it from TV. I had my glasses on, but darn!!

I actually did some reading on it, and I did gather that it's not as famous as Pompeii. Several people wrote good reviews on traveling there though.

[madbax.livejournal.com]

Herculaneum is supposed to be the main ingredient in a dietary supplement I bought at GNC.

Wait a second...

Aw crap!

[taylorw172.livejournal.com]

Put your sleep disorder of acting out your dreams with my sleep disorder - sleep apnea (stopping breathing in my sleep) and you could strangle me and not know if you caused me to stop breathing or not ;-) But my disorder is just fine these days, especially with my new Cpap... No snoring and I sleep like a baby (What does that mean anyway, that I wake up every couple of hours needing a bottle or my butt wiped?)

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Well, I did try to choke a former roommate on a high school band trip, so I imagine that's entirely possible!

[taylorw172.livejournal.com]

That would make a really good B-rate movie "The sleepwalking strangler" or better yet, "The Band camp Strangler" (sort of like the Boston Strangler only different) ... This one time at band camp ...

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

My goodness! That's...all I can say!

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

When I see stuff like this, I'm not sure whether to be impressed or frightened...or a bit of both!

[adventuregirly.livejournal.com]

Wow, Herculineum. I am impressed!

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Hah...do you remember, you're the one I was directing that sleepwalking post at?! I thought you were texting me while I was trying to save everyone from perishing in traffic and I was so upset at you! When will you learn not to text me while I'm trying to save the world!!! :-P

[adventuregirly.livejournal.com]

Lol, I do remember that!

I will try to remember not to do that!

[headbanger118.livejournal.com]

Ok, I may have an answer for you here. Herculaneum is an ancient Roman town that was destroyed by a volcano...thus turning it's people into....statues!! (Same eruption that killed on Pompeii)

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I don't usually have dreams like that, but I think I have on occasion, usually when I fall asleep kind of suddenly. I do remember one time when I fell asleep with music on the stereo, and I had a dream that the same music was playing and I was unable to turn it off.

[ellettra.livejournal.com]

that is pretty strange, for sure. what i find most strange is the fact that neither of those handwriting samples look alike, and that neither of them are your normal handwriting. that is very very wierd to me.