Sweet Dreams are Made of These

Question

SSRIs reduce REM sleep. I am on fluoxetine and I definitely notice that I have way fewer dreams than I used to. I used to have nightmares a lot so this is at least partly a good thing. REM sleep is necessary for learning and memory and general being able to think. What is the consequence of years and years of less REM sleep than you are supposed to be getting?

Jim LaPierre · Accepted Answer

Hi...in the spirit of candor I have no idea what the long term effects are neurologically - I encourage you to check with your doctor. My thoughts run more along the lines of why are you looking years down the road? Are there things that can be resolved in the here and now? Do your nightmares have a central theme? Are they recollections of past events? I'm wondering if therapy could be helpful to you in resolving past losses and pain? I've had tons of clients for whom SSRIs gradually lost effectiveness and they had to change meds to get the same effect. I encourage you to consider if your depression is primarily a neurological mbalance (in which case focusing on meds and such things makes sense) or do you suppose that perhaps your depression is a product of ast and current perspective? This would be key moving forward. Wishing you all the best

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