Nicotine Patch and Vivid Dreams
 

I have a tendency to not remember my dreams. But I wanted to share this experience because it was so cool.

A few years ago I was trying to quit smoking (I have since quit successfully). I was wearing a nicotine patch and I was also working third shift at the time. It was my day off, but I was trying to stay awake in order to maintain a third shift sleep schedule. So I was really tired and it was the middle of the night and I was drinking lots of caffeine.

Despite the caffeine, I fell asleep on the couch. Now, because I was wearing the nicotine patch, and because I was drinking caffeine, I had an incredibly vivid dream.

Now, this might have been coincidental, but in the dream, I decided to test whether or not if I was dreaming. I have never before (or since) had any lucidity in my dreams--I hardly ever remember my dreams at all. So I was doing a test to see if I was dreaming or not by trying to manipulate the dream. I determined that I was not dreaming. Could not possibly be dreaming.

Then, of course, I woke up. I was sweating quite a bit. Never experienced anything like it since. And now I have seen others complain about "vivid dreams" while wearing the nicotine patch. But I thought it was pretty cool.

(Not that I recommend that anyone run out and try the nicotine patch)

That sounds like an awesome experience. I'm sure the brain can produce lots of vivid sensations when a person has multiple stimulants (caffeine and nicotine) in their system :D