As everyone who develops Depersonalization / Derealization Disorder knows, the condition can make normal everyday things seem really difficult. For me, it was going to the cinema, reading, travelling.

All the things I used to love to do now seemed like terrifying experiences.

Why Sleep Feels Different with Depersonalization

But what seemed particularly cruel was that DPDR also affected my sleep patterns, and even my dreams.

After a long day of feeling depersonalized, I would drift off to sleep only to have full-on nightmares in which I was experiencing panic attacks and DPDR.

The first time this happened, I remember waking up and being distraught. The idea that there was no escape from these feelings - even in sleep! - was so terrifying.

At the time I was convinced that Depersonalization / Derealization and sleep were closely linked. I thought that it was connected to sleep deprivation, causing me to feel like I was dreaming while I was awake.

After much online research, I saw that others were having the same experience.

When you consider that:

1. DPDR Triggers Nightmares and Sleep Anxiety
2. You Can Experience DPDR In Your Dreams / Nightmares
3. Lack Of Sleep Can Make DPDR Worse
4. DPDR Can Feel Like You’re Dreaming When You’re Awake
5. DPDR Can Feel Worse In The Mornings

...it seems pretty certain that DPDR must be connected to sleep. Right?

Actually, no. It’s an interesting theory but it’s overcomplicating something that’s very simple. 

Let’s go through each of these complaints and see why DPDR is NOT directly connected to sleep!

1.DPDR Triggers Nightmares and Sleep Anxiety

This is true, but but every type of stress and anxiety can cause nightmares.

Work stress, marital issues, exams coming up -- they can all cause bad dreams. Why should Depersonalization be any different?

Sure, it can be very distressing but that doesn’t make it different from any other nightmare. 

When you spend all day fixated on the scary symptoms of DPDR, it’s not surprising that these thoughts carry over into sleep. Stress-induced nightmares are common, and DPDR can make them feel more vivid and overwhelming.

And just like any other nightmare, they will stop when the associated waking stress is stopped.

2.You Can Experience DPDR In Your Dreams / Nightmares

Yes, but again -- this is only occurring because your dreams / nightmares tend to rerun whatever you’re obsessing about and stressing about. In the same way that if you’re worried about an upcoming exam, you’ll keep dreaming that you’re sitting in the exam hall.

Dreams during DPDR episodes can reflect the overwhelming detachment experienced during waking hours. These dreams often mimic the surreal, ‘dreamlike’ sensations that people associate with the condition.

It’s not pleasant but it’s perfectly natural and it can’t harm you. Believe it or not, your mind is trying to work out the problem of your anxiety and DPDR!

3. Lack of Sleep Can Make Depersonalization Worse

This is very true, but it’s not a direct link. All types of anxiety and stress are worsened when you’re tired or have sleep deprivation. Yours just happens to be DPDR.

When you’re tired or haven’t been sleeping properly, you feel more anxious. That's what happens to everyone with sleep deprivation.

If you had OCD, it would be worse with lack of sleep. Same goes for social anxiety, claustrophobia, Depersonalization etc.

Lack of sleep can make them worse, but can lack of sleep cause Depersonalization / Derealization disorder? It's very unlikely. DPDR is almost always triggered by trauma and stress, not exhaustion alone.

4. DPDR Can Feel Like You’re Dreaming When You’re Awake

Many people with DPDR describe the sensation of feeling like they’re dreaming even while awake.

It's scary but it's perfectly natural. This happens because DPDR creates a protective barrier between the person and their surroundings, a feeling of disconnection that prevents them from being overwhelmed by a traumatic situation. It's sometimes referred to in psychology as 'the airbag of the brain'.

This feeling of disconnection can make you feel like you're constantly dreaming, and can make sleep and waking states feel indistinguishable at times. Sleep deprivation (also often common with DPDR and all anxiety-based conditions) can amplify this sensation.

It’s designed to be a temporary defensive measure, but sometimes it can persist and become Depersonalization / Derealization Disorder. It definitely feels weird but in reality it has nothing to do with actually being asleep or dreaming.

This, combined with the fact that the anxiety and DPDR can make you genuinely tired too, makes for a very strange and exhausting experience! 

I really wish I had known this when I first developed Depersonalization / Derealization, as I tried my best to ‘wake up’ by drinking lots of coffee, listening to heavy music -- things that definitely didn't help!

5. DPDR Can Feel Worse In The Morning

Again, feeling worse in the morning is typical of almost all anxiety conditions. People usually tend to feel more anxious in the mornings, for a variety of reasons.

It can be tough to get out of bed, face going to work etc. So when your body associates feelings of DPDR with anxiety, you'll feel more DPDR in the mornings.

But that doesn't mean that mornings = Depersonalization! And most importantly -- the fact that DPDR tends to ease off during the afternoon and evening is a very positive thing.

Why? Because you know that the condition is variable, it's caused and eased by different factors -- and can be stopped altogether.