REM vs Deep Sleep and Tape Questions

[HisServ]

Hi y'all. Haven't posted in a while, but I was reading an article in the reader's digest this morning on the meaning of dreams and my curiousity was aroused. I remember seeing posts about this before so forgive me if this has been beat to death. I don't know how many have read the article, but it was saying that dreams help a person to deal with issues and sort through problems and emotions that occur in your every day life. I've heard that before and have often wondered if (as I've read here somewhere before) that NO REM = more crankiness while NO stage 4 sleep = more tiredness. Out of curiousity, anyone here remember being especially tired or more especially cranky and had more REM or more Deep Sleep on their sleep studies. Forgive me if this is too complicated and rambling.

On to the second part of the topic which I hope will be more understandable. I really have this absurd problem with my tongue. It just won't stay anywhere long enough to block all the air from leaving my lips. So I have been taping at night, but sometimes that doesn't work as well as other times and right when I'm about to fall asleep there will be a psss coming from my lips and wake me up. What has everyone found the best way to combat that is WITHOUT spending money of one of those dental appliances. I read something about an ace bandage? What's that about and does it work?

Thanks for reading through all the rambles.

[Amigo]

Sorry I don't have any answers to your REM questions, but thought I would throw in my $.02 worth regarding your tape leaks.

I use Rested Gal's method which calls for 1" wide Johnson & Johnson waterproof tape. I use two strips overlapped with one end of both strips folded over slightly to ease quick removal, if necessary (a sneeze, cough, throat clearing, etc.).

Make sure the area the tape will rest on is clean, and don't try to skimp on the tape i.e., don't make the strips too short; mine are usually about 6" long.

I also pull my lips in while applying the tape, and then relax them after it is on.

Hope this helps.

[rested gal]

You described it perfectly, Amigo! The two overlapping strips do need to be long enough to extend well beyond the corners of the mouth.

HisServ, after I apply the tape, I do a couple of test puffs -- hard. If there's a "hissss" at any spot, I'll slap on a third piece to cover that area. But most of the time, two work fine.

[chicagocard]

sorry, no recall regarding the sleep study but since I've been on CPAP my dreams are very much related to working out my life's problems. I was always a "big dreamer" and CPAP has restored my dreaming.