Waking up right in the middle of a good dream can make you feel unfulfilled and "like you didn't get enough sleep."

This idea may be a little ahead of our time, but I believe there exists a machine which can tell when a person is in REM sleep (i.e. dreaming). Furthermore, it's probably possible to tell whether it's a good dream or a nightmare (e.g. by monitoring heart rate, perspiration, breathing rate, mouth movements) -- that part may need more study; I wouldn't want to wake anyone up during a great sexual fantasy!

Anyway, if the machine from above can be miniaturized enough and linked to an alarm clock, then here's what you do. You tell the alarm clock the earliest and latest times it can wake you up, and it will try to allow any good dream to complete, but wake you up earlier if it senses that a bad dream is in progress.
-- phundug, Jul 28 2004

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock http://www.halfbake...cle_20Alarm_20Clock
Shameless plug for own, related, idea [-alx, Oct 05 2004]

finish your dream and the chances are you will not remember it. having said that, I like the idea
-- po, Jul 28 2004


I never remember any dreams at all - haven't done so since I was young.
Maybe the alarm clock never wakes me up!
I thought that the best way to tell if someone is dreaming is by REM.

If you only remember dreams when you wake up during them, then it's ironic that the really good sexual dreams, that you can remember, finish with frustration.
All the other dreams that have a 'climax' will be unremembered (perhaps).
-- Ling, Jul 28 2004


I remember a dream on most nights. Sometimes many dreams per night. (It helps when it's a dream I've had before, as in, "Oh yeah, that one again.")
-- phundug, Jul 28 2004


/I wouldn't want to wake anyone up during a great sexual fantasy!/

It could have its advantages.
-- egbert, Jul 28 2004


Maybe if it could be programmed to wake me up during a dream, I might remember more of them. As it is, I only rarely remember them, and then only the very odd or disturbing ones seem to stick with me. But, for the normal people in the world, +.
-- half, Jul 28 2004


This is very cool. (+)
-- PinkDrink, Jul 28 2004


This is awesome, in fact, I was in the middle of running away from a cop on a moped this morning....my only concern is whether or not the heart rate moniter will discern between bad dreams and heart pounding good dreams.+
-- swimr, Jul 28 2004



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