In this week’s Sleep Diaries, a 27-year-old business founder learns about a technique she can use to get her vivid dreams under control.

A little about me:

Age: 27

Occupation: founder of two businesses

Number of hours’ sleep you get each night: I get roughly 8-8.5 hours every night. We don’t set alarms anymore unless we have to wake up unusually early, so it’s whenever I wake up!

Number of hours’ sleep you wish you got each night: 8-8.5 hours. I’m happy with the number of hours I get, but more interested about the quality!

Do you grind your teeth/have nightmares: I have LOTS of very vivid dreams. Because they feel very real, I don’t wake up feeling refreshed or even rested on the nights when I have lots of them. I feel like my brain is still working while I’m sleeping and I can wake up tired from them. Sometimes they’re about mundane everyday stuff, sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re anxiety-inducing. I often wake up feeling the emotions I experience in the dream and it’s hard to shift. A lot of the time I even know I’m in a dream but can’t wake myself up! I have also noticed that if I’m stressed, I have more vivid dreams.

How much water do you drink on average per day: including herbal teas, around 2 litres on average.

How much caffeine do you drink on average per day: not much – I don’t drink coffee or caffeinated tea, but I do have a very small soda (150ml) maybe 2-3 times a week.

How much exercise do you do on average per week: not enough! I’m currently averaging 8-10k steps a day, and I urgently need to go back to the gym.

“My vivid dreams leave me feeling exhausted – is there anything I can do to stop them?” A sleep expert answers your questions