This is why you have such crazy dreams when you take Nyquil

This is why you have such crazy dreams when you take NyquilThis is why you have such crazy dreams when you take NyquilWhenever you come down with a pesky cold or a case of the flu, you probably reach for a familiar bottle in your medicine cabinet when it comes time to try and sleep off your sickness. Yep, were talking about Vicks NyQuil - and honestly a lot of the brands sibling products.Notoriously known asa knockoutpotion, NyQuil doses your body with acetaminophen (a pain reliever and fever reducer), dextromethorphan hydrobromide (a cough suppressant) and doxylamine succinate (a powerful antihistamine) all in one. It can help relieve your most uncomfortable symptoms quickly and allow your body to get the rest it needs to restore its healthy status, but it can also give you some pretty wild dreams. Like, dancing with talking unicorns and falling to your doom in the center of a volcano, dreams.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Produ ctivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhy is that exactly?Well, most experts blame it on the doxylamine succinate. Antihistamines are known for their drowsy side effects, helping you fall asleep and stay asleep, but they can also create some interesting interactions once youve drifted off to dreamland.Antihistamines block the production of histamine, a certain kind of neurotransmitter, in your brain. (Makes sense, right?) Its responsible for regulating your appetite, your body temperature, inflammation and - you guessed it - your sleep-wake cycle. Anddoxylamine specifically blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which triggersrapid eye movement (REM) sleepand, therefore, is in charge of your dream state.So what happens is your NyQuil dose puts off REM sleep longer than your normal sleep cycle typically does and then, as the medicine wears off, your brain experiences a rush of acetylcholine, creating a quick rebound of REM sleep in an attempt to make up for lost time . And its that quick shift that leads to all of your bizarre (and often terrifying) dreams.Its also worth noting that NyQuil isnt the only company that uses doxylamine succinate in cold and flu medicines, so if youre not ready to experience the wild adventures that your imagination has in store for you while on the mend, maybe read those ingredient labels and skip this bad boy.This article originally appeared on Swirled.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people