Any one waking up feeling a little detached & panicky -

[tbrown1]

I just started CPAP 2 weeks ago - setting 14 - I am sleeping much better, my acid reflux has improved drastically but right as I am waking up in the morning I am having wierd almost surreal dreams/hallucinations which cause me to feel uneasy and alittle panicky when the alarm goes off. I had this problem before I was diagnosed with OSA but it happened more in the middle of the night - some nights I had to get up and take 1/2 of a Xanax and calm down before I could go back to sleep and would of course wake up exhausted but not in this weird panicky state. My husband said that maybe it is just my body adjusting to be fully oxyegenated and rested instead of being lethargic. It is a scary feeling and I hate it. Can anyone explain? Thanks

[Wulfman]

I think your husband is correct. You're probably getting more REM sleep and that's a good thing. Unfortunately, the alarm clock is interupting it and that's probably what leads to the panicky feelings.
All I can say is try to enjoy it. Hopefully you're getting enough sleep....which is what our bodies are craving after all these years of being sleep deprived.

Best wishes,

Den

[justplainbill]

I can offer little other than conjecture and my personal experience. I have been on CPAP about 3 months. Initially, I had two things happening to me. First, I was waking up fairly frequently on account of my mask (checking to see if it was adjusted right and whether it was working or not). I also had a period of more dreams and more vivid dreams.

My understanding from this forum and elsewhere is that when you are starting out on CPAP that you will probably experience a period of increased REM sleep (the period where most dreaming occurs) as your body compensates for a REM deficit. You may not be aware of the increased dreaming unless you are also waking up (which is what I think was happening as a result of acclimating to my mask). In my case, this went away within a few weeks.

I have read others who report having increased dreaming right before waking up in the morning. I am rather under the impression that this seemed to taper off after a while as well.

Some people experience nightmares, vivid dreams and the like during deep sleep, which you may also be having more of than you used to. I would hopefully wait fo these symptoms to subside in another few weeks and if they do not then you might want to mention this phenomenon to your sleep doctor.

That's my impression but I would be intersted in seeing what others recommend as well.

You might also check out the FAQ section for some threads in thje section about Dreams and REM.

Best wishes,
Bill

[ThunderSnorem]

I just started CPAP 2 weeks ago - setting 14 - I am sleeping much better, my acid reflux has improved drastically but right as I am waking up in the morning I am having wierd almost surreal dreams/hallucinations which cause me to feel uneasy and alittle panicky when the alarm goes off. I had this problem before I was diagnosed with OSA but it happened more in the middle of the night - some nights I had to get up and take 1/2 of a Xanax and calm down before I could go back to sleep and would of course wake up exhausted but not in this weird panicky state.

I too can only offer conjecture and personal experience. I used to have extrememly vivid dreams (preCPAP) to the point they were as real as if I was awake. People with apneas often experience this since your body is waking during rem sleep so you can start breathing again. I would sometimes wake up all panicky too.

I can say that with CPAP, I am noticing dreams much less frequently, and my conjecture would be that my brain is easing into and out of REM stage gracefully. Sometimes the alarm wakes me during a dream and they are quite vivid.

Your brain is probably playing REM catchup, where it is rebounding from lack of REM sleep pre-cpap.

If you continue to wake up in a panicky frame of mind, you may want to see your sleep DR or PCP. I would give it some time tho, and see how it goes. Try to get enough excercise during the day to help you sleep, it does wonders. Also try to maintain a regular sleep schedule. All of these should help.

Good luck!

[tbrown1]

Thanks you guys. I am sure it will all resolve itself. I was just making sure I wasn't alone on this one - so easy to think you are loosing your mind when you're sleep deprived.

[kteague]

I agree with the others that this will quite likely resolve on its own. Don't know if your schedule allows you to get to bed earlier and maybe be out of that REM cycle or even awaken on your own before the alarm goes off. If not resolved, check your medications to be sure vivid dreams are not a side effect.
Kathy

[Guest]

Hi, I think it could also be a little syndrome where you wake up (with alarm) before you've stopped dreaming. Is there any way you can not use the alarm for a few nights and see if you just wake up on your own when you've slept enough and see if the problem still happens? It's not unknown...

[inacpapfog]

Perhaps, now, with the aid of cpap, you are able to sleep soundly most of the night but, in the wee morning hours, due to being so relaxed in deep sleep, some OSA events are occuring and causing your O2 to drop. Lack of O2 can sure cause a "startled awake" feeling for some. Just a thought.....