[brandy]

I had my first sleep study back in January. When I got the test results from my doctor, he said I go into the REM stage of sleep very quickly. Apparently I have very little sleep during stages 1-4. My doctor said many people that go into REM sleep quickly have narcolepsy, so I needed to be tested for that.

At my second sleep study, I had a Multiple Sleep Latency test the morning after the sleep study. This test is to check for narcolepsy. I did not fall asleep during the test, so it was determined that I do not have narcolepsy.

Are there any other problems that early REM sleep may cause? Does anyone else here have this problem?

[WindFlyer]

Hi Brandy:

What I learned at my sleep study was that because of OSA my body wasn't getting enough stage IV sleep (delta waves on the EEG). Not sure if I was in REM at the time as a result or not. All I know is that now that I am a mask-breather at night I sleep very soundly and get all the stage IV sleep I need.

Just some additional info for ya.

[ahujudybear]

Can't remember where I learned this (Sleep Dr?) but REM stage of sleep usually comes after you have reached stages 3/4, and usually begins 90 minutes after falling asleep. If REM (Rapid Eye Movements - presumably dreaming) occurs much sooner than this, they consider it Narcolepsy.

I never reached REM level during the latency test, although I do remember dreaming. I will often dream as I'm falling asleep - especially during daytime naps. well, anyway that is my perception. It might be that I have been asleep for a few (5 or 10) minutes without realizing it and am waking up. This also happened during the MSLT but did not record as REM sleep, so maybe there are different levels of dreaming?

- JB

[ozij]

Yes. there are differenent kinds, of levels of dreaming.
REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) is a state where most dreaming occurs, the brain waves look surprisingly similar to a wide awake state, but all the voluntary muscles are in paralysis, and sleep is very deep.

The kind of "dreaming" that occurs just as we fall asleep, those wandering thoughts or pictures are is called hypnagogic - and is not REM sleep.
O.