Not Dreaming

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:30 am

Is there a reason why before cpap I used to dream all the time ( and a lot of times they were scary ones ) and now that I am on cpap I haven't had one dream. I have been on cpap for 2 months. I thought that deep sleep stage was when you had dreams.

snowdog · Post by **snowdog** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:39 am

Well, I'm not a doctor but I've kind of noticed the same thing. I've been on CPAP for about five weeks now. Generally I only remember my dreams when either they wake me up (nightmares or just plain weird dreams that have me waking and going "huh?") or when I wake up during them (alarm going off). I haven't been remembering having dreams over the last few weeks. This morning, however, I was in the middle of one right when the alarm went off so I remembered it on waking. I was a contestant on 'Survivor', funny eh? Must be all the commercials they've been broadcasting on OLN. Maybe by being on CPAP we're getting deeper sleep so not remembering them on waking (?).

[quote="Anonymous"]

Is there a reason why before cpap I used to dream all the time ( and a lot of times they were scary ones ) and now that I am on cpap I haven't had one dream. I have been on cpap for 2 months. I thought that deep sleep stage was when you had dreams.

Nitro Dan · Post by **Nitro Dan** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:46 am

I've been on CPAP for almost 20 years, and dream all the time. A few weeks prior to treatment, I was having very scary dreams, like someone trying to suffocate me. I can't recall if the dreams stopped at the start of treatment, but I sure have them now...Haven't had a bad one since I can remember.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:17 am

Guest, I'm no doctor, nor expert in any way about dreams. This is just my personal opinion:

Is there a reason why before cpap I used to dream all the time ( and a lot of times they were scary ones ) and now that I am on cpap I haven't had one dream. I have been on cpap for 2 months.

I think that is a very GOOD sign ....not remembering your dreams now that you are on cpap treatment. You very likely are having dreams but are sleeping so soundly and so well that you are not having any apneas or hypopneas that could jolt you awake enough to actually be aware of (and remember) the dream like used to happen to you.

I thought that deep sleep stage was when you had dreams.

REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is where most dreaming occurs - REM is not the "deep" stages of sleep (Stage III and IV.) REM sleep is also where we are most apt to have events like apneas and hypopneas, so people who are awakened enough to remember lots of dreams throughout the night are likely being thrown up out of REM by an apnea. Not good.

The first REM sleep usually occurs about an hour and a half after we go to sleep. Throughout the night we get into REM several more times, with each REM time getting longer and longer. The longest REM period is usually just before we wake up in the morning. If something sudden (like an alarm clock) wakes us up in the morning, we're very likely to be awakened out of that last REM and might remember that last dream, or at least be vaguely aware that we were dreaming.

Otherwise, not remembering our dreams seems to me to be a better sign of good, peaceful sleep. Not remembering them doesn't mean you weren't dreaming a lot! Perhaps you're sleeping well straight through them, just like you should.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 12:50 pm

I sure hope the dreams go away. I have lots of dreams each night and they're always BIZARRE!!!! I can't even fathom where my subconcious gets these ideas for my dreams. I've been bothered by them for years. I'm still new to CPAP and I'm still having lots of dreams. I'm hoping they'll get better when I become more used to my CPAP.

kramerman · Post by **kramerman** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 1:05 pm

Everyone dreams 5 times a night and you not remembering any dreams is a good thing that means you are in your recuperating sleep.

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:37 pm

I think the pattern of progression can be different for some people, although the explanations above still apply.

I was getting ZERO REM sleep according my pre-CPAP sleep study. This would probably explain why I hadn't remembered having dreams for many years.

Then I started remembering tons of dreams when I started CPAP, BUT I was having all sorts of problems with a bad nose and equipment issues. My theory is that I was finally getting into REM, but was getting woken up a lot BY CPAP.

NOW, I usually just vaguely remember a dream or two, especially if its going when I wake up. My theory is that I finally got ALL the bugs worked out of CPAP and my nose(maybe not the best way to put that?) and I am usually sleeping soundly through the night and so don't have the dreams fresh in my brain to remember upon waking. I do notice on some nights when I just can't seem to get comfortable (when will that hoseless CPAP come along?) that I seem to remember more dreams.

So similar quantity of dreams remembered can SEEM to indicate different things, even though its really consistent regarding what is going on.

I am NOT a doctor, nor do I even play one on TV though.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:49 pm

Same here

Past couple of weeks can only remember dreaming once (just before getting up). Otherwise dreams have become 'forgettable'

I was actually wondering about this but I like RG's explanation.

Cheers

DSM

(PS RG - the insts you sent for the ResMed S-7 setup work fine - hope to do photos this w/e)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:13 pm

Snowdog - you should have keep dreaming because you could have won the millon dollars from Survivor.
Thanks for all the answers. I appreciate it and am happy to know that you think it is a good thing that I don't remember my dreams. I am really happy to be rid of the scary ones. I used to wake up crying I was so scared. Anyway, like I said I haven't had any since starting this treatment. Thanks again.

metron9 · Post by **metron9** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:37 pm

Looking at my sleep study, the stages are:

1.Wake
2. REM
3. stage 1
4. stage 2
5. stage 3
6. stage 4

During my sleep study
In my first hour I had 24 Apneas and 81 Hypopneas
All Rem, stage 1 and stage 2 no stage 3 or 4

After CPAP was on it went to 0 and 5 for the balance of the night.
About 2 hours of full stage 4 and 5 periods moving back up the scale to wake and back to stage 4

kramerman · Post by **kramerman** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 4:10 am

REM or Rapid Eye Movement is Is Stage 4

metron9 · Post by **metron9** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:46 am

Hmmm, I thought so too. I don't understand the chart then on my sleep study. Why is the wake the top line on the chart and REM is the next stage and it goes to stage 4 the deeper the sleep. I am just trying to understand the Stage Graph on my sleep study.

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:07 am

REM or Rapid Eye Movement is Is Stage 4

Not so. REM is AFTER stage 4 sleep.

Stage 3 and stage 4 are the stages of sleep during which our body recuperates. REM is thought to be recuperation/etc., for our brain.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:10 am

There is one addition here. It is a proven fact that people, once over the age of 50, have a significantly lesser amount of REM sleep. So as the doctors like to say "as we get older".........."

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:48 am

Found a chart http://www.nightterrors.org/sleepstage.html

Can anyone else post the left side of the stages chart on their sleep study or can anyone explain why the chart I have shows REM fitting in between 0 awake and 1 stage 1. I agree REM is after stage 4 but how do I resolve the chart conflict? Now my conflict resolution REM sleep is going to be working on this conundrum.

Not Dreaming

Not Dreaming

Re: Not Dreaming

Moi too

REM Sleep

Dreams