need some clarification re some of my apnea issues

I am brand new. How can I find out if some of my sleep apnea issues have to do with sleep apnea? I feel like I am being suffocated and incorporate that into my dreams. I used to be able to wake up but it becomes harder and harder. When I finally wake up I can often not catch my breath and breathe. It takes me forever. I am convince that is how I am going to die. does this have anything to do with sleep apnea. the doctors say I have over 80 incidents each hour when I stop breathing. how is that possible

help sorry to sound so stupid

when diagnosed with sleep apnea it's common to go through stages of grief, and the first stage is denial. You are saying (I think) "I don't believe my problems are REALLY due to sleep apnea." That's denial.

Well, the best way to find out is to USE YOUR CPAP and see. If your treatment is optimal and the symptoms you are concerned about go away or are controlled by CPAP therapy, then you will know. Chances are, you will be helped by CPAP therapy because you have a dangerously high ahi.

So use your CPAP, and find out. Don't expect to feel better overnight, it must be used consistently every night, all night, to learn the true benefits.

turkey wrote:I am brand new. How can I find out if some of my sleep apnea issues have to do with sleep apnea? I feel like I am being suffocated and incorporate that into my dreams. I used to be able to wake up but it becomes harder and harder. When I finally wake up I can often not catch my breath and breathe. It takes me forever. I am convince that is how I am going to die. does this have anything to do with sleep apnea. the doctors say I have over 80 incidents each hour when I stop breathing. how is that possible

Yes, the kind of sleep and the dreams you describe have everything to do with your sleep apnea. It's very common that people have dreams of suffocation, choking and drowning when they have untreated sleep apnea. And that's to be expected since you really are unable to breathe when you're asleep having apneas.

It sounds like you have already had a sleep study and your AHI is over 80. Yes, it's possible to stop breathing that many times each hour. We have some forum members here with AHI in the triple digits. Your apnea is in the severe range.

Where are you now in the process -- do you have your CPAP machine yet?

When my sleep apnea was untreated and even when it was under treated my dreams always had somebody or something on the verge of death by way of choking, drowning, gunshot to the chest and on and on. Once I was on therapeutic CPAP treatment the bad dreams stopped. I believe when we experience physical sensations during sleep our sleeping brain creates stories born out of those sensations. Most people I've asked have had the "gotta pee" dreams. Mine, I was in a big park and hurrying to get to the public facilities. Just as I sat down in the dream I woke up. Ran to the bathroom - to finish up. I do hope you'll report back to us once your CPAP treatment is working for you and let us know if the dreams stopped. I for one am curious.

I used to have dreams of being chased. The dreams were frequent. I have never had one of those dreams while using cpap.

I have some other experience with physical sensations being "explained" in a dream. Years ago, I had a dream that I had a long mustache that was tickling me. I'm female, so this was especially unsual. I would cut it off, and it would grow right back, several inches long. Multiple times. I finally woke up and removed the fluffy cat tail from my nose.

I have also had the bathroom dreams. In my case, there is always some reason that I cannot actually use the bathroom. Thankfully, my brain does know that I can't actually go. So, I will dream about bathrooms where the door is locked, toilet is overflowing, toilet is missing, 100 people in line, other people standing there watching, all sorts of scenarios.

The night after my split night sleep study, I had a dream that my doctor wasn't available for 6 months, and I would have to wait 6 months to get my cpap machine. I was angry, because I wanted it now. Even in my sleep, my brain knew it wanted a cpap machine. Another time, I took the mask off in my sleep. I had a dream that I was in a building, going room to room looking for an outlet so that I could plug in my cpap and go to sleep. Again, my brain knew I needed the cpap machine.