Weird sleeping pattern...help!

garyland · Post by **garyland** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 6:47 am

I need help in figuring out what is wrong. First of all, last night my mask could not have been more comfortable. So that is not the problem. I went to bed at 10pm last night and got up at 6:30am. I peed once during the night. Before having a cpap I would pee 3 to 5 times a night. Starting about 3 am I would wake up for a few minutes and then fall asleep again and dream immediately, then wake up about 15 min later for a few minutes, fall asleep and dream immediately, this pattern of sleep or lack thereof would go on till 6:30am. I would say I probably woke up a total of 15 times during the night. This used to happen to me more pre cpap. I don’t understand what is causing this strange sleep pattern. It does not happen every night (thank god). Since dreaming only occurs in REM. I must be going directly into REM each time I fall asleep after waking up. The only med I am taking is Armour Thyroid for my hypothyroidism. I did increase my med from 1 3/8 grains to 1.5 grains. I have been increasing my Armour Thyroid 1/8th grain every 10 days. I will level off at 1.5 grains for 6 weeks and then get my thyroid blood test done to see where I am at. So here are my questions.

1. Has this type of sleeping pattern happened to anyone else?
2. Could this be Central Sleep Apneas that the Auto CPAP is not picking up?
3. Any suggestions or ideas?

Below are my stats from last nights sleep.

Treatment mode: APAP 8.0 - 12.0 cm. H2O
Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 3.0 events/hr.
Usage: 8.55 hours
Total Obstructive Apneas: 1
Total Hypopneas: 25
Total non-responsive Apneas: 0
Total Snores: 22
Total Flow Limitations: 3
Total Time in Apnea: 12 sec.
Fraction of Night in Variable Breathing: 20.9%
Obstructive Apnea Index (OAI): 0.12
Hypopnea Index (HI): 2.92
Non-responsive Apnea Index (NRAI): 0.00
Snore Index (SI): 2.6
Flow Limitation Index (FLI) 0.35
Average Apnea Duration: 12.0 sec.
90 percentile pressure: 8.7 cm/H2O
Average pressure: 8.3 cm/H2O

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 7:02 am

Maybe you just have a lot on your mind. Have you been watching too much post-Katrina coverage, for example?

Gary, if I recall correctly you've been on xPAP for a while, otherwise I'd suggest it was REM rebound.

If it was just one night, I wouldn't worry about it. It could have been anything. For example, new perma-press sheets can cause this even after repeated washings as they off-gas formaldehyde.

Last night I had multiple arrousals, but I caught a virus that has left me congested and drippy. I'd wake up sneezing, snorting, coughing and generally feeling miserable. I feel sorry for my wife who was also woken up multiple times.

Actually I'd gladly trade places with you; waking up from dreams instead of the way I feel today. .

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 7:06 am

Gary,

Just a quick thought as I run off to work. Looking at your numbers, did the 25 hypops occur at about the times you were waking up? Can you correlate that from your graphs? Seems like if you had that many hypops from maybe 3 AM on, those might have caused your arousals. I can't figure why the dreams so quickly, though, unless it just seemed that way to you.

Like Bill said, be glad it's just one night and hope tonight is a better one.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 9:31 am

Gary,

I wouldn't worry about it yet, either. Actually, I've been waking up a bit more during the last few weeks (sinus cold didn't help at all). Those numbers you listed look pretty good, all things considered. How do they compare to previous ones? Are the hypopneas in a pattern that is similar to previous ones.....are they clustered or randomly spread out?
Some nights I have dreams (that I can sort of remember) and some nights I don't. I think I used to dream a lot more before CPAP.

Keep us informed.

Den

garyland · Post by **garyland** » Fri Sep 09, 2005 1:52 pm

Thank you all for your responses to me post.

My hypopneas are pretty scattered throughout the night. However, most of my SNORES are in the second half of the night. So maybe it is the snores that woke me up. By the way, during both my LABS I did not go into REM at all and I remember that I did not dream at all those two nights. But most nights I dream like crazy.

I am really curious to know if anyone has had the same sleep pattern at times where you wake up frequently during the night go back to sleep and dream immediately each time.

Gary

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 12:46 am

I don't have problems with waking frequently, but I do go into REM very quickly. During my sleep study, I went into REM sleep only 10 minutes after falling asleep. My doctor suggested that I may have narcolepsy since I reach REM stage so quickly. The doctors tested for narcolepsy by performing a multiple sleep latency test. They concluded that I do not have narcolepsy, and did not tell me if reaching REM stage so early would have any effects on me.

You may want to talk to your doctor about this, as you may need to be tested for narcolepsy.

I wish I could be of more help.

stunned1 · Post by **stunned1** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 9:06 pm

Garyml

I have been using CPAP since Jan. 05 and have the same sleep pattern as you. I fall asleep quickly, seem to go immediately into a deep vivid dream and then wake up quickly (fully remembering the dream) and then turning over, back to sleep and going into another vivid dream, again waking and this goes on throughout the night.

My doctor put me on clonazapam (sp?) which does help me stay asleep for longer periods at a time. I also tried adjusting my auto trying 4-10, then 5-12 and 6-12 but there doesn't seem to be a difference. I still don't have an answer. My first machine was straight cpap and after buying an auto I was much more comfortable using it.

Now that I have been using my machine 8 months I decided to book another sleep study to see if there might be another sleep disorder I have. The sleep study is not for another month. It took me about 3 months to get used to my machine and now sleep every night, all night with it.

I am still very tired when I wake in the morning but no longer have the morning headaches and I feel a little better (not much though) I am wondering if I have a movement disorder in the night that might be slight but enough to keep waking me.

I don't feel there is anything on my mind bothering me that would keep me awake. I had noticed my sleeping problems over the past 2 years and the last year was the worst. My whole life I have slept fine, lots of energy, working, exercising, 2 teenage children and have no idea what has changed. I skiied, played volleyball, very social and now this is very frustrating to figure out.

The only health issue I had was in my 30's I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome which lasted about 5 years. My doctor is looking into the possibility that the chronic fatigue syndrome stays in your body and can come back with stress. Chronic fatigue syndrome does affect your sleep pattern.

Anyway I am still in the process of trying to figure out if I am 100% compliant with my auto cpap why do I not go into those nice deep heavy sleeps that I used to and wake up totally refreshed.

Lisa

Flower51 · Post by **Flower51** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 11:18 pm

That sounds like my sleep pattern when there's a full moon. Even with the room dark I can tell when there is a full moon by my wakefullness. Anybody out there know how to explain this? I've heard that those who work in ers have more activity on those nights. Ditto for psych wards and police. Any truth to this? Terry

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 5:05 am

Any truth to this? Terry.

Vy vould you say dat, Terrrrry????

Flower51 · Post by **Flower51** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:05 am

AKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're scaring me Lori!!!!!!
This isn't your alter personality is it????!!!!!!

Well...uh...you're not scaring me THAT much....you look a lot like our dog, Bootsie when we play with his chin...Lets just say he doesn't like it....

LOL. Terry

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:07 am

This isn't your alter personality is it????!!!!!!

Only ven dere's a full moon, Terrrrry!!!

Flower51 · Post by **Flower51** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:08 am

So Lori....are you from Transylvannia or Hollywood???? T

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:11 am

So Lori....are you from Transylvannia or Hollywood????

I forgot, it's daylight...I should be sleeping .

Sorry, just couldn't resist a full moon joke. Be glad I didn't use the other definition of a full moon .

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:08 pm

Full moons and increased patronage at local hospitals are very common. My wife is a nurse and works in a neonatal intensive care unit and has noted the craziness of full moons. When we had our second son, my wife (who had to be induced-he didn't want to come out) had to wait to be called for a bed as the number of women who went into labor was sooo high that there were no beds in the hospital. Women were on stretchers (pre and post birth) in the hallways and no rooms to go to. It was pretty strange. But emergency room activity does increase during those periods. Who knows, maybe the lunar pull does something to us inside. I don't see why not when gravity and ocean currents are affected.

Jim H (Forgot to log in)

GrumpyInKC · Post by **GrumpyInKC** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 11:35 am

That sounds like my sleep pattern when there's a full moon. Even with the room dark I can tell when there is a full moon by my wakefullness. Anybody out there know how to explain this? I've heard that those who work in ers have more activity on those nights. Ditto for psych wards and police. Any truth to this? Terry

My wife swears that this is true. She worked for years in group homes and direct care for people with mental disabilities and she says there is a large increase in the number of incidents during full moon perioids.

garyml, stunned1 - My sleep patterns are very simular. I often hit my alarm clock several times each morning and I have very involved, vivid dreams before the alarm sounds again and my new alarm clock only snoozes for 4 minutes.