Loud Sound or Flashing Light... only in my head?

[tattooyu]

Not sure if this is off topic, but it happens while I'm sleeping so here it goes...

This week has been rough. Panic attacks again from nowhere, but I really think they are triggered by my digestive problems sometimes. Perhaps those very few AIs/HIs I had this week dropped my O2 enough to re-trigger symptoms?

Anyway, last night was a particularly unpleasant one. We had gotten home at 11 pm after our infant loss support group, which is stressful and relieving all at once; I also ate dinner late, which we both hate to do. My stomach a bit full and hurting (IBS), I went to bed with fresh nasal pillows (yay!). At 3 am, I was woken up with horrible abdominal pain, which I believe was caused by the IBS and exacerbated by aerophagia pushing things down too fast.

Numbers at that point were AI - 0.4, Leak - 0.14 L/s... can't remember the others. One of the Velcro straps on my headgear came undone which accounted for the leaks. I think I needed to tighten my PAPCap as well.

Once that bathroom nightmare was over, I fell back asleep feeling MUCH relief. I slept very well after that point.

At 6 am, I was woken up rather startlingly (but kind of refreshed) by an extremely loud but short *BEEP*! My alarm is set to go off at 6:30am. I asked my wife, and she didn't hear anything. If it had been external, it would have been loud enough to wake up all the neighbors. This may be the third or fourth time this has ever happened.

Numbers at 6am were AHI - 1.8, AI - 0.1, HI - 1.7, Leak - 0.08 L/s.

Very rarely I see just a flash of light or two while falling asleep, but that's usually accompanied by a hypnic jerk. I haven't experienced the two together. Anybody have any idea what that is? Being an anxious person, I immediately thought it might have been some type of seizure. I'm a little freaked out.

[Muse-Inc]

...At 6 am, I was woken up rather startlingly (but kind of refreshed) by an extremely loud but short *BEEP*...This may be the third or fourth time this has ever happened....

Let me preface this by saying I believe we all have spiritual helpers, guardian angels. I believe they spend a lot of time with us while we with OSA sleep influencing our brain & dreams. If you woke up following an event, I believe that 'beep' was your angels waking you to breathe or breathe more deeply.

On the other hand , do you have a mask off alert that might have been activated?

[tattooyu]

Thanks, Muse. I do believe there are spiritual guides as well, but I have my own interpretation of that stuff that is very hard to put into words since it's mostly feelings and subtle gists in my own mind.

I don't think I was having an apnea at the time, but I won't know until I look at my data tonight. I didn't want to bother with it in the morning since I had to get ready to go to work after a less-than-optimal night's sleep. Sometimes seeing the apnea events in ResScan, even if there are few, heightens my anxiety. It just depends on my mood, and my previous night's sleep!

EDIT: My was was on snug. Mask alert was off. That was the first thing I checked!

[jdm2857]

That beep might have been part of a dream, and the only part that you remembered.

[tattooyu]

Definitely a possibility. The only thing is, it felt different, like it was coming from an external source but wasn't. Who knows. It didn't seem to affect my sleep numbers very much, and with only half a night's good sleep, I'm functioning pretty well.

[jdm2857]

To paraphrase your signature, one beep does not a seizure make.

Relax.

[mdintx]

Before CPAP treatment, I would occasionally sleep on my stomach which would always make my neck hurt. On occasion, I would wake up to a loud bang. There was nothing that would make that kind of sound and my neck was in massive pain each time it happened. I suspect that our brains do funny things with data while we are asleep.

[tattooyu]

Before CPAP treatment, I would occasionally sleep on my stomach which would always make my neck hurt. On occasion, I would wake up to a loud bang. There was nothing that would make that kind of sound and my neck was in massive pain each time it happened. I suspect that our brains do funny things with data while we are asleep.

Interesting. I wonder if it's some kind of reaction to a pinched nerve (which I do have). Now that I think about it, my left jaw/ear was popping yesterday. Perhaps it popped if I tried to yawn?

Jdm, this isn't the first time this has happened, and it seems to be getting more frequent.

Doing a little research, I highly suspect the condition below as being what I experienced. While having such a horrible name, it seems to be totally benign in nature (like a hypnic jerk).

Exploding Head Syndrome

[spacetoast]

Exploding Head Syndrome

That is sooo the name of my next band

[jnk]

Exploding Head Syndrome

That is sooo the name of my next band

Then can I call mine "The Hypnapompic Auditory Hallucinations"?

Stress, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, meds, narcolepsy--all kinds of possible explanations. But I think that an occasional flash or ring may be no big deal. If it continues, it might be worth checking into further, though, of course, just like anything else out of the ordinary. But it may be that 'occasional' is fairly 'ordinary.'

[Muse-Inc]

...Exploding Head Syndrome

Gee, hurricane up the nose, suffocation, brain damage, hypertension, diabetes, thyroid probs, & now explosing head syndrome...SDB what an adventure!

[rosiefrosie]

Ok, I'm going out on a limb here, and not that I neccessarily believe this, but, I am an avid reader and ( here goes) have read about astral travel. What I have read that sometimes when re-entering your body after a night of astral travel there is sometimes a loud bang, especially if you are pulled back to your body suddenly. I am not weird ( although I'm sure it may be up for debate) but I have in the past have been woken up by a loud bang and had read this somewhere and it does get you to wondering

If I could get by with it and post this as a guest I would.

[Muse-Inc]

...If I could get by with it and post this as a guest I would.

[fishhead]

i had nearly forgotten about this until you mentioned it, but a few years ago as i was starting to have trouble sleeping i also would wake up to a loud beep. but, in my case it happened like clockwork all through the night. i would get up and walk around the room looking for anything that could beep, but found nothing. i thought i was losing my mind, until my wife started to hear it also.

it was then that we found out what it was - her pager! the battery was low and it would beep faintly every half hour.

i hope you find the source, and i hope it is something external. but, i agree with jnk, if it persists you should bring it up to your doctor.

[5aces]

Just a shot but what was the weather at the time?

Do you sleep near a window?