Respiration rate & dreams

[ephraimh]

I've found that the lower my respiration rate the more vivid are the dreams I recall. 10 is the norm but, when it drops to 8 or 9, those dreams get very interesting. Just curious. Thanks

[Goofproof]

Maybe it getting so slow, your life is playing out before you die. Not being morbid, but you know it passes before your eyes. Jim

[jnk...]

Remembering dreams can be a sign of bad sleep.

I don't know about your medical situation, but if my breathing rate were regularly dropping that low, I would want a doc aware of it and directly involved in all my therapy choices.

Not all ASV modes/approaches do well in situations in which a definite backup breathing rate may regularly be needed.

Dosage/interaction issues with substances (such as painkillers, etc.) may need to be seriously looked at by a doc to make sure you keep breathing.

Take care of yourself.

[Snoregone Conclusion]

Maybe it getting so slow, your life is playing out before you die. Not being morbid, but you know it passes before your eyes. Jim

Oh, of course you want to be morbid!

People love telling morbid stories!

Some people make an excellent living doing it: sounds like you need to work a bit on your stories before you get there!

[ephraimh]

My respiration rate averages about 10. It's very very seldom below that. Perhaps once a month at a maximum but the dreams really are vivid when it happens. One sleep dr. told me that dream recall does not equate to quality of sleep. recalling more dreams on, for example, Tuesday morning & very few, if any, Friday morning does not mean that Monday night's sleep was better than Thursday night's. The days I've used are just examples.

I take the following: Keppra & Lamictal for epilepsy, Terazosin for hypertension & bladder outlet obstruction, Zoloft for depression, Omeprazole for GERD, and saw palmetto. I've been using an AirCurve 10 for at least a year. My last sleep test was about 2 years ago. I know that Percoset and Lorazepam definitely worsen my sleep.

I have Charcot Marie Tooth disease https://www.cmtausa.org/understanding-cmt/what-is-cmt/ which is getting much worse. It causes muscular atrophy which is, no doubt, making my respiratory muscles weaker and, thus, worsening my sleep. Perhaps that's the cause of the lower rate. I have not gained any weight. I'm having to doze for a couple hours in the AM even after an otherwise good night's sleep.

I'll post a couple of recent SleeephyHead shots but I'm having a devil of a time trying to import the data from the SD card. I think I've lost too many brain cells since I last did it.

I have one profile and inserted the data card. I clicked file, import, the progress bar started to move as if it were importing data, the usual message please select folder appeared, I did, deault dialogue box appeared showing the program(86) file folder where the app is. When I did the same without clicking the select folder button, the import progress bar continued.

Would someone walk me through this? My brain just isn't working. Thanks

[jnk...]

It is true that dream recall does not always directly relate to overall quality of sleep, but it does relate in many instances, since most people find it difficult or rare or impossible to be able to recall a dream if they do not experience a significant arousal within a certain amount of time of the dream's "occurrence." The vividness you describe may indicate a likelihood that arousals are happening in REM--which has its own unique breathing demands, relying almost entirely on your diaphragm, in my understanding/opinion as a layman. But I leave that between you and the sleep doc to figure out.

If the CMT presently involves significant phrenic nerve impairment of the diaphragm in your specific case, you may, or may not, get some better sleep benefits from a true ventilator. It might require a sleep-doc/neuropulmonology-specialist/RRT team to evaluate that accurately.

But that may be a different issue entirely from the breathing rate, which may be more of an impairment from a particular drug combination or dosage, depending.

Sounds like you are right on top of things, though, and are a good communicator, so those are all good indications of your being able to get the best customized insight from your medical team that is possible.

I personally have zero experience using SH. Maybe one day if I have a need for it, I'll get brave enough to try using it. If so, you may have to walk ME through it.

But in summary of my personal views as a fellow patient, (1) the dream thing may point to REM, (2) REM puts added demands on the diaphragm, (3) the diaphragm can sometimes be affected by your condition, (4) so would a true vent help your sleep? or (5) Is your drug-combo dosage affecting breathing rate? Or (6) should you stop paying any attention to guys like jnk... on the Internet? Or all/none of the above?

[palerider]

. One sleep dr. told me that dream recall does not equate to quality of sleep.

That doctor's comments do not match up with common reports from sleep researchers.

The brain doesn't form memories when asleep, so the only time you remember your dreams is when you wake up during, or just after a dream.

[ChicagoGranny]

The brain doesn't form memories when asleep

Past studies revealed the surprising ability of the sleeping brain to form new memories.

Here, we show that other forms of implicit memory can be acquired during sleep.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-00071-z

[jnk...]

Just insert the words "of dreams" after PR's use of the word "memories," and you'll be fine, CG--since, after all, that was the context of the word "memories," not sound waves broadcast from the mother ship, or anything.

[ChicagoGranny]

hat was the context of the word "memories," not sound waves broadcast from the mother ship, or anything.

Maybe ephaimh dreams of sound waves from the mother ship.

I've found that the lower my respiration rate the more vivid are the dreams I recall. 10 is the norm but, when it drops to 8 or 9, those dreams get very interesting. Just curious. Thanks

[palerider]

The brain doesn't form memories when asleep

Past studies revealed the surprising ability of the sleeping brain to form new memories.

Here, we show that other forms of implicit memory can be acquired during sleep.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-00071-z

That's impressive, Granny... have you been taking lessons from DH in how to increase the irrelevancy of your posts??? If so, good job.

[ChicagoGranny]

It seems to be catching.