Going into REM sleep too early - possible effects?

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 11:27 pm

I had my first sleep study back in January. When I got the test results from my doctor, he said I go into the REM stage of sleep very quickly. Apparently I have very little sleep during stages 1-4. My doctor said many people that go into REM sleep quickly have narcolepsy, so I needed to be tested for that.

At my second sleep study, I had a Multiple Sleep Latency test the morning after the sleep study. This test is to check for narcolepsy. I did not fall asleep during the test, so it was determined that I do not have narcolepsy.

Are there any other problems that early REM sleep may cause? Does anyone else here have this problem?

WindFlyer · Post by **WindFlyer** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 7:18 am

Hi Brandy:

What I learned at my sleep study was that because of OSA my body wasn't getting enough stage IV sleep (delta waves on the EEG). Not sure if I was in REM at the time as a result or not. All I know is that now that I am a mask-breather at night I sleep very soundly and get all the stage IV sleep I need.

Just some additional info for ya.

ahujudybear · Post by **ahujudybear** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 7:41 am

Can't remember where I learned this (Sleep Dr?) but REM stage of sleep usually comes after you have reached stages 3/4, and usually begins 90 minutes after falling asleep. If REM (Rapid Eye Movements - presumably dreaming) occurs much sooner than this, they consider it Narcolepsy.

I never reached REM level during the latency test, although I do remember dreaming. I will often dream as I'm falling asleep - especially during daytime naps. well, anyway that is my perception. It might be that I have been asleep for a few (5 or 10) minutes without realizing it and am waking up. This also happened during the MSLT but did not record as REM sleep, so maybe there are different levels of dreaming?

- JB

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 9:28 am

Yes. there are differenent kinds, of levels of dreaming.
REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) is a state where most dreaming occurs, the brain waves look surprisingly similar to a wide awake state, but all the voluntary muscles are in paralysis, and sleep is very deep.

The kind of "dreaming" that occurs just as we fall asleep, those wandering thoughts or pictures are is called hypnagogic - and is not REM sleep.
O.

Kyleb · Post by **Kyleb** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:09 pm

Wow, coming into this thread years after, but, if it's still going..

I have also been going into REM sleep extremely early, literally a few minutes after I go to sleep, and then once the dream culminates, I wake up, suddenly and can't go back to sleep for a few hrs.
It is not a hypnagogic state, these have been extremely vivid, intense/involved dreams. I'm very familiar with the hypnagogic state, as I spent two years studying how to interact with the nervous system and know quite a bit about meditation and various practices that deal with those aspects. I also dealt with night terrors as a kid and a few times as an adult.. very very familiar w/ the hypnagogic state's feel.

I did come back from Europe (totally different time zone) a few weeks ago and have been having some really unique and strange headaches unlike I've ever had before.. I would describe them as feeling similar to when you've had a serious muscle bruise and bleeding is happening deeply inside the muscle. They are very intermittent headaches and actually have been diminishing over time to the point of almost being gone now.. I did have a slight concussion a couple months ago, could this be a very late hematoma formation or something?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:50 pm

Kyleb wrote:Wow, coming into this thread years after, but, if it's still going..

I have also been going into REM sleep extremely early, literally a few minutes after I go to sleep, and then once the dream culminates, I wake up, suddenly and can't go back to sleep for a few hrs.
It is not a hypnagogic state, these have been extremely vivid, intense/involved dreams. I'm very familiar with the hypnagogic state, as I spent two years studying how to interact with the nervous system and know quite a bit about meditation and various practices that deal with those aspects. I also dealt with night terrors as a kid and a few times as an adult.. very very familiar w/ the hypnagogic state's feel.

I did come back from Europe (totally different time zone) a few weeks ago and have been having some really unique and strange headaches unlike I've ever had before.. I would describe them as feeling similar to when you've had a serious muscle bruise and bleeding is happening deeply inside the muscle. They are very intermittent headaches and actually have been diminishing over time to the point of almost being gone now.. I did have a slight concussion a couple months ago, could this be a very late hematoma formation or something?

Yeah, this is a 5 yr. old thread.

Are you currently using XPAP (CPAP/APAP/Bi-Level) therapy?
Have you had a sleep study (polysomnogram)?

Den

Kyleb · Post by **Kyleb** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 11:41 am

I am not, (on either).. did I cavalierly post on a forum when I shouldn't have? I wasn't aware if being in therapy was a requirement although I did try to find out what the overall site was about..

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 12:22 pm

Kyleb wrote:I am not, (on either).. did I cavalierly post on a forum when I shouldn't have? I wasn't aware if being in therapy was a requirement although I did try to find out what the overall site was about..

Not a problem. I was merely trying to get some background as to the statements you were making. Virtually all of your symptoms are (or can be) indicative of untreated Sleep Apnea. Also, without an actual sleep study (polysomnogram), you really don't have specific documentation of what's going on during your sleep......like when (you think) you're in REM. We can dream in almost any stage of sleep.....not just REM.

XPAP therapy can solve lots of sleep problems. Sleep Apnea is not a sleeping problem.....it's a breathing problem while we sleep. It deprives our systems of oxygen and really screws up our health over time.

I would strongly urge you to get an actual sleep study.

Den

wisconsin3kids · Post by **wisconsin3kids** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:23 am

Back in November 2011 I had a sleep study done, I was always very sleepy during the day even with a full nights sleep. I spent the night in the hospital where they checked me for Sleep Apnea. Then I had to stay there during the day where I had to take I think it was 6 twenty minute naps every hour or so. When I got my results after a few weeks of waiting for them, I don't have sleep Apnea, so she told me the results for the naps that I had to take and my doctor told me that on average for each nap I went in my REM sleep in 3 and a half minutes, each time I fell asleep after sleeping almost 9 hours the night before in the hospital. On average she told me it takes about an hour or so for someone to get in there REM sleep, so I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy. If you were tested for Narcolepsy and don't have it another possible diagnose is excessive daytime sleepiness, I didn't know what the difference of the two are but I guess there is a difference

Going into REM sleep too early - possible effects?

Going into REM sleep too early - possible effects?

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Re: Going into REM sleep too early - possible effects?

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Re: Going into REM sleep too early - possible effects?

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