Hallucinating in the middle of sleep. Terrified.

[NewToCPAP]

Hello all,

I'm here today with something that has been bothering me for a while now, but never really (for some weird reason) gave it much thought until last night. Let me start off by getting a few things out of the way first, I am not so "new" to cpap therapy anymore. I've been using it for about a year and a half with, unfortunately, mixed results. I'm 110% used to having it on my face, chin strap and all, I just struggle nightly to get a full nights sleep with the mask on my face. It always comes off in my sleep. I've tried taping, etc, etc, but it still came off my face, and taping was just adding more uncomfort to the whole routine.

Since using CPAP I have started having very, very bizarre sleep disturbances. It all started with sleepwalking, and I can say for fact that I only sleepwalk when using CPAP. It does not happen when I am not using CPAP, nor had it since starting therapy. I can say this with confidence as the sleepwalking bouts I have now are very evident as I (as far as I know) always wake up "in the act" It is usually small stuff, like being disoriented and trying to dis-assemble my mask, put my pajamas back on (just a tshirt really) etc, etc.. nothing serious like cooking, or even going downstairs. Anyways, I have totally come to terms with this... it's "normal" now and really not a big deal anymore.

The big issue now is hallucinating upon waking up in my sleep. And holy cow, sometimes the hallucinations are horrifying, absolutely terrifying. It's very hard to describe with detail what happens exactly because I am more or less in a huge daze because I wake up in the middle of the night. Once again, this ONLY happens when I use my CPAP. Guaranteed. I do not have these episodes without therapy. This I know I can say with 100% confidence, whereas sleep walking *may* occur without CPAP and I don't know.

To describe what I see, feel, etc is difficult. But the scariest by far was last night (prompting me to come here) I was asleep for only an hour last night and awoken seeing rapid movements which looked like people all around my room, moving quickly (like someone pressing the fastforward button on a video) Figures or whatever they were, were just zooming by and it scared the bejeezuz out of me. I settled down, took deep breathes, and the hallucinating stopped. This usually takes 20-30 seconds. My heart rated slowed back down, panic senstaion deminished and back to sleep. About 40 minutes to an hour later the worst of them all occurred. I think I was already having a nightmare, I am not sure on this, that someone was about to hurt me or something along those lines, it's super fuzzy unfortunately. And to clear something up, these are not regular occurrences or normal dreams for me either. Anyways, I awoke completely paniced, heart was beating right out of my chest, and I had moved to the other side of my bed because when I woke up I thought I seen a large figure/person over top of me about to hurt me. Completely convinced this was all happening, all very real. It was horrifying honestly. I didn't know what the hell was going on.

I woke up, repeated the calming process again and got some water. This was the mother of all hallucinations. Most times it's just minor things, for example I sleep on my back and I'll wake up and stare at the fan directly above me, but it will have transformed into some sort of object, shape, thing, etc.. I know this sounds TOTALLY crazy and it scares me to even type this, let alone experience this. I have had weird ones, like seeing figures, etc.. but not often.

I'll stop there because this is already a long winded, crazy sounding, jumbled post. It's really hard to describe very well what's going on, and to cataloug the last year and the odd disturbances in that time. I should have made a log, but I didn't.

Anyone have any idea what the heck is going on?? Could this be CPAP related?? I will have more questions but figure I'd get some input first.

Sorry for such a long post... this sleep stuff is confusing.

[NewToCPAP]

Just want to elaborate more on what I felt last night in terms of the person hovering above me. The feeling I had when I awoke was so convincing, like someone was literally right above me about to hurt me. I now remember with more thought of how I felt. I couldn't move. I was terrified beyond belief that if I moved, this figure above me was going to hurt me. Basically paralyzed. I had shifted all the way to the other side of my bed initially because I was trying to escape from this person/figure.

Not sure if this helps, I don't believe it's a night terror, because it's definitely a sort of hallucination. I was more left with the feeling that someone was over top of me about to pounce and attack rather than seeing the person.. but it didn't matter either way, I was panic struck and paralyzed.

Hope that helps a bit more.. that's usually how I feel when I hallucinate just a hundred times less intense. Still kind of panicked and slightly paralyzed but not in the sense that "if I move someone is going to friggin hurt me"

Ugh, WHY can't I just sleep with my CPAP ALL night like a normal person...

[Guest]

I just want to say that before cpap I have had nightmares where I have woken up and was very frighten and felt a presence. Nothing like what you are describing but I tell you mine started getting worse so I started praying before I went to bed and if I woke up in a nightmare I just started praying. As time went on it all stop with prayer for me. Not sure if that will help, but you may want to talk to your doctor if your on any medications and see if they could be causing some of this.

I will pray for you!

[archangle]

What meds are you on? Including things like melatonin, supplements, herbs, etc.

[Cuda]

Severe lack of sleep and OSA can cause one to think they are awake when they are actually half asleep. Stress could do it and maybe certain drugs. Sounds to me like you are not getting restful sleep. Can you post some data from the cpap and tell us what drugs you are on? Many think, and I agree, that if you are being woke up all night you remember dreams more and I think those dreams seem more profound, real, scary...whatever.

[NewToCPAP]

I have recently started losing weight, so I've been watching what I eat and taking Vitamin B along with fish oil every day. But these occurances have happened well before any of this. I figured by losing weight (down 11 pounds!) and exercise that I'd sleep better, not worse.

Anyways, on top of the two supplements I just started taking I also take an anti-depressant called Remeron and a beta blocker called Propraonolol. I have been taken both of these for a while now, years before any of this started as well. Not ruling them out, but seems unlikely at this point.

As for prayer, I pray every night before bed. I surely hope what I am experiencing isn't anything related to spirits or the like, that would be far too much for me to handle at the moment.

I know something is not right with my sleep, or the stages of sleep I go through. Another interesting thing that happens more often than I'd like is right before bed I'll watch some TV on my iPhone in my bed. So I have my phone proped right by my head, I usually watch for 20-30 minutes or so, just to tire myself out before going to sleep. What happens is after I plug my phone in right beside my bed and go to sleep, I'll wake up in a sort of sleepwalking phase, definitely not completely coherent and still think my iPhone is playing the tv show or movie, etc. So I'll wake up slightly confused thinking I never really went to sleep, and that my iPhone is still playing whatever I'm watching. It's so bizarre, it's like my brain is not recognizing that I've gone to sleep or something... so hard to explain.

And now I'm sure you all think I'm totally crazy, too!

[SleepingUgly]

Did the dreams start after you started the Vitamin B? According to Wikipedia (so take it with a grain of salt), Vitamin B6 can cause dream disturbances:

At least one preliminary study has found that this vitamin may increase dream vividness or the ability to recall dreams.[23] It is thought that this effect may be due to the role this vitamin plays in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin.[23] There is anecdotal evidence suggesting supplemental Vitamin B6 may be associated with lucid dreaming.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B6

Are you taking it at night? If so, maybe try moving it to the morning. Or cut it out entirely?

P.S. There's a lot on the internet about B6 and lucid dreaming...

Edited: I see you said the occurrence started before you initiated vitamin B... (Are you sure?)

[archangle]

Google "remeron" and "lucid dreams."

[NewToCPAP]

Interesting. I've definitely had these types of disturbances and dreams before, maybe not as intense as I've mentioned, but definitely still happens.

I take the Vitamins usually around 2pm and I'm usually in bed by 11 or 11:30.

One thing I have noticed since eating better, exercising and taking vitamins is that my anxiety has seen a huge improvement in comparison to before. I can't say that it's the vitamin B that's helping, but I am really happy with my moods lately. My energy level has increased almost double I would say as well. I have my days but overall energy is up and so is my mood. My point is that I'd be a bit apprehensive to stop taking the vitamins because of how good I really do feel overall. It's something I've been missing out on for a long time.

In the end, it might be worth a try just to see. Another thing to try is taking my vitamins first thing in the A.M.

On an unrelated note, it's interesting to see how much of an impact the above has had on energy, wow. I wake up in the morning and actually have energy, and I can't say I've felt like that in years. So if CPAP isn't giving you more energy, I highly recommend the whole diet/watching what you eat/exercise thing. Huge improvements!

[Carl LaFong]

So I'll wake up slightly confused thinking I never really went to sleep, and that my iPhone is still playing whatever I'm watching. It's so bizarre, it's like my brain is not recognizing that I've gone to sleep or something... so hard to explain.

Common thing for me, pre-cpap, was falling asleep in bed watching a movie. Then the station would re-run the movie a few hours later and I'd wake up right at the point in the movie where I had fallen "asleep". I take that to mean my brain was semi-conscious processing stimuli and not getting into the sleep zones. I recommend shutting off the iPhone, turning off lights, etc. to reduce the stimulus. A sleep study wouldn't be out of the question.

Also check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia and Google "night terrors hallucinations"

[NewToCPAP]

I'll do a search on it. The thing is though is that I've been on Remeron for 6 years now and have never experienced anything mention in this thread until I started using CPAP. For some reason I am inclined to believe there is some correlation between my sleep apnea and CPAP therapy.

One more thing I should mention is that I think I have a bit of central sleep apnea as well. I've experienced on numerous ocassions that I'll be half asleep and just stop breathing. Not choking, or anything like that, it just feels like I stop breathing. I assume CPAP can't do anything in that situation because it definitely feels like there's no obstruction, just me stopping breathing... I wonder if this could be playing a role? Something to do with low oxygen levels?

With all my postings it is also seeming clear that I should make a visit to my sleep doctor here! My sleep situation is a mess, which sucks because everything else in my life is going amazing, the best it's been in years. Go figure, there always has to be something.

[Guest]

To describe what I see, feel, etc is difficult. But the scariest by far was last night (prompting me to come here) I was asleep for only an hour last night and awoken seeing rapid movements which looked like people all around my room, moving quickly (like someone pressing the fastforward button on a video) Figures or whatever they were, were just zooming by and it scared the bejeezuz out of me. I settled down, took deep breathes, and the hallucinating stopped. This usually takes 20-30 seconds. My heart rated slowed back down, panic senstaion deminished and back to sleep. About 40 minutes to an hour later the worst of them all occurred. I think I was already having a nightmare, I am not sure on this, that someone was about to hurt me or something along those lines, it's super fuzzy unfortunately. And to clear something up, these are not regular occurrences or normal dreams for me either. Anyways, I awoke completely paniced, heart was beating right out of my chest, and I had moved to the other side of my bed because when I woke up I thought I seen a large figure/person over top of me about to hurt me. Completely convinced this was all happening, all very real. It was horrifying honestly. I didn't know what the hell was going on.

I woke up, repeated the calming process again and got some water. This was the mother of all hallucinations. Most times it's just minor things, for example I sleep on my back and I'll wake up and stare at the fan directly above me, but it will have transformed into some sort of object, shape, thing, etc.. I know this sounds TOTALLY crazy and it scares me to even type this, let alone experience this. I have had weird ones, like seeing figures, etc.. but not often.

Anyone have any idea what the heck is going on?? Could this be CPAP related?? I will have more questions but figure I'd get some input first.

Wow -- I could have written this myself! I have experienced this type of thing on and off for close to 30 years. I don't have them often on the machine, but still do occasionally. It's amazing how loudly I can scream over my machine & oxygen! My husband has learned to reach over and pat me, uttering soothing words, until I calm down. I agree they are very scary.

I've also been told they are night terrors. I've never had the pleasure of having one during a sleep study, so they've never been seen or evaluated from that end.

[NewToCPAP]

After a bit of reading, I am trying to take in all of the input and research I've been doing. I'm really starting to think what I'm having are night terrors though. Especially from this little piece I read saying

"Many people who remember the night terror have talked about seeing animals or people. Most people describe the person that they see as dark and shadowy and feel that the person is going to hurt them"

This is EXACTLY to a T what happened to me last night.

If I am having night terrors, I am going to lose a lot of sleep. I'm already afraid to go to bed tonight now. And I know my chances seem higher that this happens when using CPAP. If I don't, it seems it never happens. Either that, or I'll want to take a sleeping pill or something, which I won't because I can't stand them. But you see where I'm going with this.

Why in the heck would I be having night terrors. The only thing I can think of is what am I doing wrong? Am I actually stressed but don't realize it? Overtired? I pray that this doesn't become a frequent thing like last night. The minor ones are tolerable, last night was not.

I'll do more reading but night terrors sound exactly like what happened last night.

[Madalot]

I went through an especially bad period in my 20's where I had night terrors almost every night. It was horrifying. I started to sleep with the lights on, hoping it would make it better. It did NOT -- made it worse. To awaken in a brightly lit room and see these things -- I shudder to remember it.

What finally worked for me was probably exhaustion. I started saying to myself that if I had one, I'd deal with it, make myself realize it wasn't real, cope and go back to bed. Over a few days time, the frequency decreased.

I'll have a week or so where I have them several times during the week, but overall, I have them only once in a while. For me, I think stress sometimes plays a part in it. But I'm not positive.

As a fellow sufferer of night terrors, I understand what you are coping with.

[archangle]

Quite a few people have reported more frequent and more vivid dreams once they start CPAP. I wonder if people are just remembering dreams better on CPAP. I find if I wake up suddenly, I remember dreams better.