Nightmares

I've been having nightmares for over 30 years - this is why I requested a polysomnograhy, I was surprised when I was told there's a physical problem ie sleep apnea - as I thought it was all mental; I believe that I have PTSD as a result of a terrible childhood but I can't seem to get assessed - well not on the NHS (I contacted a private psychiatric clinic to enquire about the service I want & they do it but they charge a lot of money), the doctor at the sleep disorders clinic told me that my nightmares would be less severe with a CPAP machine - I was very sceptical but he's actually right, the nightmares still happen with the CPAP machine but they're more tolerable, however the machine creates its own problems (one is a dry throat but I've ordered some xylimelts & I'm hoping that they will rectify the problem); does anyone else here suffer with nightmares?

They're common in fact prior to Cpap therapy.

Before CPAP I had nightmares so bad I had to talk myself into going to bed at night.
Multiple wake ups. Remembering each one.
Not now.

Good luck,
JPB

JennySawyer wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:04 am

nightmares

Do you happen to take melatonin supplements or any medications that might cause the nightmares?

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:02 am

JennySawyer wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:04 am

nightmares

Do you happen to take melatonin supplements or any medications that might cause the nightmares?

I take Citalopram which is an anti-depressant, one of the possible side-effects is nightmares, so in order to test this out I gradually reduced my dose & then was off them completely for a couple of months - however the nightmares were still there but I felt absolutely awful so I went back on them (this was before I started using a CPAP machine).

Hi JennySawyer,

There are nightmares which come from present physical causes – sleep apnea, certain foods, fever and infections – and there are nightmares which have a psychological basis – you mention both a painful childhood and PTSD.

I know people in the helping professions who think the two 'groups' or classes are sufficiently different to be treated differently.

So sleep apnea treatment can be of help when the precipitating factor is sleep apnea. But that still leaves those nocturnal upsets which have causes in the other group. And with those, psychotherapy is the treatment of choice. Especially some of the newer methods, ones which do not require a long treatment period.

I'm thinking, for example. of the Havening method, which is now available from a good number of practitioners in the UK, and is providing good results.

Unfortunately, Havening is not currently available within the NHS. Most clinical psychologists within the hospital-based system only offer some form or another of CBT. Whereas methods such as Havening and also 'the rewind method'– which are both very effective with strong-emotional-response memories – are presently only available in the private sector.

But because these methods are non-residential, and of a limited time frame, the cost is more manageable.

I will try to send you some names via the private message system here – but I can't do that right now. If you could look in again in a few days ...

I get nightmares too and it is likely from anxiety. Stress does horrible things to your body as well as your mind. Panic attacks can cause breathing difficulties. After going to the doctor I get horrible stress because sometimes he over-exaggerates my medical diagnosis's and terrifies me. I'm on four medications. One is for high blood pressure. I got a home blood pressure machine and I almost always read normal. I'm on another one for pre-diabetes. What the heck is that? a psychic premonition...lol? Another one is for high cholesterol. O.K. I'll admit it... I like red meat, and the other one is a vitamin which is always a good idea. I guess I'm more fortunate than my husband. He almost had a mental break-down because he had a doctor tell him he suspected he had pancreatic cancer because he is a diabetic. That turned out to be false (thank goodness) but his stress levels are so high sometimes I wonder if he's insane. I have breathing problems and have been diagnosed with COPD. I'm on three inhalers for that. I don't own a cpap machine but I use an oxygen concentrator when my chest feels exceptionally tight and it helps. The oxygen also helps with the nightmares, relieves anxiety, and helps me sleep very deeply. A nebulizer with saline helps too. I live in a dry climate and it's very easy to get dehydrated. I have a cpap mask and am thinking about getting adapters for it so I can use it with oxygen tubing.

I will look in to Havening.

Just a little caution re trying various things at the same time, or even just one at a time... you may have 'nightmares' due to personal issues, due to meds taken to try and clear up some of those, but it is highly likely a lot are due to OSA... however until you're using Cpap consistently even for a short time, without the meds, you'll have a hard time deciding what's causing which symptoms, and what needs to be dropped, doubled, etc etc. It's important to change only one thing at a time so you are sure of the effect rather than guessing and 1-2 nights on any regimen (or off it) are not enough to be sure.

Last night I had a dreadful nightmare whilst using the CPAP machine - this is very disappointing.

Jenny - try and set up Oscar (see Announcements pg top) so we can see what's what and advise re possible tweaking of pressures, etc... and don't let one bad night (we all have those) be what you assume will be 'normal'.

Julie wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 22, 2019 3:45 am

Jenny - try and set up Oscar (see Announcements pg top) so we can see what's what and advise re possible tweaking of pressures, etc... and don't let one bad night (we all have those) be what you assume will be 'normal'.

Okay, your cat is lovely btw.

Hi, Jenny - just want to let you know you're not alone with nightmares. I've had them most of my life thanks to childhood trauma. Therapy and antidepressant medication have helped immensely, and I still dream vividly but I rarely wake up screaming any longer. I think since I started cpap last fall, I've only screamed my spouse awake once or twice. He certainly appreciates that. Keep pushing for therapy and keep using your cpap!

That cat (Squeak - no longer around) was rescued from the street in Toronto a few decades ago by two teachers who happened to own a small apt. bldg downtown where they kept street rescues in a unit until adopted out. They also 'got' the mother and rehomed her.

Before I got started on CPAP, I regularly had nightmares and very vivid, disturbing dreams. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that as my sleep got better, the bad dreams began to disappear and were replaced with good dreams. This was noticeable from the start, even though CPAP wasn't an instant success for me. I still get a bad dream now and then, but it's usually on a night that my mask leaks or there's some other issue that interferes with CPAP success. After two years of trial and error, I'm pretty much guaranteed a good night's sleep and pleasant dreams. So, be patient, keep asking questions, and don't give up!