Anyone else have this nightmare?

I have this recurring nightmare that I am suffocating. Funny, but I never had this dream before CPAP. It's always the same. In my dream, I am wearing my mask and cannot breathe. I try to wake my partner by frantically calling her name, but she won't wake up. I claw at my mask, but I can't get it off. Then I wake up, and my mask is still on and functioning normally. I'm wondering if anyone else has this dream – and if anyone has an idea of what might be causing it. Too much pressure? Too little? Leaks? Mouth breathing? Who knows, maybe it's just a dream. But I always wake up panicky and, after that, I can't bring myself to wear the mask for the rest of the night.

I've not had it happen, but let's face it, having a mask on your face during the night is anything but normal. Afterall, the writers of Dr. Who recognized that masks can be the stuff of nightmares. From "The Empty Child" (or "Are you my mummy" episode:





But you should adjust to wearing a mask. These nightmares should subside.

There are times in the beginning stages of my ramlp up i feel like i cant get enough air. the ramp is 4-11. If i am relaxed it usually isnt an issue. I usually have mine set to a 20 or 15 minute ramp up.

It could also be untreated/unhandled apneas.

I used to wake with insomnia many times with that jolt/struggling feeling. I never felt like I was suffacating, but I would have "struggles" in my dreams before waking.

Are you looking at your data? Any correlations to apneas?

Michael

Weezer, I would think you've been at this a long time for those dreams to be triggered by the mask feeling unfamiliar. I'd be more inclined to wonder if your treatment leaves something to be desired. I did have those dreams pre cpap, but when I started cpap at too low a pressure and with a long too low ramp, the dreams worsened and became downright frightening. Getting adequate treatment has almost completely resolved the dreams, and the few I've had in the past few years weren't nearly as scary as they used to be.

If your leaks are at an acceptable rate, I'm wondering if bumping up your pressure a notch might help with the dreams, and with your ability to keep the mask on.

Weezer,
I had a similar dream like that the second week I was on Cpap....I have been on it now for 5 weeks .My dream was a feeling of not being able to breath and I felt like I could not get the mask off and was grabbing my husband and trying to get him to help me but when I woke up everything was normal but it did leave me with a sense of not wanting to go back to sleep. It has only happened to me one time. I remember being extremely tired that night..but I still don't make any sense of the dream.
Best Regards
Bren

pdean44 wrote:There are times in the beginning stages of my ramlp up i feel like i cant get enough air. the ramp is 4-11. If i am relaxed it usually isnt an issue. I usually have mine set to a 20 or 15 minute ramp up.

Hi,

Many people report that they have a really hard time breathing with a pressure less than 8. I would not be surprised if you really do feel that you are not getting enough air when you start at 4. That is really low. I found that I didn't need the ramp after a few weeks, so I stopped using it. The benefit is that I get the full pressure right away, so it helps avoid many of the events that I used to see while I was falling asleep. I think you might enjoy having the low end of the ramp set to something like 7 or 8.

-john-

I don't think that my starting pressure is too low; it's over 10. And I've been on the hose long enough to dispel most of my anxiety, so I don't think it's that either.

I looked at my data and I had a bunch of hypos -- like 5 or 6 in a row -- right before I woke up.

Any idea what this means -- or what I could do differently?

I took a Afternoon nap, woke up paralyzed in the middle of an Apnea. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. It's happened twice... Both times, in the afternoon.

That's my war story....

Later,

SG

Weezer wrote:I don't think that my starting pressure is too low; it's over 10. And I've been on the hose long enough to dispel most of my anxiety, so I don't think it's that either.

I looked at my data and I had a bunch of hypos -- like 5 or 6 in a row -- right before I woke up.

Any idea what this means -- or what I could do differently?

Were you sleeping on your back when you woke up? Or were you congested? Maybe that caused your airway to partially close.

Weezer wrote: . . . I can't bring myself to wear the mask for the rest of the night.

I don't know if this will be even more scary or helpful; consider that when you don't have your mask on you are suffocating little by little for sure.