Bad dreams making me scream so loud !!

I don't know what to call this sleep disorder. I have terrorizing dreams in which I scream as loud as possible and I really do scream, not just in my dreams. I wake up everyone. This causes the tape to come off my mouth. Sometimes I don't wake up on my own, I wake up when someone else knocks on my door and tells me I've been screaming. This is probably why CPAP isn't really doing me any good. I don't know where these scary dreams come from or how to stop them.
Anyone know anything about this disorder and how to stop it??? I can't even travel with friends because I would wake them up.

It's called Night Terrors, and is 'real', but you need a referral to a neurologist to talk it over, or at least a sleep MD - a doctor trained in sleep disorders.

newname wrote:I don't know what to call this sleep disorder. I have terrorizing dreams in which I scream as loud as possible and I really do scream, not just in my dreams. I wake up everyone. This causes the tape to come off my mouth. Sometimes I don't wake up on my own, I wake up when someone else knocks on my door and tells me I've been screaming. This is probably why CPAP isn't really doing me any good. I don't know where these scary dreams come from or how to stop them.
Anyone know anything about this disorder and how to stop it??? I can't even travel with friends because I would wake them up.

I've done this under very stressful situations. It can happen from PSTD too. It's really scary for all involved, to be sure. Julie is right. It's time to seek medical advice, especially if the situation is ongoing.

Do you know if this can be diagnosed in a sleep study and what can be done about it?

By any chance are you taking any medications that might be causing it?
I'm no expert in all the meds that may cause vivid dreams like that but some antidepressants can do it. My husband has taken a couple of things over the years that he ended up stopping due to bad dreams. Also I remember when I was young my grandmother started taking Amitriptyline at bedtime and would scare the life out of all of us by screaming in the night.

Definitely talk to your doctor.

I've been on antidepressants for years. Right now I take Lexapro. I also have pills for blood pressure and cholesterol.

newname wrote:Do you know if this can be diagnosed in a sleep study and what can be done about it?

I don't know. Most sleep farms are just that - set up for diagnosing CPAP, not ailments that are more obscure. That may be a blunt opinion, but it comes close to the truth, I suspect.

Oscar98 brings up a good point: certain over the counter supplements are known for causing really awful nightmares. Melatonin is among those. I find the 3mg tabs commonly sold are about 10 times stronger than is actually necessary, but they don't sell .3mg tabs. For me, prolonged use of Melatonin even a 1/3mg nightly dose eventually causes nightmares of the worst, most vivid and disturbing variety.

I know too that children around the age of one or two sometimes have night terrors too. You take your kid to the county fair for two hours. The lights, the spinning rides, the colors, the noises... it's a lot to take in. Most kids that age just fall asleep after half an hour and start processing right there at the fair. Others just keep soaking it in until you've left the fair. Then you're in the car, they fall asleep, and half way home and they start wailing at a pitch that sends alarm signals through everyone's spines even to surrounding cars.

It's a way the brain has of adjusting to a huge overload of new information, and it's not always pretty. Their eyes will be open, and they don't see. They almost look like their awake and screaming at the same time. But they're asleep. It can be alarming in kids, but once you recognize it, you can at least keep them comfortable until they work it out. A pair of ear plugs helps, along with a comforting rocking motion. One of those little motorized 'joggler' seats is sometimes a godsend.

But its' not so easy with adults living alone and processing major amounts of new information. If you don't have a long-term significant other, have you considered enlisting the aid of a sibling, at least temporarily? It's a lot to ask of almost anyone else, to be sure. If you really suspect it's something more than just the brain processing having to wear the mask - for instance medications or other stressors, it is definitely worth seeking the attention of a sleep neurologist.

Thanks, I'm going to make an appointment with a sleep neurologist and hopefully this can be stopped.

Nightmares can be caused by a B6 deficiency. 6-8 years ago I read about this from 3 sources, 2 were mds, at least 1 of the mds was a psychiatrist. Both the mds said B6 supplementation over 300 mg needed doctor supervision and any B6 supplementation should be accompanied by a B complex. I am taking a higher than 300 mg dose with doctor supervision and find missing my dose more than 1 night almost guarantees a bad dream, more than 2 nights and the resulting nightmare is likely to make sleep difficult for the rest of the night.

I agree with others you should seek medical help but adding 100-200 mg of B6 and a B complex is an inexpensive way to see if the problem is a B6 deficiency.

I don't have any human roommates and the 2 cats I belong to won't tell me what happens before I wake up from a bad dream though they do take good care of me after I wake up - they know cat purrs improve any situation.

Hey NewName,

If you're on meds, then I assume you're in treatment with a physician. I'd suggest that you talk with that person about the nitemares, and also be sure to let them know that you're dealing with sleep apnea.

From reading the posts on this forum over the past year, I'm convinced that the nitemares to at least a certain extent possibly are related to having apneas -- and the sensation of disrupted breathing.

It seems to that if they are correlated for you, then perhaps you should try a full-face mask, so that your mouth is covered during the nitemares and thru the screaming -- instead of taping your mouth.

Keep us posted on how things go!

I just requested an appointment with neurologist who specializes in sleep disorders. I'll let you know what happens after I see him. Thanks everyone.

For what it's worth, in times of extreme stress I used to get dreams like this once in a while, woke up (wanting to) scream or crying. I haven't had them since starting CPAP (even during times of extreme stress).
While discussing with your sleep doctor, you might to check that your setup pressure is still correct. Leaks, poor mask fit, or being under-pressurized could be causing your CPAP therapy to be less than effective.

With cpap now you are actually going into rem sleep. Rem dreams process life's less pleasant issues. Many people have apneas during REM because one is more deeply "paralyzed " during REM. What does your software show for the times you are awakened screaming?