AHI's and Nightmares

I did a search on the word "nightmare" in the last 30 days and didn't find what I was looking for. Therefore, I'm going to bring it for discussion. I made mention several posts ago that I started a sleep journal. I've also included a column called, "Nightmares". So far, I've gathered data for the last 4 nights I believe both with my sleep journal and EncoreViewer. I really wouldn't consider it a nightmare, rather a "bad dream". I was shocked to discover this morning that during that part of the dream/sleep, I had a noticeable cluster of events. So, here's my question: For those of you that are monitoring and journaling your sleep, have you noticed the same thing? Increased amount of events during a bad dream/nightmare. I was rather surprised when I saw the reading this morning.

Starlette

Hi Starlette,

As I just wrote in my post (sorry, had not seen yours, have Monday morning brain after spending the entire (!) weekend marking bad essays from first year students): I think the nightmares are caused by the events. I had nightmares all my life, from childhood on, and they stopped immediately after starting with APAP. Instantly!
Anyway, my 2 cents. I do not monitor my data other than on the machine itself.

Last night I had a bad night. As you say, I didn't exactly have "nightmares"; just a very uneasy, uncomfortable, tension filled, restless night. Before I checked my AHI I knew it would be high. Sure enough, much higher than usual with clusters. I agree there's a connection. Don't know if it's the chicken or the egg, but there is definitely a connection there.

It's funny that you say that Johnny, "the chicken or the egg". As Hubbs and I were eating dinner, I was thinking the exact same thing.

I have distressing dreams where I am doing something dangerous - driving on very steep and dangerous roads, paddling through very turbulent water, on cliff edges, climbing. Almost 2 months on the machine and I am still not sleeping more than two and a half hours in any stretch. I am forcing myself to stay up 'till 10pm tonight so that I don't have a few hours in the middle of the night being awake. Hope it works.

My happy stress is all of the excitement of planning to retire at the end of this school year in June. But the dreams are not new to this situation.

OH, and the reason I want the software is to check for clusters, etc. My DMS says it is not available and cost thousands, the PA says she never heard of it, and I will download it as soon as my nonMac machine is available. So, I am also wondering about the connection of dreams and incidents.

I've been under the impression that the events cause arousal, that causes you to remember the dream.
I still dream but rarely remember what time I woke up. I go back to sleep so fast now! I used to lie awake all night trying to sleep.
I know I've had a bad night when, as I'm waking up, I'm trying to figure out how to do something that makes absolutly no sense. That consistantly coincides with desats.

I think most apnea events occur during REM sleep (the deepest sleep) also when most dreaming happens. They coincide. Just my opinion.

Lizistired wrote:I've been under the impression that the events cause arousal, that causes you to remember the dream.

Exactly. If you are having no events and sleeping soundly you won't remember your dreams. When an event causes you to awaken during a dream you become consciously aware of it and store memories of the dream.

Starlette, It's time to start tweaking and get rid of those event clusters.

SleepyInSyracuse wrote:OH, and the reason I want the software is to check for clusters, etc. My DMS says it is not available and cost thousands, the PA says she never heard of it, and I will download it as soon as my nonMac machine is available. So, I am also wondering about the connection of dreams and incidents.

Am I understanding this correctly? Your DMS says ResScan costs thousands of dollars and your PA never heard of ResScan?

SleepyInSyracuse wrote:OH, and the reason I want the software is to check for clusters, etc. My DMS says it is not available and cost thousands, the PA says she never heard of it, and I will download it as soon as my nonMac machine is available. So, I am also wondering about the connection of dreams and incidents.

Run run don't walk from this DME! Talk about lies and/or incompetence!

The other night I had an apnea event. My wife told me that I had a nightmare which woke her. I checked the time on my nightly report, and sure enough, the apnea occured at the same time as the nightmare. I remember a little about the nightmare, but nothing about my reactions to it. As far as I'm concernced I slept through it. The machine did what it was supposed to do. Still, this is an interesting topic.

Larry

Roster - Let me see if I'm understanding you correctly provided you see this....
In answering the question, which came first the chicken or the egg...
You're proposing that the apnea events (or clusters) come folllowed by the nightmare. Am I understanding you correctly?

Starlette

Starlette wrote:Roster - Let me see if I'm understanding you correctly provided you see this....
In answering the question, which came first the chicken or the egg...
You're proposing that the apnea events (or clusters) come folllowed by the nightmare. Am I understanding you correctly?

Starlette

Yes when you have an event your body reacts and that reaction is pulled into the dream. Attempting to breathe would cause fear and that would trigger a negative reaction ie night mare.

BlackSpinner wrote:

Starlette wrote:Roster - Let me see if I'm understanding you correctly provided you see this....
In answering the question, which came first the chicken or the egg...
You're proposing that the apnea events (or clusters) come folllowed by the nightmare. Am I understanding you correctly?

Starlette

Yes when you have an event your body reacts and that reaction is pulled into the dream. Attempting to breathe would cause fear and that would trigger a negative reaction ie night mare.

Anecdotally, I used to have a lot of dreams about drowning that have gone away with CPAP. I suspect but cannot prove that the dreams were my brain's reaction to an event during REM sleep.

DD