Dreaming Problem?

As soon as I fall asleep I start dreaming is this normal? I have been like this for at least as long as I have been on CPAP (7 years). I used to sleep through the night but, lately the last month or so I fall asleep let's say around 11pm and start dreaming and then wake up 30-45 minutes later. Half the time I can roll over and fall back asleep in a few minutes but, sometimes I am wide awake and it takes me forever to fall back asleep.

I read recently that early dreaming may be linked to being in REM sleep, which is supposed to happen only much later on in your cycle, and that it can be a sign of narcolepsy... so you might want to check that with your sleep doctor (a neurologist would be ideal I think if sleep was his/her specialty).

I don't have any of the other signs of Narcolepsy. During the day I am fine unless I am just sitting around the houseand then I might take a nap after lunch. Would Narcolepsy show up in a sleep study? I just had to have one a few months ago because I changed insurance. Aren't they monitoring brainwave activity during a sleep study? I actually have pretty mild Apnea the tech said he had to pick through the results to get me qualified.

Just passing on what I read (and what I suggest). I suppose waiting a while to see what happens won't hurt.

My guess is, normal for some, not for others.

High-emotional-content dreams seem to be most common in REM, but some dreaming can, I believe, occur in any sleep stage.

For me, I might wonder if tweaking my pressure, or range of pressures, might help to keep me from waking up at one particular point in the night. I might wonder whether my changing sleep stages may be changing my pressure needs at that instant and whether, for example, getting my minimum set up nearer what I need to prevent apneas at that point might help me be better able to stay asleep. For some, use of the ramp feature can cause pressure to stay too low as they fall asleep, and they wake up repeatedly while falling asleep for that reason. So I might try a shorter ramp and making sure my pressure was sufficient for all stages of sleep.

If that didn't help, I might look at the timing of when I took any meds and might try to find out if I had on ongoing problem with limb movements.

But that's just stuff I would check on for me based on what I know about me. Your situation may be completely different from mine.

If the awakenings aren't causing you to be sleepy and exhausted the next day, they may ultimately be no big deal. But if they are a big deal, your docs may have other ideas for you based on your specific medical history and conditions.

Keep asking good questions.

While we normally think of dreaming only happening in REM stage sleep, it can also occur in the other sleep stages but not as commonly. What bothers me is that you remember dreaming and that normally means that you are waking up during the dream...so why the wake up?
Is your machine a full data machine so that we can use the software to see if you are maybe having a truck load of events right around the time you wake up???? Maybe causing you to wake up???
I see a PR S1 full data machine in your profile but an old humidifier that doesn't work with the PR S1.
I never know which one is the error...the machine choice or humidifier choice.
If you do have the new PR S1 APAP...check out my signature line for software instructions.

jnk wrote:My guess is, normal for some, not for others.

High-emotional-content dreams seem to be most common in REM, but some dreaming can, I believe, occur in any sleep stage.

For me, I might wonder if tweaking my pressure, or range of pressures, might help to keep me from waking up at one particular point in the night. I might wonder whether my changing sleep stages may be changing my pressure needs at that instant and whether, for example, getting my minimum set up nearer what I need to prevent apneas at that point might help me be better able to stay asleep. For some, use of the ramp feature can cause pressure to stay too low as they fall asleep, and they wake up repeatedly while falling asleep for that reason. So I might try a shorter ramp and making sure my pressure was sufficient for all stages of sleep.

If that didn't help, I might look at the timing of when I took any meds and might try to find out if I had on ongoing problem with limb movements.

But that's just stuff I would check on for me based on what I know about me. Your situation may be completely different from mine.

If the awakenings aren't causing you to be sleepy and exhausted the next day, they may ultimately be no big deal. But if they are a big deal, your docs may have other ideas for you based on your specific medical history and conditions.

Keep asking good questions.

I will try tweaking my pressure ranges tonight and see if that helps. I don't take any meds so that shouldn't be the problem (unless I need to start taking some ) Thanks for the input.

Rickv wrote: . . . tweaking my pressure ranges tonight and see if that helps. . . .

If you are knowledgeable, experienced, and comfortable with that, that may be the thing you may decide to do. But if it were me, and I was at all new to tweaking principles, I would sure take Pugsy up on her offer to see your data, when she asked:

Pugsy wrote:Is your machine a full data machine so that we can use the software to see if you are maybe having a truck load of events right around the time you wake up???? Maybe causing you to wake up???

How is she able to say more in a few sentences than I can say in ten?

Pugsy wrote:While we normally think of dreaming only happening in REM stage sleep, it can also occur in the other sleep stages but not as commonly. What bothers me is that you remember dreaming and that normally means that you are waking up during the dream...so why the wake up?
Is your machine a full data machine so that we can use the software to see if you are maybe having a truck load of events right around the time you wake up???? Maybe causing you to wake up???

Yes it is a full data machine a respironics ds560hs and I use sleephead software. what kind of info would you need? I see the graphs that others have posted before not sure how to do it though (tried right clicking on the various graphs but, that won't do it). Also I don't have any data since the 5th of August. I had to mail my card to the DME to prove compliance.

Do you have a blank SD card..your machine will store everything but the flow graphs on it and write it to the SD card.

For how to post images and examples
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=81072&p=737779#p737779

Pugsy wrote:Do you have a blank SD card..your machine will store everything but the flow graphs on it and write it to the SD card.

For how to post images and examples
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=81072&p=737779#p737779

Yes I knew I could do that with a blank SD was waiting for the DME to send me back my original one. I read your post on how to copy info what info will you need? BTW I appreciate everyone's input and help.

Using SleepyHead the main things I look at are the AHI bar graphs on the left side for event category breakdown hourly averages.
On the right side just the Events graph on the top right, the flow rate graph, pressure graph and leak graph.
Turn off AHI graph because we have it easily seen in the events graph.
Snore graph I don't look at much because snores are flagged in the Events graph.
The other stuff I don't bother with very much. Mainly I just look at the same stuff in SleepyHead that Encore shows.

Rickv wrote: . . . I don't take any meds . . .

I include vitamins, coffee, and alcohol in the "meds" category.

Even the timing of food intake can make a big difference for some people. One doc claims that not taking in anything but water for the three or four hours before bed makes a huge difference for some of his sleep patients.

Rickv wrote:As soon as I fall asleep I start dreaming is this normal? I have been like this for at least as long as I have been on CPAP (7 years). I used to sleep through the night but, lately the last month or so I fall asleep let's say around 11pm and start dreaming and then wake up 30-45 minutes later. Half the time I can roll over and fall back asleep in a few minutes but, sometimes I am wide awake and it takes me forever to fall back asleep.

A low REM latency is generally associated with narcolepsy, but can often be a side effect of sleep deprivation. I'm having similar issues, but not on a CPAP.
How is your daytime sleepiness? Do you ever experience hallucinations or sleep paralysis while in bed? Muscle weakness during the day?

When was your last sleep study? Did they note SOREM or a low REM latency? It's generally 60-120 minutes. My study rated me at 6 minutes.

Pugsy wrote:Using SleepyHead the main things I look at are the AHI bar graphs on the left side for event category breakdown hourly averages.
On the right side just the Events graph on the top right, the flow rate graph, pressure graph and leak graph.
Turn off AHI graph because we have it easily seen in the events graph.
Snore graph I don't look at much because snores are flagged in the Events graph.
The other stuff I don't bother with very much. Mainly I just look at the same stuff in SleepyHead that Encore shows.

Got the info from last night just not sure how to post the .png. Strange thing was when I checked the sd card I put in last night before going to bed this morning all the previous data did not D/L to it just last night.