Has anyone experienced waking up at night with an episode of AF after a nightmare or bad dream? Is there a possible cause and effect?

[Harrythmia]

medication, AF at night, Side effects

[BobD Volunteer]

Many times but I rationalise thus. My body is in distress with racing heart so my brain has to find a reason and creates a false reality to account for it.

[Jetcat in reply to BobD]

Couldn’t have put it better myself BobD.👍

[Rodders7777 in reply to BobD]

Thank you. I always thought that for me, it was the other way around - a bad dream created anxiety and stress, which then triggered the af episode!!

[jeanjeannie50]

I've woken in the night thinking I've heard a noise and then my heart will start racing abnormally fast, missing beats etc. I think if anyone ever actually broke into my house at night, my heart rate would kill me. This just proves to me the influence my mind has over the strength of my AF heart events, another trigger I suspect is shallow breathing.

I do my best to totally ignore what my heart is doing these days, having had AF for 16 years and 3 heart ablations it's become easier to do that.

In your case I wonder what came first, the dream or your AF?

Jean

[dunestar in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I have a gut instinct the dream comes first. It goes on for a while and then I wake up. But difficult to be certain one way or the other. I've got a feeling Ramipril doesn't help. I take it all my meds at breakfast. Not sure whether it makes any difference though.

[Finvola]

Yes - I don't have AF any more, thanks to Flecainide but have rapid heartbeat and ectopics on waking from a bad dream. Bad dreams can be caused by a gut upset which can also trigger arrhythmias so it is a circular cause-effect-cause etc.

I was wakened by the same recurring dream for years but, like Hidden I can dream that I'm only dreaming which calms it down . . . mostly.

Eating carefully, especially late at night and de-stressing may help.

[CDreamer]

Some meds cause bad dreams, Flecainide was culprit for me. I agree with Bob - I think AF comes 1st & then you dream. Could try practicing lucid dreaming - that works. My solution - audio books & meditation before bed.

[secondtry]

I would say avoid cheese at night and try and calm anxiety with lifestyle changes during the day. I used to, and still do very occasionally, have regular exam (last taken 40yrs ago!) and a difficult work contract dreams....a lot better now though.

[Hidden]

A nightmare would likely increase your heart rate which in turn might trigger PAF. This article discusses possible causes and treatments for nightmares: webmd.com/sleep-disorders/n...

[Harrythmia in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Samazeuilh. Really helpful. Appreciate it. Harry

[Brainfoglady]

Yes often. I wake up breathless with pounding arrhythmia and feel very hot. The nightmares are horrid. Have often wondered if it happens because I am too hot.

[Harrythmia in reply to Brainfoglady]

Thanks Brianfoglady and to all those who replied to my post. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in experiencing these horrendous nightmares triggering my PAF. I had actually put this down to a bi-product of “long Covid” but perhaps not. Thank you all for the advice of things that have helped you which I will take on board. Harry

[Auriculaire in reply to Harrythmia]

Were you treated in hospital for the covid?

[Harrythmia in reply to Auriculaire]

No, Aurculaire, fortunately not. Contracted it Dec 20. About 6 weeks recovery at home but fine now. Flecainide dose doubled in jan 21 following a+e attendance after bad prolonged PAF attack. Nightmares started Feb/March and are pretty regular often making me wake with a pounding HB and palps. Difficult to figure out if this is a reaction or not.

[CDreamer in reply to Harrythmia]

In my case it was definately the AF causeded the nightmares- low O2, low HR = AF = Nightmares. Sleep study and CPAP for sleep apnea meant no more nocturnal AF = no further nightmares.

[dunestar in reply to Brainfoglady]

I'm very sensitive to being too hot and this causing sleep disturbances/nightmares. I used to take a hot water bottle to bed to warm up my cold feet but I don't do this any more.

[WhitstableWanderer]

Just a thought, but statins are well known for causing nightmares. My personal experience has been that dropping Atorvastatin (and Bisoprolol, a beta blocker) has rid me of the 70's psychedelic dreams that would cause me to awake in absolute wonder - how the hell did I find myself in these very strange situations?! Though as I seem to be permanently in relatively asymptomatic AF, I never experienced an 'AF attack' during these experiences.

[Hcoe]

My first experience with an episode of AF after watching a scary movie. I woke up with my heart beating fast and sure enough I was in AF. This episode only lasted 8 hours. No more scary movies for me.