Continuous bad dreams affecting sleep

[colo60]

Hiya, first off, age 70, male, fit, active - For approx 5 weeks I have endured constant bad dreams, can be anytime through night, as I write 30 mins into sleep and awoke with problem, I don't go to bed on alcohol tea coffee etc or a meal, I awake when these bad dreams happen, somewhat upset/ stressed, heart beating fast, the usual things, I then have to get up and go downstairs , ( so don't waken wfe ! ) I sit and read in order to forget the dream and hopefully tire myself to sleep, me and the spaniel cuddled up and eventually drift off, though settee sleep is NOT the best lol, tossing turning etc', the following day i'm wacked, totally tired though not grumpy or irritated, go to bed and yet again i'm back to wakening through bad dreams ( these differ, not 1 subject ) , then it all starts again, downstairs trying to read myself to sleep, it's like groundhog day, have not been to GP because in these worrying times I simply don't want to burden the practice, any thoughts and advice from the good people on here would be appreciated, - right, am off down to try to read myself to sleep : ) Again !

[Jkf1]

It's possible that you have sleep apnea. You do not have to be overweight to have sleep apnea . I used to have terrible dreams before I got my cpap machine after my diagnosis and it was my body's response to me struggling to breathe when I was asleep. The doctor set up for me to wear this equipment while I was asleep in my own home and it gathered data and that's how I was diagnosed.

[colo60 in reply to Jkf1]

Cheers for this Jfk1 really appreciate 👍Whats interesting is the issue of the struggle to breathe whilst asleep, although fit in myself I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy 2015, partial dead heart muscle, final diagnosis told my breathing would as I get older deteriorate ( my GP says they have NO record of this from hospital !!!!) disgusted and totally bereft of someone's incompetence within the NHS, I just lost all faith in the system, I decided rightly or wrong to look after myself, in every aspect of life, six yrs on and this sleep / real bad dreams issue is the only gliche i've had, what you have explained about yourself is so interesting, actually my breathing is somewhat less comfy when l lay flat ! than when I move about upright. Thank you again, certainly gives food for thought !!

[Jkf1 in reply to colo60]

Your response that your breathing gets less comfy when laying down gives me pause my friend. That points to an issue with your heart, that your heart is not pumping efficiently enough and when you lay down fluid backs up into the lungs. Do you know what your ejection fraction is? If it's below 55% this may be what's causing your symptoms. When we are asleep, if something disturbs our breathing, we tend to have nightmares before waking up. I only know all this through extensive personal research for my own cardiac issues and my father's heart failure. Do you have swelling (edema) in your legs and feet?

[colo60 in reply to Jkf1]

Hi, I don't know the figures sorry, I don't have the swelling on legs, on the leg issue, I only have a vein that runs on shin up ( left leg) to knee that comes to surface like varicose, but goes away n comes back ? I had all manner of tests at hospital over 6 month, but as I said no records were ever sent to my GP, I had blood tests go missing as well at the time, then a cardiologist I had booked was continually cancelled , due to stress of it I gave up on matters, your reply does help as it gives me an understanding of the sleep problem, the specialist at the hospital did say ( on final conclusion there) that blood would not pump 100% to my lungs causing lack of oxygen , so you do make sense in what you say, I appreciate the input thanks ..

[Jkf1 in reply to colo60]

You're welcome! Don't give up..we have to be our own best advocates. You keep trying to get to a cardiologist.

[colo60 in reply to Jkf1]

Thanks for your kindness and help Jkf1 , your input as helped a lot .. Col

[Torri_____]

Yes please have this spoken about as your spaniel and wife cozy you and it is probably easily addressed and I know many people on a cpap that have had amazing results after finding the issue it gave back energy and focus during wake hours and through sleep. Best wishes but please speak address the concern. And have it written any symptom like the leg vein the waking heart race and anything even if it may seem insignificant can lend them the clue to better diagnose and help.

[colo60 in reply to Torri_____]

Well thank you Torri, appreciate the input and concern, kind of you, I was in touch recently with the GP practice who said to make an appointment if I was really ill and worried, otherwise wait until the covid situation as calmed down, so will get back on monday ... ta

[Cowbsky]

Hi, Colo60 and JFK1

_ hope not too late here...

_ first, a brief: I have been written something on the RLS side of HealthUnlocked ( I am afraid, maybe too focused on medications, rather than a holistic approach, etc - basically as replies) on my case: 70 year old, (RLS + PLMS), since 7’s maybe, + UARS, since 17’s. Both conditions better diagnosed only at age of some 66’s (since my retirement); with 3 PSG’s since then, and tons of analyses by myself on my Bilevel-CPAP derived dataset. Some 5 years ago, close to suicide (for not sleeping pretty much nothing at all), I think It was my rebirthing in this life, by adopting measures, mainly by msyself, and my Doctor (not a neuro specialist at all - willing to accept my suggestions, always);

_ by correcting partially my UARS (at the limit of machine capacity and adequacy, as usual maximum expectation in our ApneaBoard community), I started getting much better, including bad dreams about drowing and so forth. therefore, no doubt for me: sleep breathinng disorder (SDB) has a lot to doo with bad recurrent dreams;

_ On RLS, I tried some medications, such as Pramapexole, Pregabalin; both nevermore;… and Clonazepam (maximum 0.5 mg). This latter, the only one I have been using for a long while latest years, and even before the good diagnostics after age of 66. Actually, I think Clonazepam has saved my life, both professional and real;

_ as written elsewhere on my replies (in the RLS side of HealthUnlocked), I am doing rather well these days (say, at some 85 to 95% level), by controlling both my UARS and RLS/PLMS, by using EFT+ other Energy Medicine techniques (I known, it might looks weird!...but works very well for me), 0.5 mg Clonazepam, rigorous sleep hygiene (timing, sleeping in two stages, and something on diet: just alcohol and caffeine avoidance; don´t pay attention in anything else anymore. Ferritin, 68, in 2020);

_ yet, I am doing rather well, I keep having interrupted sleep and waking up some two to three times during the night, including trips to toilet without no necessity. Those wake up always occur during recurrent bad-anguish-stuck dreams (always during REM stages), with same general pattern (only specific situations change), and consequent disrupting my REM stages and waking me up;

_ I have done some quick research trying to link RLS and bad dreams. It looks plausible. What would be your experiences? Do you have good diagonoses on RLS/PLMS, as well as SDB, good medical advices, on the two conditions?

All the best and good luck

[colo60]

Cheers cowbsky, I always appreciate and value input, I actually got over matter's, it was bizarre I do not take any medication whatsoever, I try to understand and try to work out what is happening, worries, troubles, etc' , I am now of the belief that there is something of a psychological problem at work, we don't always get it ! the brain and its complexity is totally far above our everyday journey n thought, for instantance, how on earth can we suddenly remember from years ago ( and I ( 71 ) can pick up on something when I was , say 7, like I'm on Internet, much faster though !! the thought pattern !!! now, getting back to how we are affected