What is left?

[mo222]

Hi all,Really struggling to figure out why I'm like this. Is it my state of mind or something else. 2.5 years I've really struggled with sleep. I've tried absolutely everything even prescribed meds. Lately my sleep has become worse I'm waking up from a dream (and talk alot in my sleep) I wake in panic, breathless, heart racing, at least 5 times a night from 12-1am onwards. I suffer from depression and anxiety it's really getting to me and feel another trip to the doctors is just pointless. I've been under a lot of stress because of an ongoing family situation and also had trauma events in the past. Really effecting every aspect of my life, thanks in advance.

[CapnM]

Has your GP discusssed possible sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or UARS. Sleep disorders can come from a wide range of triggers though many people think you need to be a fat 50 old male.

If you cant get traction with GP you can do home sleep tests, try one by the UK charity Hope2 Sleep. I think its abotu £150 and they will send out the machine. Its money well spent if it find somethign and peace of mind if it doesnt.

Do you have an apple watch or similar. Whilst not completely reliable even just finding out that you are having oxygen desaturations during the night can help you when talking to GP.

good luck

[mo222 in reply to CapnM]

Hi thanks for commenting. They seem to always put it down to anxiety but I really feel it's not the case. They've never even discussed it could be a sleep disorder. Thanks for the recommendation I will look in to it if I have no joy with the doctor. I do have a smart watch my husband got it me for Christmas one of the reasons being to track my sleep pattern but haven't really worn it lately as I did feel it wasn't accurate. Never heard of UARS I will look it up. Kind regards

[CapnM in reply to mo222]

its a long shot but worth looking into, also its good to focus on conditions which one can prove/ discount. Anxiety is very nebulous what do one do to prove it either way? Some extra thoughts.....

- its as likely not the dream waking you up but you happen to be in dream sleep when you wake up. We dream most actively (though not soley) in REM.

- We have several sleep cycles of REM during the night, on average the 1st cycle kicks in 90 mins after you go to sleep but it can be quicker. Is this in alignment with the timing?

- When we enter REM our respiritory rate changes, becomes more volatile and can raise up and down.

- During REM sleep, your heart rate can fluctuate due to the activity level of your dreams. For example, if you're dreaming about running or something scary, your heart rate may increase.

- Being yanked out of REM can be discomforting .

- If it is REM when you are waking then the question might be why. There could be many reasons. However one known is that during REM our (throat) muscles relax and this is when we are more prone to sleep disorders or greater sleep events than during the rest of the night.

- On smart watches - in clinical terms they are not accurate for diagnosing sleep disorders but they can be illustrative. My newphe was having sleep problems recently and it was his apple watch that was telling him that he was having oxygen desaturations during the night. Turns out it was nasal polyps creating a blockage at night that led to his breathing disorder.

- I have sleep apnea which took me about 10 years to diagnose and only when it became chronic but I look back now and can see early signs. I used to toss and turn many times at night - I used to joke about it - but that was me having awakenings from sleep events and rolling over. It wasnt until I had symtoms of chronic sleep deprivation and hypertension as it progressed that I put 2&2 together.

- Most sleep events we do not fully wake to (we just come up a sleep level that triggers waking brain activity) but some people have a high tolerance for not waking up and then really wake up which can be very disuptive.

- FYI - UARS is an emerging topic though it was identified long ago. It is on the sleep apnea spectrum but quite different. If you imagine breathing though a garden hose, if one put a kink in it to reduce airflow that would be illutrative of obstructive sleep apnea. If I took the hose and gave you a straw to breathe through that would be illustraive of UARS. Breathing through a straw is very hard and likewise UARS, when people wake up to UARS they often feel the result of exaggerated breathing across their chest, are perhaps sweating and have elevated heart rate.

Here is a link to my reference above, I have no idea if it would be valuable but you can piece together from your symptoms if worth investment. I did mine with Intus (private CPAP healthcare) and it was very helpful.

hope2sleep.co.uk/sleep-apno...