Posted by noa on May 22, 2003, at 2:35:05
In reply to Re: scared, lonely and dread going to bed, posted by jerrympls on May 21, 2003, at 19:35:48
Sleep apnea?? Definitely get that taken care of. I have sleep apnea. I'd probably be dead if I hadn't gotten my cpap.
I self-diagnosed because I knew I snored--had always snored--but started having signs--like waking up suddenly to a dream about animals growling. Then, it was waking up in sudden panic, but no idea why. Then the horrible horrible really horrible acid reflux that would totally choke me and I'd see my life flashing before my eyes and think, "Ok, this time is really it, I seem to be checking out here." (PS--I later learned after getting my cpap that I wasn't really going to die from this choking--what was happening was that in an automatic self-preservation reflex, my vocal chords were clamping shut to prevent the acid from damaging them, and that they also automatically release after about 30 seconds.) Finally, it was the nightmares of being under water and unable to get to the surface to breathe (and other similar nightmares) that clenched it. I did some library and internet research and then went to my primary care doc and got a sleep test.
Talk about panic! Sleep apnea causes panicky nightmares and sudden wakenings gasping for air in total panic. No wonder you are afraid to sleep.
Also, it made my depression so much worse. And I was sleepy all the time. I was so deprived of deep sleep and REM sleep. My pdoc at the time told me that with enough REM deprivation, people can become psychotic---really what it is is that REM happens during waking hours since it can't happen during sleep.
So many things got better once I started cpap treatment--normal sleep, so not sleep all the time (including being sleepy while driving, which is of course, dangerous), need to sleep at every available minute--gone. Frequent colds and respiratory infections--gone. Acid reflux--gone. Frequent headaches--gone. Depression--better. Need to get up an pee 6-8 times per night--reduced to once per night. Inability to get up in the morning--much better (improved even more with light box treatment). Morning headaches upon wakening--gone. Panicky nightmares--gone. My memory got better--and I felt more with it, cognitively.
I recommend the sleep forums at http://www.sleepnet.com/apnea112/apnea112.html. Good luck!
poster:noa
thread:228021
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030517/msgs/228269.html