When you’re suffering from sleep apnea, your brain is waking you hundreds of times a night begging for you to start breathing again. We know these microarousals are a lifesaving measure which prevent you from succumbing to a complete lack of oxygen, but they’re exhausting. These frequent wakings impact your sleep in every way, right down to the way that you dream.
Whether you’re dreams are less frequent than ever or just too intense and terrifying, your untreated sleep apnea might be responsible.
Is My CPAP Machine Making Me Dream More?
Quite frequently, people with untreated sleep apnea have no clue that their dreams have been affected. It’s not until after they’ve started continuous positive airway pressure therapy that they’re having wild dreams. Some CPAP users describes episodes of climbing mountain or eating huge delicious meals. It’s easy to blame these sudden apparitions on your CPAP therapy, but the truth is, you’re dreams are one-hundred percent normal. Before you began treating your sleep apnea, not only were you at risk for developing all sorts of serious illnesses like diabetes and kidney disease, but you’re constant need to breathe was keeping you from staying in the REM, or rapid eye movement, stage of sleep. The REM stage brings about your exciting nighttime visions but also sorts your unconscious mind. Without it, you’re likely to feel exhausted and simply out of sorts.
Nightmares and Sleep Apnea
If you’re one of the unfortunate sleep apnea sufferers who experiences nightmares, you’ll be pleased to know that there is an end in sight. A controlled study found that regular use of a CPAP machine put a complete stop to those nightmares and intensely anxious dreams. Although you’re probably going to have more active dreams of a happier nature for a while, their lucidity will decrease as you get used to your CPAP. The same study found that a decrease in dream recollection was a good sign that a person’s treatment had normalized.
There are Plenty of Reasons to Seek Sleep Apnea Treatment
You’re problems with dreaming are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to untreated sleep apnea. If you’re not undergoing CPAP therapy or are having a difficult time committing to your therapy, you’re at risk of developing serious health problems. Sleep apnea leads to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and even stroke. It also leaves you feeling more exhausted than you should be during the day, meaning you’re simply not living your life to its fullest!
Start Your Sleep Apnea Treatment and Stick to It
Breatheeasycpap.com is a small business with a big mission. It’s been created out of a passion to promote health and comfort for sleep apnea patients just like you. They’ve got experienced respiratory health care members on staff who are ready to help you tackle your sleep apnea and keep your health on the right track. Not only will they get your treatment initiated by providing high quality CPAP machines and masks, they stock plenty of sleep apnea comfort solutions too. The more comfortable your treatment, the more likely you’ll be to stick with your therapy and have only the sweetest of dreams.
