Sleep Apnea and Nightmares: Can Sleep Apnea Cause Bad Dreams?

It is a fact that sleep apnea can lead to nightmares. And that is due to the fact that when an individual suffers with oxygen deprivation and fragmented sleep due to interrupted breathing due to sleep apnea, nightmares are common. Poor quality sleep leads to high stress levels and enhance the likelihood of distressing, vivid dreams.

What Is Sleep Apnea and How Does It Affect Sleep?

A sleep disorder, sleep apnea is marked with frequent pauses in breathing when an individual is asleep. It is usually accompanied with moderate or heavy snoring. The irregular sleep patterns lead to daytime drowsiness, poor rest and enhances risk of major diseases such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes and hypertension. The two main cause of sleep apnea are disruptions in the brain signals and caused by blockage in the airways.

The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Bad Dreams

A serious sleep disorder, sleep apnea is marked with frequent cessation of breathing episodes when an individual is asleep. The interruptions in breathing last from a couple of seconds to a minute and have been linked to oxygen deprivation leading to nightmares. The most common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) which tends to disrupt the REM sleep cycle where you dream vividly. The obstructive breathing increases the likelihood of experiencing bad dreams and nightmares.

Most of the research on sleep apnea suggest that interrupted sleep leads to low oxygen levels and emotional dysregulation which increases the likelihood of potential nightmares. Episodes of sleep apnea tend to trigger higher levels of cortisol which is considered to influence the theme of your dreams. People with untreated sleep apnea are reported to have higher number of nightmares than those without the sleep disorder. CPAP therapy is the best-known treatment for sleep apnea and it ensures uninterrupted breathing with reduced snoring. This helps to sleep normally without disturbing dreams.

Factors That Influence Nightmares in Sleep Apnea Patients

• Lack of REM Sleep-

  It has been noted that lack of deep and restful REM sleep can enhance the likelihood of nightmares. This is because sleep apnea leads to reduction of REM sleep, disrupts your sleep cycle and leads to cognitive impairment, heightened cortisol levels and mood swings. And that causes a likelihood of experiencing bad dreams and nightmares.

• Oxygen Deprivation-

  Sleep apnea leads to interrupted sleep patterns, especially the REM stage. That is when vivid dreams occur. When there is oxygen deprivation, due to the frequent cessation of breathing during REM sleep, fragmented dreams are likely to be nightmares.

• Stress and Anxiety-

  Lack of proper sleep causes higher stress levels, daytime drowsiness, cognitive impairment and mood swings. Due to frequently interrupted sleep as you stop breathing for a few seconds all through the night, there might be oxygen deprivation and high cortisol levels. And that leads to nightmares.

Managing Sleep Apnea to Improve Dream Quality

• Importance of CPAP therapy for uninterrupted sleep –To reduce disturbing dreams and manage sleep apnea, you need to make lifestyle changes and use medical devices such as CPAP therapy to have uninterrupted breathing. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy ensures that you receive optimum oxygen by keeping your airways open and minimizes sleep disturbances. This helps to reduce nightmares.

• Maintaining a consistent sleep routine- To ensures your body’s circadian rhythm is synchronized, it is essential to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This helps to improve sleep and lowers stress-induced nightmares.
• Avoiding alcohol and sedatives that worsen sleep apnea- To ensure restful sleep, it is essential to avoid sedatives and alcohol close to your bedtime. Consumption of both lead to relaxation of throat muscles, enhancing snoring and increases the sleep apnea symptoms. That leads to fragmented breathing and nightmares.

When to Seek Professional Help

Sleep apnea doesn’t happen overnight. If you are experiencing symptoms such as gasping and choking when asleep, heavy snoring, headaches in the morning, mood swings and daytime drowsiness, it is time to seek professional medical assistance. These signs indicate that you may be suffering with sleep apnea which puts you at the risk of developing heart diseases, hypertension, strokes and diabetes among others.

Conclusion

It is a fact that sleep apnea increases the likelihood of you experiencing disturbing dreams or nightmares more than those without sleep apnea. That is because of lack of restful sleep, high stress levels and oxygen deprivation on a regular basis. Thus, it is important to seek treatment for the sleep disorder which usually starts with CPAP therapy.