Wake up struggles

[chd3143]

I posted a similar topic a while back, but I got some great feedback to monitor my sleep with SleepyHead for a while to gather some more data.

Most nights at about 3 hours into sleep, I wake upwith a quick heart rate and deep breathing (kind of like a panic attack or night terror). I've always assumed I was having some kind of OSA event or similar. Except for two things:

1. The timing is eerily predictable -- right at about 3 hours or so. I think this is about the time I would start drifting to REM sleep.

2. Sleepyhead shows that my sleep apnea is basically controlled -- AHI < .5 -- When these events occur, they're never associated with a hypopnea or OSA or, really, anything that the machine monitors. It does show about ten seconds of high volume, up and down breathing before I wake up (which is about what it feels like). Otherwise, my breathing seems to be pretty normal.

Anyone have any experience with some odd sleep disorders like this? I've heard of something that switches off a fight/flight response when the brain switches to REM (kind of a panic thing). Grasping at straws at this point. I'll post some screen captures.

[Stroppy]

Do you have any symptoms associated with night terrors? By that I mean do you awaken with sleep paralysis and a feeling that something/someone is in the room? If you do you might be experiencing hypnagogic sleep. It's not that uncommon (I've had it off and on for years) but it is downright spooky. But never fear because the hallucinations during the events are just that, hallucinations. I can't post links yet but just Google "hypnagogic sleep".

[Sleepster]

[quote='chd3143' pid='77484' dateline='1406350718']
[quote]When these events occur, they're never associated with a hypopnea or OSA or, really, anything that the machine monitors. It does show about ten seconds of high volume, up and down breathing before I wake up (which is about what it feels like). Otherwise, my breathing seems to be pretty normal. [/quote]

It's as if your body is anticipating an apnea. The tech pointed out to me that he saw this in my breathing patterns. I suppose it could be that when you're falling into a deeper level of sleep your body is so used to your airway collapsing that it anticipates an apnea and is preempting it.

Has anyone else experienced or heard of this kind of thing?

[retired_guy]

I think the guy that might be able to shed a little light on this, oddly enough, is your friendly hospital Respiratory Therapist. By showing them all the info you can muster, they may be able to suggest why your Tidal Volume is a bit nutz at times, and point you to an appropriate place to go.

[chd3143]

Well thanks for the feedback. We moved to a new city this year so I have been putting off tracking down new doctors. It's probably time though. The tidal volume only gets funky right at the point that I'm waking up.

Stroppy it's funny you asked. I used to get sleep paralysis when I was younger. Freaked me out. Back then I used to have less control of my anxiety which has always been a problem. I heard about a sleep disorder that triggers flight or flight right at the point of rem because the brain thinks it is dying. When I saw that these things weren't happening during an apnea I started thinking along those lines.