“At night my mind does not much care,
If what it thinks is here or there,
It tells me stories it invents
And makes up things that don’t make sense.
I don’t know why it does this stuff—
The real world seems quite weird enough!”
-Bill Watterson, The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
That poem really hits the nail on the head. Who hasn’t had a bizarre dream?
While everyone dreams, researchers are divided as to why we do. Some think that it’s a way for the brain to process memory, solve problems or process emotions. Still others think it may be nothing more than the nonsense images of a tired brain.
Here’s what we do know about dreams:
- They occur during REM Sleep.
If you’re a CPAP user, you’re probably familiar with the importance REM sleep plays in your overall well-being. After all, sleep apnea instances most often occur during this important stage in your sleep cycle, leaving you with the headaches and daytime drowsiness that negatively affect your life.
REM is also when our brains most actively dream. So, if you’re routinely having this stage interrupted by sleep apnea, it’s entirely possible that it’s contributing to the mental health side-effects that come with the condition. After all, if dreams help us process things emotionally, it’s possible that the lack of dreaming is contributing to the horrible moods that come with sleep apnea.
- Nightmares may have a positive purpose.
Just as there are many theories as to why we dream, there are also many theories as to why we have nightmares.
One school of thought posits that nightmares are essentially a virtual reality testing ground, where our brain runs us through dangerous situations so that we are prepared for them when we encounter them in our waking hours.
Others say that nightmares reflect whatever is causing us stress or anxiety in life, and that they could act as windows into our psyche, allowing us to address underlying emotional issues.
- Sleep Apnea could cause nightmares.
One study found that those with sleep apnea potentially had a higher frequency of nightmares. In particular, those who were awoken during an apnea incident reported that they had dreams involving not being able to breathe. In a way, these nightmares really were their brain trying to tell them something was wrong.
After study participants started their CPAP therapy, they reported a lower frequency of nightmares.
At CPAPCentral.com, we want to help everyone experience sweet dreams. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you can turn to our experts for help. We stock everything you need to combat this condition, and our experts are available via live chat from Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., EST.