Dreams, REM rebound and flashing images

[me50]

I have also had dreams and nightmares which I didn't have prior to going on CPAP. It is interesting to see others reporting the same thing here. I would never have mentioned it myself as I have always attributed them to the medication I am on rather than the CPAP therapy. (Both CPAP and meds were started at the same time). Possibly it is a combination of the two?
Does anyone know if this has been medically documented as an effect of CPAP therapy and exactly how it impacts dreams and/or nightmares during sleep- that is, how does increased oxygen levels affect the brain?
I realize that this question may be too technical for many (including me), but the knowledge of members of this Board never cease to amaze me.

Maybe DocWils will have a student research this.

[ImaSurvivor]

Paula02 is correct. Whenever you wake up, your sleep cycle starts over. So depending on how often someone wakes up from apnea episodes, some may not reach REM sleep and others may only have very brief REM. My first sleep study showed in a 6 your period, I only achieved 33 minutes of REM and in my titration 37 minutes. With my first study, the 33 minutes of REM never arrived until 3.7 hours into sleep. Second study took 2.6 hours. An adult with normal sleep reaches REM approximately every 90 minutes.

Interestingly, for myself, I am sleeping long hours now and not waking up. I have only remembered a handful of dreams since beginning CPAP. I think I just don't wake up at times when it is most likely I would remember any (right after they occur).

This stuff is fascinating. Told my sleep doc if I were young and looking for a career, this would be an interesting field to study.

[Bladskinner]

I have always dreamed, but before cpap and I would problem solve. Now I dream totally random but still work related. Like re-living real life situations with different players and out comes. But they don't make sence. I always dream in color but have a hard time remembering the dreams.

[sleepwarrior]

Those are helpful articles

Thanks for sharing.