A guy here at work and his wife both have sleep apnea and use CPAP machines.
They're both very obese, too, and I think that's a factor.  From the little
bit I've just read, what happens is your brain shuts down non-sympathetic
musculature during REM sleep--probably to keep you fram "acting out" dreams.
Anyway, once the REM sleep is over the brain stem should flip the switch
back on, but it doesn't.  So, basically you're awake (or you think you are)
but you can't move or speak.  The more "technical" entries indicated that
once folks have been educated to the phenomenon and the fact that it's
harmless, they realize it will pass and they fall back to sleep.  That's
reassuring!

A couple of factors are that I take diazepam for spasms at night (probably
going to stop that), and almost everyone who experiences this is sleeping on
their back (unfortunately, the only position that's comfortable).

Then again, it could be.........SATAN!!! Or Dana Carvey, take yer pick.

-----Original Message-----
From: Kendall D. Corbett [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 5:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A strange problem...


Kyle,

Closest thing I've heard of to what you're experiencing was my brother,
who was diagnosed with sleep apnea.  When he'd try to wake up in the
morning, it was almost impossible, because he was waking up every couple
of minutes throughout the night, although not for long enough that he
was actually aware of it.  He didn't talk about dreams of the type you
did, but he did talk about dreams of swimming under water and not being
able to reach the surface.  His doc prescribed a CPAP machine, because
he was waking up because his breathing would stop.  I guess CPAP
machines force the user to breathe, even though they may "forget" to on
their own.  He has no apparent disabilities.  The sleep apnea was
diagnosed by having him spend the night in a sleep lab where he was
closely monitored (EEG, EEG, videotape, etc.).


Kendall