With all the research and stories I have heard, the CPAP mask and hose looks like a Darth Vader or an F-16 fighter pilot breathing apparatus. People treating sleep apnea are hooked up to a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Yet if I found out I had this sleep disorder, would the cure be worse than the condition? Maybe it’s caused by too much caffeine consumption or going to bed too late, but sometimes I think I should partake in a sleep study to see if I have sleep apnea.
Are you sleeping meaning professional#
If you experience frequent, physical REM sleep disruptions, then a sleep study conducted by a professional sleep expert can help you determine if an underlying sleep issue is present, and help you once again benefit from your important REM sleep cycle.Often, I wake up in the morning still feeling zombie tired. REM Sleep Behavior Disorder can be caused by underlying medical conditions or disease but can have other triggers such as medications, sleep disorders, or neural problems. Ability to vividly remember the dream you were experiencing if you are woken up.Noises such as yelling, talking, or crying while you are sleeping.Movements such as flailing, kicking, or punching in response to especially vivid or frightening dreams.This disorder can come about suddenly, and impact your sleep several times a night.ĭuring REM sleep, your body usually remains motionless, but the symptoms of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder include:
What is REM Sleep Behavior Disorder?Īccording to the Mayo Clinic, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder is a sleep disorder that causes you to physically act out vivid dreams through erratic and violent arm and leg movements. The importance of REM sleep, in particular, is attributed to the fact that during this phase of sleep, your brain exercises important neural connections which are key to mental and overall well-being and health. Rats deprived of all sleep cycles lived only three weeks. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a study depriving rats of REM sleep significantly shortened their life span, from two or three years to five weeks. REM sleep is important to your sleep cycle because it stimulates the areas of your brain that are essential in learning and making or retaining memories. The first cycle usually lasts about 10 minutes, and each cycle time will increase to as long as one hour in the last phase before you awake. REM sleep first takes place after you’ve been sleeping for around 90 minutes. During REM sleep, your brain activity increases, your pulse quickens, and you have dreams. During this cycle of your sleep, your eyes will move and dart quickly beneath your eyelids.