Weird
Question:
G’day Here’s a weird one for you. For a long time now a I’ve been destroying the bed (not literally but you know what I mean). Sometimes I wake up sideways, sometimes I’d wake up with everything screwed up on top of me and sometimes I’d wake up with everything all over the room. First thought was that it was the bed. Same thing happens when I’m staying at other people’s houses (I’m quick to tidy up in that case). Next though was that I am dreaming. If I am I have no recolection of dreaming. Not even the vague memories that usually hang around for a while when you wake up. Anyone else come accross this? Am I a total nut case or is there some other explanation? Any comments welcome. Regards Jason ——————————————————————— ! Jason Rossiter ! c9224…@alinga.newcastle.edu.au ! ———————————————————————
Response:
Dear Jason, In article <5d5rs5$…@seagoon.newcastle.edu.au>, c9224…@alinga.newcastle.edu.au (Rossiter J A) writes: > For a long time now a I’ve been destroying >the bed (not literally but you know what I mean). Sometimes I wake up >sideways, sometimes I’d wake up with everything screwed up on top of me >and sometimes I’d wake up with everything all over the room.
Sounds like you may have a sleep disorder. (I’m a medical writer who writes a lot about sleep, not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt.) Thrashing around during sleep can be a sign of a number of treatable sleep disorders. Some are of no real concern, but some of them are more serious than others in terms of medical consequences if they’re not treated. For example, thrashing around can be a sign of sleep apnea, which in the long run, if it isn’t treated, can lead to serious cardiovascular problems, not to mention daytime sleepiness, falling asleep on the job, falling asleep at the wheel of your car, etc. If you snore, or if you feel drowsy during the day and tend to nod off, and you’re not just a normally sleep-deprived college student, then sleep apnea is a possibility. Other sleep disorders associated with moving around in bed are periodic limb movement disorders (PLMD – related to restless legs syndrome — which breaks up the sleep badly and leaves the person unrested and sleepy during the day), seizures, confusional arousals, and REM sleep behavior disorder. These latter two can lead to injury, if the person gets out of bed and runs around. If this nocturnal activity is something new — you haven’t always done it — then it’s especially important for you to find the cause, because it indicates that something has changed. The best source of help is a qualified sleep disorders specialist. I gather you’re in Australia, and I know you have some fine sleep centers and sleep specialists there. You might look in the medical section of your phone book for sleep disorders centers, and call them up. Or ask your doctor to refer you to a sleep specialist. Other kinds of doctors aren’t likely to know diddly about sleep. Best wishes, Sally
