New user- Waking during REM?

I'm in tears. I'm new, used my ResMed Airsense 11 for 11 days. I'm at a great loss. I keep waking up in REM sleep. Does your body have to LEARN to sleep? This is not the quick fix I was hoping for.
I figured out I need to go to bed on a strict schedule. Ok, done.
But I feel sleep deprived like when I had a newborn. I try to Dr. Google this stuff but I just get videos about the sleep cycles.
1. How do I stop waking in middle of REM sleep?
2. What do I do after? Go back to sleep? Take a nap later?

-thank you in advance

Are you sure it is "during" REM and not at the end of REM? Did you know that it is normal and to be expected that people wake at the end of a REM sleep cycle? Google sleep stages and look at the normal hypnograms and see where it is expected to wake at the end of REM.

Also...is it possible that your OSA worsens during REM and you are still having apnea events and they are causing the wake ups. It is very common for OSA to worsen in REM...also when we are sleeping on our backs. Maybe you need a pressure adjustment to better prevent the events from happening....if that is what is going on.

In general when we wake up during the night the ideal situation is roll over and go back to sleep.

Hi friend, years ago first beginning cpap, I was having the same issue, I always woke up during REM, spoke with sleep doctor he shared this was normal, I can't remember exactly how he explained but will best I can, my brain naturally woke me up, due to lack of oxygen. In my case a long time, so my brain was always on alert status. Now on cpap treatment, over time I will learn to relax and sleep, retrain my sleeping habits using cpap. For me, overtime it went away. I began sleeping, 8hrs plus, no wake ups. Wish you well.

Neederofsleep1 wrote: ↑

Mon May 30, 2022 10:48 am

Does your body have to LEARN to sleep?

In your years of sleeping and being choked it's you brain that woke you up enough to make you breathe and bring oxygen into your body.

Architect wrote: ↑

Mon May 30, 2022 2:50 pm

Now on cpap treatment, over time I will learn to relax and sleep, retrain my sleeping habits using cpap. For me, overtime it went away.

Listen to Architect. It's your brain, and your mind not your body that have to learn that sleep has now become safe; and that may take time for some of us.

I wouldn't say "I keeping waking up during REM sleep". Because that terminology is far removed from what you experience. If the moment you wake up from a dream your mind starts racing with thoughts of "Oh, that was waking during REM, how terrible" that's a sure way to drive yourself away from sleep. And it's also a way of maintaining an ongoing battle between what you call your body and your thoughts.

When you do wake up from a dream, try to focus on your very basic experience:
"Oh, I woke up from a dream"
And then add the thought:
"Well that's not too bad, let's get comfortable, and go back to sleep".

And then do what you can to make yourself comfortable. Think of how you will gradually get used to better sleep. Let yourself drift off.

This is such great advice. Reframing it has already made me feel better about it.

Architect wrote: ↑

Mon May 30, 2022 2:50 pm

Hi friend, years ago first beginning cpap, I was having the same issue, I always woke up during REM, spoke with sleep doctor he shared this was normal, I can't remember exactly how he explained but will best I can, my brain naturally woke me up, due to lack of oxygen. In my case a long time, so my brain was always on alert status. Now on cpap treatment, over time I will learn to relax and sleep, retrain my sleeping habits using cpap. For me, overtime it went away. I began sleeping, 8hrs plus, no wake ups. Wish you well.

This gives me hope. I never thought of it like that. It is weird and so odd for me to go to sleep and wake up in the same position, without remembering I woke up 10 times. I had no idea that is what sleeping really is.

Just to fill he picture in some more: people can dream in all sleep stages.

What was your AHI when you had your sleep study, and what is it now?

Miss Emerita wrote: ↑

Mon May 30, 2022 11:08 pm

Just to fill he picture in some more: people can dream in all sleep stages.

Don't know if this is a fact, I do dream in all stages, I've had dreams that seemed to last forever, but was told REM is important deep sleep stage.

People can dream in all stages of sleep so assuming a person was in REM when they wake up remembering a dream doesn't mean that for sure that REM was involved.

Neederofsleep1 wrote: ↑

Mon May 30, 2022 9:34 pm

Architect wrote: ↑

Mon May 30, 2022 2:50 pm

Hi friend, years ago first beginning cpap, I was having the same issue, I always woke up during REM, spoke with sleep doctor he shared this was normal, I can't remember exactly how he explained but will best I can, my brain naturally woke me up, due to lack of oxygen. In my case a long time, so my brain was always on alert status. Now on cpap treatment, over time I will learn to relax and sleep, retrain my sleeping habits using cpap. For me, overtime it went away. I began sleeping, 8hrs plus, no wake ups. Wish you well.

This gives me hope. I never thought of it like that. It is weird and so odd for me to go to sleep and wake up in the same position, without remembering I woke up 10 times. I had no idea that is what sleeping really is.

What I"ve learned over the years is, every achievement in pap therapy, has adjustment phase. Truth is, all pap users were not educated and informed beginning pap therapy. Most individuals believe pap therapy is a miracle solution to quality sleep overnight, truth is all pap users have different experiences and learn from thier experiences, with support, specifically forums. Wish you well on your journey.