I'm not really awake lucid dream???

A few months back I suffered a panic attack during my sleep and since then have had a little trouble sleeping. I wouldn't say it's insomnia, but more fear of not sleeping because I'm still getting sleep. My fear is lessening as I try to "let it go" and not fret, however I've noticed that 1-2 nights a week I am experiencing "I'm not really awake lucid dream".  I go to lay down to fall asleep and I SWEAR that I'm not sleeping but instead wide awake fretting that I can't sleep.  But my husband says I'm snoring the whole time.  So, while I think I'm awake and getting frustrated, I'm actually sleeping.  I have read about this on the internet, but I want to know how to stop it. Do I not sleep on my back? I'm sure a lot has to do with my anxiety from frustration but I don't want to be on sleep meds. On those nights I just feel restless. I need help!!!  How do you stop this?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Snoring by itself indicates a narrowed air passages, so your symptoms could be due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. When a person sleeps the airways are usually patent allowing normal passage for air entry. The upper airway that is at the region of the tongue and the soft palate is the most compliant (soft) part. So, this is liable to collapse and cause airway obstruction.

As the air way collapses the lungs do not have air entry leading to deoxygenation (decreased oxygen) of blood and the person wakes up. This period of non entry of air is called ‘Apnea’ and the waking up is called an ‘Arousal’. This keeps alternating and the person may not actually wake up all the time, but these repeated arousals can disturb the sleep architecture and cause fatigue, headaches and daytime sleepiness.

I would advise you to consult a sleep specialist who would assess with first a sleep questionnaire, and then he may ask for a polysomnogram, which is an overnight sleep study as this helps to detect the apneas.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[Happygojuicy]

Hi. I have a similar issue as Nova 18. I sometimes toss and turn all night, thinking I am wide awake and can't sleep. I've even gotten up and taken a sleeping pill but still couldn't fall asleep. When I get up in the morning it really feels like I haven't slept a wink. When I tell my husband that I didn't sleep at all he tells me that I was in fact sound asleep all night. I do not snore and am aparantly very still and calm, sleeping peacefully. When I check the box of sleeping pills none are missing so I couldn't have gotten up to take one. Most nights I sleep just fine, but this happeneds a few times a month. It's very different to a lucid dream and I was wondering if there is a term for this kind of dreaming? Thanks xx