violent sleep

[kuntrygirdle]

Last night my boyfriend woke me up in the middle in a cold sweat and he was talking crazy. Then he jumped on top of me and grabbed my face and said I love you...which he had not told me up to this point. Then he grabbed me by the hair and drug me off the bed and punched me in the mouth. All the while screaming and cursing at the top of his lungs. He is not a violent person EVER. I could tell that he was not coherent and that he had to be dreaming or something to that effect.  I finally got the lights turned on and I found him sitting on the bed in a daze. He just kept saying he was sorry because I was crying but when I asked him why he was apologizing he could not remember what had happened. I told him everything and he now feels horrible and does not remember anything except waking up and me being there.  He does have diabetes and told me that anytime he has woken up and had a cold sweat his blood sugar was low. Could low blood sugar attribute to this behavior? I have read on the violent sleep sex syndrome and the symptoms do not match. There was no sexual acts...it was like he was mad at me and we have never even had a fight.  I would appreciate any advise or comments.  Thanks!!

[Enoch Choi, MD]

Your boyfriend needs to go see a doctor.  During REM sleep (deep sleep), inhibition of movement sometimes occurs which can lead to acting out dreams.  One reference reporting this follows:
http://books.google.com/books?id=nllOLqcpYjgC&pg=RA1-PA222&vq=Violence+is+rare+but+can+occur+when+terrifying+hallucinations+or+dreams+are+enacted+due+to+failure+of+motor+inhibition+during+REM+sleep&dq=narcolepsy+violence&sig=jy_MObx3P3qWGQ6ZE1K4sUCSfEc

Dr. Enoch Choi, MD
Palo Alto, CA