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16 Years Old With Nightmares and Sleep Apnea

by Lexy
(New Jersey)

I am currently 16 years old. (Turning 17 next month.) For the last two years I have experienced terrible nightmares every single night. They wake me up and sometimes I cry or yell out in my sleep.


I have had friends sleep over who tell me that I talk in my sleep. They say that I have conversations with them and I honestly don't remember these conversations. I thought my friends were messing with me but my one friend actually video taped me one night and I was in fact having a conversation with her that I did not remember having. My friends also told me that I twitch a lot in my sleep.

Eventually, I become extremely tired. I barely could get out of bed and all I wanted to do is sleep. I kept waking up feeling like I couldn't breathe and would wake up with a sore throat and a terrible headache. Finally, I got my doctor to agree to having me get a sleep study done. The results came back that I have sleep apnea. They also said that they could tell that I was having nightmares. I currently am using a CPAP machine during the night and I feel a lot more better rested than I did before I had one and I don't wake up with headaches or sore throats.

I am however having horrible nightmares still. My doctors don't know why I have them. My doctors also don't understand why I have sleep apnea. They told me that I don't fit the usual profile for a sleep apnea patient. I am 16, not overweight, I am female, and no one else in my family has been diagnosed with it. I am also generally healthy besides the fact that I have a heart condition, a vascular disorder, a thyroid disorder, ADHD, and I am extremely anemic.

I was once completely healthy and then it seems, all at once, I just woke up one morning and was no longer healthy and now I have all of these issues. All that I want to know is if there is anything that I could do about my nightmares? And if anyone knows why I have sleep apnea?

Thank you,
Lex

Comments for 16 Years Old With Nightmares and Sleep Apnea

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Apr 18, 2017
 Hmm NEW
by: Anonymous

Same thing is happening to me, and my name is Lexus. Very strange haha.
Jun 11, 2018
 Tonsils and sleep apnea NEW
by: Concerned Mom

I have been experiencing the same thing with my son. He’s 15 yo, 5’1" and 87 lbs. He has always been smaller, but now he seems much smaller than the rest of the kids. I had him tested for anemia because of the dark circles under his eyes, the test came back that he had sufficient amount of iron. The doctor said he must be dehydrated. I found some research on pediatric sleep apnea. It’s caused by enlarged tonsils that obstruct breathing at night.The signs usually are dark circles under the eyes from lack of sleep, bed wetting, mimic the signs of add, smaller stature, and open mouth breathing at night. All of this is due to lack of good rest. Also, the growth part is due to the fact that natural growth hormone is distributed through the night. The largest dose comes during rem sleep. If your child never reaches rem, there not getting that. He is having his tonsils out in a month. Hopefully it helps. I know he will definitely be doing better with his focus and overall well being, I’m not sure how this will effect his growth, but I hope it helps some.

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