Just a weird dream or something else?

**JT4446** · 11-19-2019, 17:56

Had a bit of a strange thing happen last night. Dreamt I was in the hospital and could see myself having a hard time breathing. My dreamself woke up in the hospital and was still having problems breathing. I really thought I woke up and was in the hospital.

THEN I woke up for real in my hammock and was definitely "gaspy". It felt a bit like sleep apnia or bad snoring where you can't get enough air. But I really don't have these issues normally and nothing like this happened the previous two nights.

My setup has a Simply Light Designs vented windshield. It was raining yesterday so I had my poncho set up extending my tarp to keep wood dry and have a small cooking area. There was a good wind early in the night and lots of airflow. But when I woke up the wind had stopped and it was very still. It was much warmer inside the hammock than outside.

I unzipped the hammock to get fresh air in. Everything was fine, but it got me wondering if It was just a weird dream or if there was really too much CO2 builing up and lower oxygen.

Any thoughts out there in Hammock Land? Weather was about 33 degrees and light rain. Tarp does not go anywhere near to the ground. You can see my Underquilt Protector peeking below the tarp from the sides.

I did have one side of the tarp snapped to about the level of a Mountain Fly or thunderfly. The other side had the Poncho extension, but it did not go to the ground. It was my exit end so I just needed to duck. Bit to get out.

**Smckinney0031** · 11-19-2019, 17:59

I am thi King that it might have been lack of airflow, I do the same, without the dream. I wake gasping if i dont have air flow. I use a c shaped travel pillow under my neck to provide support but keep my neck in a position for better breathing. I will also leave a few inches unzipped when skeeters arent a problem, so I get a bit of fresh air!

**bigdisgrace** · 11-19-2019, 18:10

I've had that happen more than once. It's sort of like a "perfect storm" of conditions have to come together. Only in a hammock, never in a bed. For me it's (1) sleeping on my back only, (2)sliding down towards the foot end, (3)a deep comfortable slumber slowing my breathing.....and then bam, I bolt awake with a gasp.

**JT4446** · 11-19-2019, 18:57

Originally Posted by bigdisgrace

I've had that happen more than once. It's sort of like a "perfect storm" of conditions have to come together. Only in a hammock, never in a bed. For me it's (1) sleeping on my back only, (2)sliding down towards the foot end, (3)a deep comfortable slumber slowing my breathing.....and then bam, I bolt awake with a gasp.

Pretty much exactly what happened to me. Thanks guys!

**Five Tango** · 11-19-2019, 19:28

It's funny how the mind works,your subconscious told you what to do before things got too serious.You might want to get it checked out by a doctor though.Glad you're ok.

**JT4446** · 11-19-2019, 19:41

Yes, pretty interesting. I really think I just didn't have enough ventilation. Once I vented a bit more I slept for a few more hours with no issues.

**Festinalente** · 11-19-2019, 20:44

This has happened to me maybe a time or two in the hammock but mostly in bed before i switched i think due to sleep apnea.

Ashley

**leiavoia** · 11-19-2019, 20:58

Originally Posted by JT4446

THEN I woke up for real in my hammock and was definitely "gaspy". It felt a bit like sleep apnia or bad snoring where you can't get enough air. But I really don't have these issues normally and nothing like this happened the previous two nights.

Sleep apnia is very difficult to self diagnose. Many people who have it swear they dont. Its worth having a sleep study done if you're are perhaps feeling tired all the time. Sleeping in the hammock may just give you more superficial lucid-dreaming experience where you were more aware of the problem if there was one.

The other similar issue is that your head and neck position in a hammock probably are different than a bed, so you may be more prone breathing difficulties in one or the other.

No real way to know about CO2 unless you have an actual monitor.

**mistone** · 11-19-2019, 21:48

My brother had that sleep test done he keep wakeing up gasping for air they told him it was al in his head could not find nothing in the test to say he had sleep ap.weird

**JT4446** · 11-20-2019, 09:06

Originally Posted by leiavoia

Sleep apnia is very difficult to self diagnose. Many people who have it swear they dont. Its worth having a sleep study done if you're are perhaps feeling tired all the time. Sleeping in the hammock may just give you more superficial lucid-dreaming experience where you were more aware of the problem if there was one.

The other similar issue is that your head and neck position in a hammock probably are different than a bed, so you may be more prone breathing difficulties in one or the other.

No real way to know about CO2 unless you have an actual monitor.

Thanks for the insight. Fortunately, I don't have tiredness issues or fitful sleeping. I have slept more than 50 nights in a hammock this year and this was the only time it happenned.

Hopefully, this is not the beginning of something and just an isolated incident.

Incidentally, I was using a. Underquilt Protector with built in Underquilt with three CostCo Quilt layers that I made with Gemini Techniques. It was warm down to 10 degrees the previous two nights before the warm up hit on the third night.