Ahlzeimers or start of some other disease of the mind!

[louise123_uk]

This is probs my most outlandish worry so far (I hope!). About 3 times in the last month I have woken up in the middle of the night with a start and have jerked awake with a sensation almost like falling, only to gaze wildly around my room and look out the window and for it to take a few mins for me to understand where I am, I literally cant understand where I am and it scares me alot!!

The first two times which happened two nights in a row about 3 weeks ago, I was dreaming about a hol id just been on to spain (I cant remember dremas clearly but I think i was dreaming of still being on hol anyway) so was thinking maybe this is why I initially thought where am I when I awoke. Also, last night when it happened I was dreaming of being at my boyfriends house and Im wondeirng if this is why I was confused where I was.

But then again i think ive lived where I do for over 15 years so I should know my own bedroom well even when coming out of a deep sleep, this is what has worried me I might be in early stage of ahlzeimers or some other mind wasting disease!! Im only 26 but I have heard it can start early! Or does it seem possible that I was just confused after waking so suddenly? Why I woke with a start so suddenly is kind of a worry too!

Has anyone else had anything vaguely similar i.e. work up from sleep and paniced and thought oh god where am I, only for it to be there own bedroom! Am I going mad? Im not under undue stress or anything like that at the moment.

Freaking out a bit! Please reassure me Im being silly. :blush:

[debbsi]

I often wake disorientated when I've been sleeping in my caravan for the weekend and return home, it takes me a while to work it out
When I started with panic attacks a few years ago I used to wake suddenly with a jolt - it was horrible - just like my whole body jerked
Maybe its because you do wake so suddenly it takes you a little while to orientate yourself - the fact that you are panicking about it will probably exacerbate it. If you can start to calm down and accept that its perfectly normal and you are not ill then the sudden waking will stop.
You are not going mad :D
Take care - Deb x

[louise123_uk]

Thx for the reply, Im trying to tell myself its nothing! x

[randomworry]

because you are 26 there is no way you have alzhemiers im sure you would have more chance of meeting a penguin on the way to work!
jokes aside anxiety does some wierd things so dont assume the worst!

[louise123_uk]

Yeah I know its very unlikely but I just find what happened so odd when I now think about it. Im trying to push it out of my mind and hoping wont happen again

[louise123_uk]

Since I last posted I have had this happen about another 4 times, I jerk awake and gaze around me panicing wondering where I am (my room is very black at night as I have very dark curtains). The other night I thought I was at my boyfriends house and was feeling across my bed to see if it was a double or single and last night I think I thought I was in a hotel and thought my bedroom door must be a wardrobe door blocking the entrance!

My mum reckons im just deeply awake and am taking a few moments to come to myself and since I do stay at my boyfriends sometimes and we were away in a hotel last weekend, that my mind is just being overactive and drawing on other things, plus the fact that its very dark and I have to struggle for a bit to make out any shapes really. I'd liek to believe this, but am worried its kept happening! Plus if I am very sleepy and not thinking straight and my mind is struggling to think where I am wouldnt the default be my own bedroom??! Its happened about maybe 5 or 6 times in total in space of about 3 months!

Has anyone else had anything liek this, Im still worrying its either ahlzeimers or something liek CJD! Although, I have come across night terrors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_terrors which sounds a bit like what ive experienced but Ive never had these before, never suffered from nightmares and have never had trouble sleeping, plus I recall the incidents. I'm going to docs on Monday about bleeding when I have a bowel movement, very irregular periods and pain during sex, so cant really add another worry into the mix!

[HelenLouise]

Heyyy!
I just wanted to let you know that this happens to me!
I think is to do with how deep in rem sleep you are! It can sometimes leave you disorientated when you wake!
Stress can make you dream more vividly which is also a reason for waking up confused!
It's definately not alzhiemer's - my dad has A.D and sleep disturbances are not one of the early symptoms! Try not to worry! You are ok =] xxx

[louise123_uk]

This happened to me again last night, I woke with a jerk and looked around my bewildered as to where I was, I had to look out the window and turn the light on and gaze around my room for about 30seconds before I pieced together I was in my room! I found this really scary and cant help still thinking I might be losing it....

[AllInMyHead]

Hi Louise,

This sounds very similar to something I get occasionally. Sometimes I think I am somewhere else, and before now have spent several moments trying to find a door where there isn't one because I'm convinced I'm somewhere else. Not long ago I thought I was in my room at uni and I couldn't get out. I'm 34 and I lived in that room at 18. I've been in my current house for 6 years, so I wouldn't worry about your 'default'. You're dreaming, so your mind can drop anything in it fancies.

More often than not my 'bad dreams' involve insects or similar dropping on me, and I am physically trying to get away from them. The common thing between these is that I'm very deeply asleep and dreaming, but I have my eyes open and I'm aware of the surroundings.

What usually happens is my long-suffering man tries to calm me down, and tells me it's just a dream. I'm wise to this now, and I'll often say to him 'this time it's definitely not a dream', and I can take a lot of convincing to the contrary. The thing is, my eyes are open and I'm processing everything around me, and I can remember it vividly afterwards, but I'm still dreaming, even though it doesn't feel like it. It can take me 30 seconds or more to come round and wake up properly.

It really sounds to me like this is happening to you too. It's probably taking you time to piece everything together because you are still dreaming.

I used to find it terrifying. But now I don't at all, if anything it's quite amusing. The part before I wake up properly is scary and unpleasant, but as I come round and start to believe what my husband is saying I generally think something like 'damn, one day there will really be spiders dropping on your head and you'll wish you'd listened to me', and I'm quite annoyed that he is right and I am wrong. Then in the morning we'll have a good laugh about it.

Of all the things I worry I have, AD isn't one of them (yet :ohmy:), and I'm pretty sure from what you've said you haven't either, so please try not to worry.

[warby]

It's very, very rare for someone your age to get dementia, and it does not usually start with what your experiencing. Being disorientated and confused when first waking up is more common than you think, and I feel that it can be related to anxiety and worry more so if you are anxious, agitated before going to sleep. the sudden jolt will also not help the confusion. waking up naturally gives the mind/brain more time to adjust waking suddenly could confuse your system for a brief period.

Try relaxing more before going to bed and putting any worries to one side, easier said then done I know but try.

Keith

[RLR]

The phenomenon you are experiencing is known as a hypnopompic reaction and is commonly observed in patients who are experiencing exhaustion or poor quality sleep.

A similar response exists when falling asleep in some persons and is termed a hypnogogic reaction.

Neither instance is evidence of neuropathology in any context. The sleep disturbances in persons with Alzheimer's disease centers more upon terminal insomnia due to deliterious effects upon the reticular activating system in the brain. Your symptoms would not be associated with this phenomenon.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)