After being threatened with a gun... my subconscious is afraid of being shot while asleep (even though consciously I know I'm safe)

[Friday]

Is it possible that nightmares like getting shot while sleeping can cause heart attack reactions during sleep ?

People have heart attacks during nightmares fairly often. Although it’s oftne a chicken/egg sort of question as to the cause... did they have the MI from the nightmare, or did their heart problems invade their dreams? (Like needing to pee in a dream, or being cold, etc,) If people didn’t have MIs & various arrhythmias whilst sleeping we wouldn’t need pacemakers & internal defibs that run 24/7, but could use far less invasive devices during waking hours only. The same sleep paralysis that keeps us from acting out our dream also usually slows internal systems, but if a heart is in difficulty? Even mild elevation can be too much strain. Similarly, people have heart attacks just sitting around not doing anything, much less it thumping away during a bad dream. If you’ve got a dodgy heart? &/or have survived your first MI (always the most lethal, most people don’t)... follow your cardiologists instructions to the letter. AND let them know if you’re moderating your daytime activity per instruction, but are prone to nightmares that elevate your HR well above what he/she wants you at. You may not be looking at a pacemaker, there are a lot of different med options out there, but it’s very important info for them to have.

Conversely? People also have panic attacks & anxiety attacks from nightmares fairly often.

 

[masirah]

So is the answer Yes or No, Wondering what a Psychologists would say,

 

[joeylittle]

Wondering what a Psychologists would say,

I think the only way to know, would be to have someone hooked up to monitors for both sleep state and the heart, and then wait for them to have a heart attack. In other words, science (currently) doesn't know enough about the interplay between the mechanics of dreaming and all other bio functions. Anything at this point is a theory.

 

[Nightmares]

Interesting topic....

 

[masirah]

I would like to find out views on this subject with a professional pshychiatrist or psychologist on this matter. Nightmares causes heart attacts during sleep. In Asia they believe that this is true, nightmares can cause death for some individuals.

 

[Friday]

Nightmares causes heart attacts during sleep. In Asia they believe that this is true,

It’s believed to be true all over the world / anywhere there are cardiologists or paramedics. Any strain on a weakened heart can cause it problems. Nightmare, dropped book, sneezing, feeling suddenly happy... literally ANY strain, if your heart is compromised. It tries to speed up, and fails. In various catastrophic ways. Depending on where it’s weak or compromised.

Will a nightmare cause a healthy robust heart problems? Nope. Nor will virtually* any other kind of short term strain upon it.

* electric shock, suddenly plunged into icy water, extreme pain (imagine parts of your body being cut off, actually cut off, not metaphorically cut off... people do die of “a broken heart”, but in autopsy their hearts are always compromised in some way, which, again is the first piece/ a compromised heart under even normal strain will fail in various catastrophic ways), severe uncontrolled vomiting (which is usually more due to the salts becoming imbalanced, but some kinds of vomiting are strong enough to shred parts of the GI tract, which goes along with the pain part), hypovolemic shock, etc... are a few exceptions to that; as there are things which can cause even a healthy heart to stop or freak out (afib, vfib, tachy, brady, infarct, etc.).

If you’re curious about the cardiovascular system? There are both undergrad and medschool textbooks widely available, depending on your level of interest... as well as reeeeeeally fascinating apps for students to learn/practice their working knowledge.