Waking Up Confused and With Little Memory of the Day Before

Reader’s Question

Ever since I was a little girl, I can remember times when I woke up not being able to remember the events of the previous day. Slowly, things would come back to me. I never forgot who I was, where I was, or anything like that, but I woke up in a state of confusion. Recently, this has been happening to me again. I wake up and I am confused as to what day of the week it is, what I did the previous day, and sometimes I feel like throughout that day, snippets of a dream are coming back to me. Sometimes it scares me to think I am not in control of my thoughts anymore. I am not sure if it is due to stress or what. I was just wondering what this is, if anything.

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

There are many things that can affect our level of lucidity when we awaken. Some sleep abnormalities such as ultra-vivid dreaming, broken sleep, gasping or apnea during sleep, and even nocturnal seizure activity can all contribute to awakening with confusion or difficulty remembering. Stress and anxiety can complicate any of the possible causes for this. Some medications and other substances can also affect our sleep patterns and lead to complications of awareness and memory. It might be a good idea to let a specialist take your history and assess your circumstances in order to rule out a sleep disorder or any of the other possible medical reasons for your symptoms. In the end, there may actually be absolutely nothing to be concerned about. But it might be well worth your while to check into things anyway. Your doctor might even recommend that a sleep study be conducted, which is a painless procedure in which your sleep pattern is monitored by trained professionals. In the meantime, don’t let worry or undue stress further complicate matters. Help ensure a good night’s sleep, some peace of mind, and greater lucidity by sharing your concerns with a physician trained to help.