Anxiety while asleep

[JA3344]

Sometimes i wake up and i feel like i i hold my breath subconciously alot during my sleep i just dont feel refreshed like before after getting rest

[Agora1]

Hi Joe3344, other than sleep apnea causing you to wake up unrefreshed, anxiety can cause the same feeling. Just because we fall asleep doesn't mean our brain turns off to the stress of the day. The more anxious you are throughout the day can cause you to subconsciously hold your breath and not allowing you to go into that deep relaxing REM sleep which we all need. Unless it becomes more serious, I would use some form of relaxation before you go to sleep which will help calm both your mind and body and allow for a more restful night.

Hope that helps some. Enjoy your day.

[Chubbers in reply to Agora1]

This is crazy I happened upon your reply to this. I’ve been having issues where I wake up holding my breath. The dr. said anxiety can cause this!!!

[Agora1 in reply to Chubbers]

And Anxiety can cause this and it did with myself. It's funny looking back at my answers

from 2 years ago. I remember those nights vividly. My anxiety at that time was to the extreme. I'd wake up thinking I couldn't breathe, jump out of bed, run down the

stairs to the front door, open the door and put my head on the screen. And then

I would breathe a big sigh of relief. I did that quite often until I realized that I must have been holding my breath at the time I woke up. Once I figured it out, it never

came back again. I use my meditation and deep breathing before falling asleep

every night as well as when waking up in the morning.

This too will pass. As long as you had it checked out by your doctor, I wouldn't worry.

Hugs, Agora xx