breathing keeps stopping when im falling asleep

[bitanoken]

i've been up for a bit over 24 hours now because i can't get to sleep. my breathing stops as soon as i start falling asleep and i have to pop up immediately because it feels like i'm dying. i'm really upset about it and it's making me not want to go to bed at all but i know that i'll have to go eventually. i have no inhaler or cpap machine so i don't know what to do and i just want to cry. i hate feeling like this

[kenster1]

hi my mrs is like this as well it could be sleep apnea but its best you get it checked out by your doctor.

[bitanoken in reply to kenster1]

i thought it might be that. i dont have a doctor though sadly

[kenster1 in reply to bitanoken]

go to your nearest practice/surgery and book with a gp ask a friend or friends if they could advise you on good doctors but its best to register with one.

[Ironj in reply to bitanoken]

Buy a mouth guard Zyppah for snoring you wear while your sleeping. You can buy one for 90 dollars. It will hold your jaw forward so it wont slide back causing the obstruction.

[PrimoB]

It could be a few reasons. Not just sleep apnea. Post nasal drip can clog airways and cause a choking sensation. Acid reflux can have his effect when your falling asleep. It could be a few things so try not to jump to the worst 1st! Good luck.

[PrimoB in reply to PrimoB]

I just saw on 1 of your other posts you have asthma. Could also be that!!

[Ironj]

I had the same issue and it was sleep apnea. Do you have this happen if you sleep on your side. Sleep apnea is simple as you relax you jaw falls back obstructing your airway causing you to stop breathing.

[bitanoken in reply to Ironj]

it happens no matter what position i sleep in, unfortunately. at first i thought it was apnea but i'm not very sure anymore.

[lourocks]

Breathing is automatic try to hold your breath it will force u to breathe i get that sometimes when im. Falling asleep but its my nerves happens every night me just relax you will be fine

[Cibolagirl]

Please see a sleep clinic

I had the same problem. My CPAP machine is my salvation!

[happy_kitty]

My dad and sister both had the same problem. My dad got it fixed with a cpap machine. My sister was good after she got her tonsils and some other things out. They both had a sleep study to figure out what was going on, maybe you should look into one as well.

[Hidden]

Hi bitanoken .. I had months ago what you describe .. it was horrible and frightening and difficult to explain to GP .. in went fir s short while .. but has come back to my anxiety high .. and constant worrying ... it is anxiety related .. and exhaustion that causes it ..

[bitanoken in reply to Hidden]

bless and good luck with dealing with it <3

[Mlombar97 in reply to bitanoken]

Hey have you figured what it was??? I’m having this now it’s awful

[bitanoken in reply to Mlombar97]

i'm not sure if it'll be for the exact same reasons for you but for me i believe it was a combination of anxiety, asthma, and sometimes a lack of sufficient sleep, ironically enough.

[Scaredtosleep]

I’m up with that feeling right now.. every time I start falling asleep.:

[StokedMustache]

Sounds a lot like anxiety. I get it at random times, almost exclusively when I’ve been overly anxious, as do a lot of others. I pause breathing right as I’m drifting off then jolt awake but am still somewhat alert that I can kinda recall that my breathing paused. Once I’m asleep after multiple jolts, breathing is normal (had my wife check). Tends to happen when I get in a state of being over aware of my breathing and instead of it being an automatic process it becomes a manual one. Once you start drifting off it’s like your brain is trying to take over breathing duties but subconsciously you are still trying to manually control your breathing. I also hold my breath a lot when I’m anxious, so add that to the mix as well. All of which are common things with anxiety. I’ve also heard that if you are mildly hyperventilating that your body, once you fall asleep, will try to regulate the carbon dioxide/oxygen ratio by intermittent cessation’s in breathing. With sleep apnea, whether central or obstructive, it would continue to occur throughout the night.

[ChrisGraham in reply to StokedMustache]

Hi, do you still have this issue? I am suffering from this the last couple of days. I am lost in what to do. I am also very scared.

[StokedMustache in reply to ChrisGraham]

Comes and goes, has happened intermittently for as long as I can remember. Usually during periods of heightened anxiety or emotion. Nothings ever come of it over 10+ years since I started paying attention to it so I don’t worry about it much. The more you worry and focus on it the more it will happen and the more worked up you will get. Work on trying to brush it off when it happens and not letting your mind obsess or it will become a difficult cycle to break. You need to train your mind to not get hung up on it and soon you will stop focusing on it. Same thing applies for other triggers like skipped heartbeats etc…

[troublesleeping22 in reply to StokedMustache]

Just a quick note to say thank you for sharing your experiences. I have been dealing with this on and off for about 13 years also. It started in around 2010 and happened a few times, then really only started again about 6 months ago. It happens to me during periods of high anxiety. I wonder whether it is to do with how our breathing patterns change when we feel anxious. Though yes, the constant monitoring of it as I try to fall asleep is the main issue. Then I start to worry that if I fall asleep I won't start breathing again. It is one of the worst GAD symptoms I have experienced in my 16 years of being diagnosed. Very scary, but hearing from you has given me some relief- so thanks again.

[tjweev]

I've had this same issue for 8 weeks, no more than 2 hours sleep per night in that time frame. I'm exhausted and my anxiety is through the roof. A huge sense of dread and no hope. I do think it is anxiety causing it from reading others with this issue.

Can anyone give advice what to do about the anxiety..best route to take?