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Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night, literally ...
Sent to Health Experts April 20 02:11 AM

Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night, literally gasping for air, feeling unable to breathe. Could this be asthma? My symptoms sometimes come in clusters, or disappear for months at a time.

 

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April 20 2:56 AM (39 minutes and 52 seconds later)
         
Reply to Judy's Post: Thanks so much for your reply! What I mean is, I wake up from a sound sleep with a start because there is no air in my lungs--it takes me a few seconds to get a breath. Sometimes it lasts for 1 or 2 breaths, but other times it last for several minutes--I fall back to sleep, only for it to happen again and again until, for whatever reason, it stops. I used to think it was a weird form of an anxiety attack, but now I am wondering if it's something else. No one ever told me I snored or anything like that, but my mother has sleep apnea, for what it's worth.

Sometimes, these problems happen when I am excessively stressed/tired. Yes, I feel tired during the day, but I have a toddler and don't sleep right/work crazy hours.
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April 20 3:02 AM (5 minutes and 37 seconds later)
         
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You need to be evaluated by a sleep doctor, this type of doctor can evaluate your history and can schedule you for appropriate testing to determine the proper course of treatment. When you wake with a start like that it is because you have obstructed your breathing and the gasp is the letting go of the obstruction. It may be the noise and feeling that awakens you. These disturbances are nothing to ignore. They cause BP problems, heart damage and and at times death. Your oxygen level can be dangerously low for a good part of the night. Please be evaluated--your toddler needs you!! Judy


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