Anyone ever woken up gasping for air?

[anxious_thoughts]

Hello guys,

Let me start off by saying I do have a lot of congestion at the moment, and a sore throat. But just now I woke up from sleeping gasping for air, there are no other symptoms. I kind of just wake up quickly and gasp loudly but then everything is back to normal. Could this be due to congestion? I've had it before, but I don't remember having congestion during it before. It really makes me nervous. Any ideas?

[mummyanxious]

Yes I had this a couple of times a few years back when my anxiety was at its height.

[Vita Bella]

I've done this a few times. One time, I couldn't get back to sleep because everytime I'd try to let my natural breathing take over, I'd stop breathing. It was all in my head of course, but I was convinced that unless I forced myself to take every breath, I'd suffocate. Scary.

I imagine it was just mucus or saliva building up, and your body maybe woke you up to swallow?

[anxious_thoughts]

Thanks for answering guys. :)
Vita Bella, I get that exact same thing sometimes, its such a scary feeling :( and of course the more you think of it the worst it gets.

It may be due to saliva or mucus. I hope that's all it is

[SarahH]

Yes I get it alot and I suffer from PTSD.....when my anxiety gets really bad it gets worse.

I told my GP and she did not seem concerned and said it was a symptom of anxiety

Sarah

[Kerrie32]

When my anxiety is high, which it currently is, I get that at least twice a week. Have done for years. When it first started my doctor told me it was anxiety related and put me on a high dose of prozac, which seemed to help but due to circumstances i cant get meds therefore the night time attacks are back with a vengeance :(

[scared22]

Yes I get this sometimes, it's usually when I've gone to sleep but had a weird symptom bothering me when I've gone to bed. I guess I fall asleep anxious and that's what's causing it.

[anxious_thoughts]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Makes me feel a lot better that I'm not the only one going through this. But damn anxiety for making us have to deal with these horrible symptoms!!

Wish you all the best xx

[Speranza]

Thanks for asking that, I had it a couple of times and was a bit scared, but it was when my current severe anxiety was kicking in.

[anxious_thoughts]

Thanks for asking that, I had it a couple of times and was a bit scared, but it was when my current severe anxiety was kicking in.

It's SO scary!! :( and for the rest of the day I felt pretty bad. Kind of like a dreading feeling in my stomach

[joelhall]

Curious how often this happens, and if you have any related symptoms such as chronic fatigue or weight gain?

[scared22]

Curious how often this happens, and if you have any related symptoms such as chronic fatigue or weight gain?

I'm not the original poster but thought I'd answer this anyway.

It happens for me every few months. I suffer with neck pain and every so often when I go to bed I get a severe pain where the head and neck meet, it panics me and takes me ages to go to sleep and it's almost always when this happens I wake up gasping for air. It can happen a few times before I properly drop off, and it can happen for the following few nights. I convince myself it's a tumour or something pressing on nerves that control my lungs.

I am overweight, but not currently gaining weight (have actually lost a bit) I'm always tired out which worries me but I also single handly look after my young son who rarely sleeps through and can often be awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night, then I'm up at 6 to get ready for work 4 days a week.

[joelhall]

It may be sleep apneoa which is causing this, which is something you would have to have your GP investigate.

[Speranza]

That's what I thought I had, but it's only happened twice (in my life!) and both times I was very stressed.

[scared22]

It may be sleep apneoa which is causing this, which is something you would have to have your GP investigate.

I'll mention it to the dr definatly.

In the meantime is it something that could harm me??

[joelhall]

It's not often too harmful as people wake up and restore their breathing. It's not generally viewed as an emergency condition except in severe cases, and you're unlikely to suffer anything serious in the near future.

[Cbuck99]

i just had this again its only when i sleep in i sleep great then i wake up and for some reason i feel awfully anxious in my upper chest and as I'm drifting off again i feel like i panic and wake up and my body locks up and i feel like im sufficating and it only lasts for like 5 seconds and my heart is beating like crazy it felt so weird

[Speranza]

How many pillows do you have?

[Cbuck99]

i have a lot of pillows but im pretty sure mine is do to anxiety i am not overweight at all for sleep apnea and im on blood pressure meds so my heart rate is low like 50 to 60 but that wouldnt cause this. i wake up feel really anxious then start to drift off and this feeling happens for like 5 seconds i like lock up get hot feel suffocating heart pounds then bam im fine