weird missed breath or heartbeat when falling asleep?

[eddy1608]

its a weird feeling i am not really sure how to describe it, ill be lieing down falling asleep then every now and then it will feel like ive missed a breath or heartbeat its very strange and when i sit up it goes. does anyone else have this or do you know what i am on about and can explain it better than me lol
cheers guys

[amandaj]

I get this all day everyday atm always best to go get checked for your own reassurance but its one of anxietys horrible symptoms its very scary but wont hurt you x

[RoseEve]

I get this when I'm really exhausted as long as it wakes you up it's okay.

[HoneyLove]

I'm the same as RoseEve, this exact thing happens to me when I'm exhausted and I know I've seen other posts on here about it too.

It also happens to me when my acid reflux is acting up, when you're lying down it's easier for the acid to come up.

It's scary when it happens, but don't worry about it. Instead perhaps work a bit on your anxiety levels so that you're not so worn out x

[Hypo]

God yes, I used to get this loads.

Usually when my anxiety is out of control. I would be almost asleep then feel like I can't breathe and then gulp for air.

It is very scary, but not harmful.

[yenool]

To me it sounds a bit like a 'sleep jerk' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk), often caused by anxiety or stimulants before bed.

I think just before falling asleep is generally a time when anxious people can become hyper-aware of their breathing and heart rate too - thus more causing anxiety!

[Jeninthesky]

I used to get this a lot too. I was worried I would forget to breathe when I fell asleep.... :

now I just remember to relax before bed by reading a book or meditating. Seems to work for me!

[eddy1608]

its really weird ive had it on and off for yrs its strange that people said they get it when there tired because my sleep patterns are awful. ive had 3 ekgs and blood work done in the last 2 yrs due to worry of my heart from chest aches and pains i get but all normal. its very frustrating tho

[sunday]

i get this, its almost as if you stop for a second or something? - very hard to describe!! and i only get it when i'm about to fall asleep. i've had it for a couple of months now, it used to be every night but its less frequent now i think.