please help

[molly36]

HI there i posted yesterday as i had woke up in the night gasping for breath .Well the the same kind of thing just happened .i was drifting off to sleep when i all of a sudden felt as if someone had put there had over my nose and mouth ,there did not feel as if i had any air in me at all,i had to gasp for a breath to come out.I am now sitting here terrified my throat feels very dry and like it hard to swallow ,i feel like it going to close up.im so so scared.has anyone else suffered these terrible symtoms.kind regards molly

[uk23]

I have this quite often, its scary but it is down to anxiety. Try doing a few breathing exercises as you drift off to sleep.

[countrygirl]

Is this happening just as you drift off to sleep and only then?? I am having awful problems with a different symptom but its only happening when I start to drift off to sleep - I feel as if I have fallen down a big hole for a second. If it keeps happening then I end up wide awake all night.

This has been affecting me for nearly a year I seem to be okay for a few weeks then have a couple of bad weeks. I have been tested for adrenal tumour and had mri brain scan. Seems to be either one of the sleep disorders that can affect the falling asleep bit of you or anxiety response so I have been told. At my worst I can even take a sleeping pill and not be able to sleep!

Haven't got any words of wisdom but you are not alone in getting a horribel symptom as you drift off to sleep.

[Veronica H]

:bighug1:Many here know how you are feeling Molly. Take a look through the symptoms section below to reassure yourself that as you accept that although anxiety and sensitised nerves can cause such powerful symptoms, they can not harm you. Your nerves will recover over the coming months when you are able to experience these symptoms and not add fear to the mix, which sensitises the nerves further and keeps the cycle going. This will get better.:flowers:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms/


Veronicax

[molly36]

Hi there thank you for your replies ,i had it twice again last night felt as if someone had covered my mouth and nose and as sitting on my chest it was awfull i feel like im going to die in my sleep .I have had anxiety for 20 yrs im 36 now and this symtom i cannot cope with.I have managed to convince myself that i have lung probs now.im just so scared .countrygirl i have that feeling a lot of falling just when im going to sleep i even got it as a child.thank you again kind regrads molly

[lindajane1971]

hello molly :)

i too get these things happeing to me and its very frightening!!!! I always get the gasping for breath one after ive been asleep for a while and then im awake for hours scared to go back to sleep :( i keep thinking that its actually my heart that has stopped and im getting this to get it stared again, it seems to come in cycles and i can go for months without any and then they come back suddenly... very upsetting but i now just put on a dvd in the background and try to concentrate on that until i fall asleep again.

the ones i get when i am trying to drop off to sleep...... my doctor tells me this is a hypnic jerk and is harmless and a natural bodily function!!!!
Aparently we get it from our close genetic relation to monkeys who use this hypnic jerk to stop them falling from trees when they are asleep, hence why they are almost always associated with a dream of falling!!

hope this helps :)

[molly36]

hi thank you for your reply its awfull isnt it .I am so tired right now but so afraid to sleep.Its just the fact this is a new symptom for me this is why am so worried .I usually wake with the racing heart and sweating which is terryfing but at least i know deep down its a panic attack.Gasping for breath is just too much and i feel at the end of my tether withit all.I am very gratefull for your replies kind regards molly