Why do I hold my breath when I sleep?
March 30th, 2013
I know many will say "sleep apnea" and maybe it is a type of sleep anea, but if it is, its not the "obstructive" type. I don’t snore. Its not like tissue is blocking my airway. Its more like I take a deep breath and then just hold it for a while. I do this over and over. I can remember doing it in my sleep right after I wake. I think it may be due to some type of anxiety. I’m afraid this is going to kill brain cells.
There are two main types of sleep apnea, OSA and CSA, Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. Central sleep apnea basically means your brain is not sending all the signals telling your lungs to breath. During my sleep studies, I’ve and a couple of CSA’s along with a slew of OSA’s. You can have OSA’s without snoring, your tongue can slide back, your throat can relax in such a way as to block the airway. It holds true that if you have very loud snoring, you probably have sleep apnea, the reverse is not true, not snoring doesn’t mean you don’t have sleep apnea. A sleep study is the only way to know.
March 30th, 2013 at 11:10 am
hon, you are misinformed, i have sleep apnea and do not snore at all, but i do have the problem you are talking about, i have been to a sleep center and am using a cpap machine now, it helps, but i do believe you have apnea, go see a professional for some help, good luck
References :
March 30th, 2013 at 11:21 am
You really shpuld have a sleep study done; you may have "central" sleep apnea, which is brain-based.
Sleep apnea is associated with higher rates of vascular diseases, such as those of the heart, or stroke. Get checked by a pulmonologist, as it’s better to be safe than sorry.
References :
March 30th, 2013 at 11:50 am
There are two main types of sleep apnea, OSA and CSA, Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. Central sleep apnea basically means your brain is not sending all the signals telling your lungs to breath. During my sleep studies, I’ve and a couple of CSA’s along with a slew of OSA’s. You can have OSA’s without snoring, your tongue can slide back, your throat can relax in such a way as to block the airway. It holds true that if you have very loud snoring, you probably have sleep apnea, the reverse is not true, not snoring doesn’t mean you don’t have sleep apnea. A sleep study is the only way to know.
References :