can u have apnea while awake?

[yoyoyomonica]

I shallow breathe. and I stop breathing while awake. it takes a few secs for my brain to tell me that I have stopped breathing. I have hydrocephalus and epilepsy too so I don't know if the E is causing this or not. is this part of the apnea. Should I be concerned about this?

[BlackSpinner]

I shallow breathe. and I stop breathing while awake. it takes a few secs for my brain to tell me that I have stopped breathing. I have hydrocephalus and epilepsy too so I don't know if the E is causing this or not. is this part of the apnea. Should I be concerned about this?

It is a different thing. You should discus this with your neurologist.

Learning and practising breathing techniques and being aware of your breathing is important but with epilepsy you must run this by your doctor. I have taught things like this but I was always told that people with epilepsy must be very careful.

[archangle]

Some people have problems with stopping breathing while awake. It may or may not be bad enough to do any harm.

I don't think they usually call it apnea, and the causes and treatment are usually different from "sleep apnea."

[jnk]

Sometimes people with long-untreated severe sleep apnea who then begin successful PAP therapy find that as their night breathing stabilizes their daytime breathing begins to change too. I know that I experienced several months of daytime pauses in my breathing until my body and brain adjusted to the benefits of successful PAP therapy.

[Sir NoddinOff]

Sometimes people with long-untreated severe sleep apnea who then begin successful PAP therapy find that as their night breathing stabilizes their daytime breathing begins to change too. I know that I experienced several months of daytime pauses in my breathing until my body and brain adjusted to the benefits of successful PAP therapy.

I agree with this. IMO, if one has successful therapy with CPAP and is getting deep restorative sleep on a nightly basis, then I think it will result in improvement in one's pattern of daytime breathing. I can't cite empirical data to support this belief, but in my case this has been true. As a side note: Moderate exercise may help in stabilizing the breathing patterns in most individuals by strengthening the lungs and neurological aspects of the respiratory system.

[qmx]

Yes. I have some central apnea and Severe OSA. I noticed months before I was diagnosed that there were periods of time, when I was sitting and relaxed, that my breathing would "cycle down" and turn off for perhaps 10 to 15 seconds ... then it would turn on again and I would take a number of deep breaths to catch up. It was pretty weird. I don't notice it now that I have been on cpap for 2+ months ... of course, I'm not drowsy at all any more ... tons of energy ... so I hardly ever sit down "to rest" anymore ... thus, no chance to notice if the apnea still happens or not. DEAN

[yoyoyomonica]

I am hoping things will improve like u guys say. they say I am moderate. The only way I know I am stopping breathing is because i start gasping. I am worried about it.

[BlackSpinner]

I am hoping things will improve like u guys say. they say I am moderate. The only way I know I am stopping breathing is because i start gasping. I am worried about it.

It is different because the part of your brain that tells you to breath at night is not the part that is in control when you are awake. People who are awake hold their breath all the time, when they move, when they concentrate or when they get startled or excited.

Getting adequate O2 at night might help the brain function better during the day.