afraid to fall asleep-what is this??

[kwoodspirit]

Hello. I have an interesting problem here. Am I alone in this? I am for the most part a healthy middle aged female. However for the last two to three years now, just about every night I have been afraid of falling asleep. The reason is, just when I am about to fall off to sleep I guess my heart rate slows down or changes or something, and I get an uneasy sensation that my heart has stopped beating and I awaken with a jolt. Am I having a panic attack, is this some sort of arrythmic apnea, most of all is this life threatening? I feel most uneasy lying on my back, or on my left side. I cannot get to sleep unless I'm on my stomach or on my right side. Is there anyone out there who has experienced this because I can't seem to find any related information. I'm losing sleep as you can imagine and I cannot afford a doctor right now. Any help will be appreciated.

[Darth Vader Look]

It sounds like you may even stop breathing during your bout. That is what happened to me. I would wake up and immediately sit up in bed. I even had the shakes for awhile, couldn't sleep without feeling panicky and when I was tired enough I would just drop off to sleep. That was back in 2000. I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea in 2005. So you are not alone in this.

[Vader]

Hello. I have an interesting problem here. Am I alone in this? I am for the most part a healthy middle aged female. However for the last two to three years now, just about every night I have been afraid of falling asleep. The reason is, just when I am about to fall off to sleep I guess my heart rate slows down or changes or something, and I get an uneasy sensation that my heart has stopped beating and I awaken with a jolt. Am I having a panic attack, is this some sort of arrythmic apnea, most of all is this life threatening? I feel most uneasy lying on my back, or on my left side. I cannot get to sleep unless I'm on my stomach or on my right side. Is there anyone out there who has experienced this because I can't seem to find any related information. I'm losing sleep as you can imagine and I cannot afford a doctor right now. Any help will be appreciated.

I used to get this occasionally, before I started receiving treatment for sleep apnea, but I have not had this since being on CPAP.
Just a non-professional guess here but, perhaps it's anxiety?
Also, I hope this isn't a dumb question, but are you presently being treated for OSA?

[kteague]

Hi. Many with severe apnea have expressed a concern over sleeping during the time between diagnosis and getting a machine - that's because they had a diagnosis and were aware of the risks. I too had a period of being afraid to sleep for different reasons. For you to wonder and fear - maybe justifiably, maybe without cause - for 2 or 3 years is cruel and unusual self punishment. Contact a local clinic that has pro-rated charges based on income, preferably at a hospital of the same type that is required to take you regardless of your ability to pay. Ask in advance for help with the bill and see if you qualify. If you experience this regularly, there's a good chance a holter monitor for 24 hours could help identify if the sensation is cardiac as you suspect. It is more important to prevent a crisis than to prevent a bill. Hope you get answers - soon.
Kathy

[NightHawkeye]

. . . just when I am about to fall off to sleep I guess my heart rate slows down or changes or something, and I get an uneasy sensation that my heart has stopped beating and I awaken with a jolt. Am I having a panic attack, is this some sort of arrythmic apnea, most of all is this life threatening?

I put up with that for many years, but have rarely had it after starting apnea treatment. It could be many things, but atrial fibrillation/flutter may be the most common. You wouldn't necessarily be aware that the atrium of the heart was beating irregularly until at some point the ventricle changed its rhythm.

For me, and others here, it was associated with apnea. I'd guess you fall asleep briefly without realizing it, and then wake up when the heart rhythm changes. If you want to bypass seeing a doctor, then simply rent an oximeter for a few days. Just call some of your local DME's and you should be able to quickly find someone who will rent you an oximeter. Also, in case they won't rent directly to you, some DME's will loan you one simply with a doctor's prescription. An oximeter is non-invasive and has no side-effects (so there's no reason for a physician not to write a prescription for one). An oximeter will monitor both your oxygen saturation and your heart rate. This way you'll be able to easily tell whether your problem is apnea or cardiac in nature. My hunch is apnea because my experience was similar to yours, and in my case seeing cardiologists was a big waste of time and money.

I hope you are able to resolve things quickly.

Regards,
Bill

[NyNurse33]

That was so me, between being diagnosed and me finally getting out of denial to make the follow up appt to go back to the sleep lab for the cpap fitting. I would wake up either in a coughing fit, b/c I stopped breathing and then my heart pounding making me feel like I was going to have a heart attack. Been on cpap for 3 1/2 weeks now and I'm doing quite well!!