Hi, new here

[mamalama]

First thing, I apologize if I have posted in the wrong area. I'm not sure how to start, except that I suspect that I may have had sleep apnea for several years now. I am 45 years old, and am overweight, if that matters. My kids tell me I snore a lot as well. I want to know if anyone ever experiences what I do when sleeping?

I first noticed these weird incidents about 15 years ago. Soon after falling asleep, I would wake up suddenly, and feel like I stopped breathing and getting ready to die. I know that sounds drastic, but it is the only way I know how to describe it. It happens more if I have been awake too long, and am really tired. I wake up taking a big breath, and it is like my brain turned off for a minute. I literally get a feeling like I died for a second, or was getting ready to. It is really weird. When it started years ago, it wouldn't stop. I stayed awake for like 3 days, because I was scared to go to sleep. I finally went to the ER, and they said it was anxiety, and gave me xanax. I took them for a few months. After awhile, it didn't happen anymore. Now in the last year or so, it has started happening again. I work at home, and sometimes have to work very long hours, and skip a night of sleep. I am also very stressed out right now. Again, I mostly notice it when I have been awake for a long time, or when I am very tired. It is very scary, and I don't know what to do about it. I previously went to a clinic, for my diabetes, but am getting a new doctor soon. I guess I will tell them this, and see what she says. I haven't spoken to a doctor about it in years, but since it seems to be happening more often, I plan to now.

My question is, do any of you experience the feeling I described? Thank you for any info.

[JDS74]

That sounds like fairly severe obstructive sleep apnea.
Get a referral to a sleep specialist, get a sleep study, and get treatment.

[The Latinist]

Yeah, it sounds to me like you are experiencing OSA. I urge you to get tested and get on xPAP as soon as possible. It is not hyperbole to say that this is a life-threatening condition.

[mobychick]

Yeah, it sounds to me like you are experiencing OSA. I urge you to get tested and get on xPAP as soon as possible. It is not hyperbole to say that this is a life-threatening condition.

Agree totally. You fit the classic picture of someone with OSA too, with the weight and the diabetes. May I guess you also have high BP?

If I may add an observation, missing nights of sleep is not healthy for anyone, if you have a sleep disorder it is very unhealthy. Can you avoid it?

Good luck, and get a sleep study asap.

[sc0ttt]

Got a video camera? Record yourself sleeping. Sometimes it takes some convincing that you're really experiencing apnea and how severe it is.

[Nick Danger]

It could be anxiety, apnea, or both.

Definitely get a sleep test - your life may depend on it.

[kteague]

Much of what you describe is quite similar to my experience. Haven't had a scary wake up like that since I got my CPAP treatment working as it should - And that's been about 8 years. Before that I would get scared as you have done and avoid sleep until until I was too exhausted to avoid it any longer. Stayed up most of 3 nights one particularly bad time. Do yourself a favor and insist your doctors deal with this in a timely manner. While you are working that out, it may help a bit if you raise the head of your bed a few inches and make sure you sleep only on your side or stomach. I raised my bed by folding a comforter to fit across the bed and placed it across the head of the bed between the mattress and box springs. Or toss a couple pillows under your mattress. Another stop-gap measure could be to use some sort of c-shaped neck pillow to keep your neck straight. None of these measures will fix your problem, but just maybe they could mitigate the severity of your episodes enough to allow you to get a little better rest. Let us know if we can be any help as you go forward.

[49er]

Get a sleep study and don't taken no as answer from your doctor.

49er

First thing, I apologize if I have posted in the wrong area. I'm not sure how to start, except that I suspect that I may have had sleep apnea for several years now. I am 45 years old, and am overweight, if that matters. My kids tell me I snore a lot as well. I want to know if anyone ever experiences what I do when sleeping?

I first noticed these weird incidents about 15 years ago. Soon after falling asleep, I would wake up suddenly, and feel like I stopped breathing and getting ready to die. I know that sounds drastic, but it is the only way I know how to describe it. It happens more if I have been awake too long, and am really tired. I wake up taking a big breath, and it is like my brain turned off for a minute. I literally get a feeling like I died for a second, or was getting ready to. It is really weird. When it started years ago, it wouldn't stop. I stayed awake for like 3 days, because I was scared to go to sleep. I finally went to the ER, and they said it was anxiety, and gave me xanax. I took them for a few months. After awhile, it didn't happen anymore. Now in the last year or so, it has started happening again. I work at home, and sometimes have to work very long hours, and skip a night of sleep. I am also very stressed out right now. Again, I mostly notice it when I have been awake for a long time, or when I am very tired. It is very scary, and I don't know what to do about it. I previously went to a clinic, for my diabetes, but am getting a new doctor soon. I guess I will tell them this, and see what she says. I haven't spoken to a doctor about it in years, but since it seems to be happening more often, I plan to now.

My question is, do any of you experience the feeling I described? Thank you for any info.