No more napping on the couch

[NRA_Bear]

Just wanted to share an interesting experience I had a few weeks ago when I fell asleep on the couch (without CPAP). The best I can figure is I had an episode in the middle of REM which resulted in sleep paralysis. I woke up laying on my side unable to breathe but I couldn't move a lick. My wife was upstairs on the computer and all I can remember thinking was that I couldn't holler for help because I couldn't breathe and I couldn't roll off the couch and alert her with a thud because I couldn't move. I just laid there and thought... damn, this is it, this is how it ends, eh?. After close to a minute I was finally able to take in a big gulp of air and roll off the couch. Moral of the story - this fella ain't taking any more naps without the CPAP .

[tattooyu]

Man, I remember a few episodes I had like that before PAP therapy. Utterly frightening. I think they were shorter than they seemed, but dang!

[mars]

Hi NRA_Bear and Tattooyu

What you describe used to happen to me a lot, especially in the 90's, having a nap whilst sitting up. Although my throat has closed many times whilst lying down, the paralysis and not breathing, and being conscious has only happened when I have been sitting up.

It goes like this -

I am suddenly conscious, and I am not breathing, and I cannot move. I know where I am, but I cannot move a muscle. I try to mentally shake myself out of the paralysis, but I cannot. I start to panic...............then I wake up. Gasping for breath.

I tried to train myself not to panic, working on the assumption that I had not died of this before, so probably would not die of it this time. Very hard to do, the feeling of helplessness made me very frightened (regardless of all my RET training).

As my (possible) paradoxical vocal chord dysfunction movement took over in the early 2000's (which was about stopping breathing and staying stopped even when awake and active) then these paralysis events ceased.

This seems to be an area where not much is known. I have always known exactly where I was, and no (other) hallucinations present. The not breathing, of course, was not an hallucination or dream.

Here are some threads that may help in you knowing what is happening to you.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1740

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art ... lekey=9806

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40514&p=354650#p354650

cheers

Mars

[DaveMunson]

Would this be considered a central apnea.

[Muse-Inc]

...

Another sleep issue I'm so very, very grateful I DON'T have. Boy, have you got my sympathy! If having OSA hadn't already scared the bejezzus outta me about sleeping without my equipment, this would do it!!!

[mars]

Would this be considered a central apnea.

Hi Dave

Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you, but as I could not not answer your question, I was hoping some who could would see it.

So this post will bump your question back to current postings, and possibly somebody who knows the answer will reply to you.

cheers

Mars

[JohnBFisher]

... I fell asleep on the couch (without CPAP). The best I can figure is I had an episode in the middle of REM which resulted in sleep paralysis. I woke up laying on my side unable to breathe but I couldn't move a lick. My wife was upstairs on the computer and all I can remember thinking was that I couldn't holler for help because I couldn't breathe and I couldn't roll off the couch and alert her with a thud because I couldn't move. I just laid there and thought... damn, this is it, this is how it ends, eh?. After close to a minute I was finally able to take in a big gulp of air and roll off the couch.

Would this be considered a central apnea.

Nope. I think NRA_Bear is correct. It sounds more like sleep paralysis (and possibly something going on with vocal cords) than it does central apneas. A central apnea really only impacts breathing. I can sit hear and type for minutes on end before I realize that I need to take a breath because I've not been breathing as I should.