DO YOU ever wake up gasping and gulping for air?
Chances are you’re not being woken up by a nightmare, but a sleep disorder that can be the precursor for serious health problems.
The key thing to do if you’re startled awake from gasping is speak to your GP.
But this worrying sleep sign could be a symptom of sleep apnoea, a disorder where your breathing stops and starts while you sleep.
Symptoms of it will mainly crop up while you’re asleep so they can be hard to spot if you’re not sharing a bed with someone.
They include:
A partner would surely be disturbed by these signs if they were sleeping next to you. You can try recording yourself as you sleep if you suspect your breathing is stopping and starting.
But symptoms of sleep apnoea can leak into your waking moments too in subtle ways.
Sufferers may notice that they feel very tired throughout the day, despite supposedly getting a full night’s sleep.
You may also find it hard to concentrate and experience mood swings.
Another sleep apnoea red flag is waking up with a headache.
The NHS advises you see a GP if you suspect you have the disorder or someone has noticed these symptoms as you sleep.
It can be helpful to bring them with you to your doctor’s visit so they can detail what they’ve noticed.
“Sleep apnoea can be serious if it’s not diagnosed and treated,” the NHS stated, so it’s important you get it seen to.
It can put you at risk of other health issues, like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and depression, as well as affecting your ability to concentrate and stay awake.
Sleep apnoea can also increase your chances of having a stroke.
There are two forms of this nighttime breathing disorder, according to WebMD, the most common of which is obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
This occurs when your tongue flops back as you lie down and blocks your airway.
Each time that happens, you stop breathing for up to a minute or more, and it can happen hundreds of times per night, otolaryngologist Omar Ahmed told WebMD.
You won’t necessarily wake up every time.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) happens if your airways are narrowed or blocked as you sleep.
According to the NHS, it’s been linked to:
A less common form of sleep apnoea is central sleep apnea (CSA), which the Sleep Foundation says is caused by a brief lack of communication between the brain and the muscles that control breathing.
The disorder tends to be treated with a a device called a CPAP machine, gently pumps air into a mask you wear over your mouth or nose while you sleep.
You’ll be given this for free on the NHS if you need it.
You may also be told to use a gum shield-like device that holds your airways open while you sleep, or you might need surgery to improve your breathing.
There are a few other signs that may occur as you’re falling asleep or in the middle of the night that may be reason for concern.
If you’re uncomfortably aware of your heartbeat at night, you might be experiencing heart palpitations.
Hearing your heart beating as you’re tucked in bed trying to sleep could be a sign you’re stressed.
It can also be cause by caffeine or taking certain medications, senior cardiac nurse Chloe MacArthur, of the British Heart Foundation, said.
But it some cases, they may be caused by a heart condition.
If the palpitations come with breathlessness, chest pain, or feeling faint or fainting, the NHS says you should seek immediate help.
Heart failure happens when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly.
It affects over 900,000 Brits with 60,000 new cases each year, the NHS says. The condition progresses gradually, leaving sufferers short of breath throughout the day and waking them up at night.
It can also lead to the build-up of fluid around the lungs, meaning those with the condition may then be woken during the night feeling short of breath as fluid pools in the lungs as they lie down.
The scientists from Harvard suggest using pillows to elevate the upper body.
Women going through the menopause will know the misery of waking up at night drenched in sweat.
This is fairly common but can have other causes too.
Night sweats are when you sweat so much that your night clothes and bedding are soaking wet, even though where you’re sleeping is cool.
The NHS recommends you speak to a GP if you’re waking up with them regularly, you have a high temperature, a cough or diarrhoea alongside them or you’re also losing weight for no reason.
Cancer Research UK also names very heavy night sweats as a possible red flag for cancer – speak to you’re GP if you’re worried about them.
