What are some of the causes of gasping for breath when asleep?
444042
nightsoflondon....these people are just telling her so she can see a doctor about it. There is nothing normal about gasping for air during your sleep and it very well could be sleep apnea. They are not saying definately and she doesn't have to listen to them either, but you make it out to sound like its definately not sleep apnea. It is a very deadly disease of which two good friends of mine suffer. It can kill you and the loss of oxygen to your brain during these episodes can do permanent damage. Sure, she could have nothing, or something else, but yes sleep apnea would be an educated guess---notice I say EDUCATED GUESS...you just sounded so angry in your post like all of us who said sleep apnea were dumb a$$ idiots....
365229
B bradypnea, the slowing of respirations to below normal ranges...where as apnea is a lack of or cessing of breathing for a period of time and tachypnea is rapid respiration or hyperventaltion. (which is overall more than likely caused from the severe central nervous system depression the pt's in from the alcohol poisioning.)
311352
Enlarged tonsils that can block the back of the palate and interfere with eating (not enough space) and be implicated in sleep apnea (stop breathing for periods during sleep).  Sleep apnea happens when the posterior palate collapses blocking air.
232219
yes, its called sleep apnea, you dont get enough oxygen and you pass out, it can actually be fatal
392559
alright instead of a long docter explanation, its a shortage of breath and your chest when trying to regain breath its kinda like a positive negative reaction. they suck but if u loose breath again and slowly come back to breathing normal youll be fine.
137483
It is time for you to see a doctor.  There are many things that can cause that. One problem could be excessive sinus pressure. Some people even see that before they pass out. \n\nCall your doctor asap.
428508
You may have sleep apnea, go check with the doctor.  This could be a serious condition if left untreated and could lead to death!
465648
Difficulty breathing to sleep? Sleep apnea is the answer, bipap, loosing weight is the help. Allergies and asthma is worse at night time..  go to the doctor they can halp
885947
Most people with sleep apnea do not realize they have it!  If they do awaken it is with a gasping!  You are just probably feeling the effects of yourself falling into stages of sleep.  There are actually six levels of sleep one thru five where your body is getting sleep but only on the sixth level called REM for rapid eye movement does your brain get to sleep!  Things like sleep apnea and leg twitching bother the brain and cause it to drop out of this level this is why some people can sleep a whole night but not feel rested!  Because their brain had to stay awake ! \n\nIf someone says that you make funny noises while you are asleep or you stop breathing every now and then That is when I recommend that you should go to a sleep lab for an overnight study!  But until then sounds like you are OK!\n\nBut if you are always tired that would be a symptom of sleep apnea!\n\nSee Ya Later\n\nAPS
654675
I think your body is trying to force you to go to sleep.\n\nit's like you can never kill yourself by holding you breath because you body just compensates by passing out, therefore causing you to breath again.
38803
i think i might know what you are talking about, i think the reason y u have weird noises is because u might just be burping. when u breathe in deeply u swalow some air that needs to be released. when u yawn do u have those noises too?
1031559
If you get them in the morning, in the first 2 hours after waking up, you have a form of sleep apnea. \nYou might not be getting enough oxygen, that can cause hiccups.\nTalk to your dr. He will probably run some tests. Also talk to people in your family. Sleep apnea is generally genetic... mother or father who snores.
759116
heart attack during sleep\nsupposedly
613243
Sleep Apnea\n\n\n\nDescription\nAn in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sleep apnea.\n\n\n\n\n\nIntroduction\nSleep apnea is a disorder in which a person stops breathing during the night, perhaps hundreds of times, usually for periods of 10 seconds or longer and sometimes for as long as a minute. These gaps in breathing are called apneas. (Apnea literally meaning absence of breath.) It is usually accompanied by snoring. People who have sleep apnea may not even be aware of the condition, but it inevitably causes daytime sleepiness.\n\nSleep apnea is generally categorized as obstructive, central, or mixed. A less severe form of obstructed breathing called upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) is also worth mentioning.\n\nObstructive Sleep Apnea\nObstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common form of apnea, occurs when tissues in the upper throat (or airway) collapse at intervals during sleep, thereby blocking the passage of air. In general, OSA occurs as follows:\n\nOn its way to the lungs, air passes through the nose, mouth, and throat (known as the upper airway).\nUnder normal conditions, the back of the throat is soft and pliant and tends to collapse inward as a person breathes.\nCertain muscles, called dilator muscles, work against this to keep the airway open. Interference or abnormalities in this process cause air turbulence.\nIf the tissues at the back of the throat collapse and become momentarily blocked, apnea occurs. Breath is temporarily stopped. In most cases the person is unaware of it, although sometimes they awaken and gasp for breath.\nIn some cases, the interference is incomplete (called obstructive hypopnea) and causes continuous but slow and shallow breathing. In response the throat vibrates and makes the sound of snoring. Snoring can occur whether a person breathes through the mouth or the nose. (It should be noted that snoring also occurs without sleep apnea.)\nApnea decreases the amount of oxygen in the blood, and eventually this lack of oxygen triggers the lungs to suck in air.\nAt this point, the patient may make a gasping or snorting sound but does not usually fully wake up.\nObstructive sleep apnea is defined as five or more episodes of apnea or hypopnea per hour of sleep that occur in individuals who have excessive daytime sleepiness.\n\nCentral Sleep Apnea\nCentral sleep apnea is much less common. It is caused by some problem in the central nervous system, most likely a failure of the brain to signal the airway muscles to breathe. In such cases, oxygen levels drop abruptly and usually the sleeper wakes with a start. Often people with central sleep apnea recall waking up. They generally experience less sleepiness during the day than people with obstructive sleep apnea.\n\nMixed Apnea\nMixed apnea is the term used when the two apneas occur together.\n\nUpper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS)\nUpper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) is a condition in which patients complain about excessive daytime sleepiness and they may snore and wake frequently during the night. However, UARS patients do not have the breathing abnormalities that characterize sleep apnea and they do not show reduction in oxygen levels in the blood. Unlike apnea, UARS is more likely to occur in women than in men. Treatments are similar to those of sleep apnea. It is not known if UARS has any serious health complications.\n\n\nHealthy Sleep\nIn sleep studies, subjects spend about one-third of their time asleep, suggesting that most people need about eight hours of sleep each day. Individual adults differ in the amount of sleep they need to feel well rested, however. (Infants may sleep as many as 16 hours a day.)\n\nThe daily cycle of life, which includes sleeping and waking, is called a circadian (meaning "about a day") rhythm, commonly referred to as the biologic clock. Hundreds of bodily functions follow biologic clocks, but sleeping and waking comprise the most prominent circadian rhythm. T
201983
The best thing you can do is see a doctor about this problem you are continuing to have. The shortness of breath issue leads me to believe that this might not be a diabetes / hypoglycemic issue at all. \n\nGet to a doctor ASAP and get checked out. A complete physical exam and a complete lab work up (blood work) should find the cause. \n\nGood luck and best wishes...
564020
could be a number of things, depression, poor nutrition, sleep apnea, boredom or metabolism.
359963
you need to go to a doctor. It could be anything from depression to sleep apnea.  Either way, sleep disturbances can lead to serious health problems.