I stop breathing while falling asleep.

hi i was diagnosed with sleep apnea i stop breathing 36 times during the night according to a sleep test i am not sure what is normal so do not know if this is serious or not would like some replys if possible

@trippangie17 were you able to get to the bottom of your breathing issues? You’re describing exactly what I’m having now. Even with bipap I stop breathing while I fall asleep. Did anything solve it for you?

Perhaps you need a new sleep study. There are many possible diagnoses, and more advanced breathing machines. I use a Trilogy machine, and have a diagnosis of Cheynne Stokes Respiration.

I had 78 so yours is not that high; however, any sleep apnea event is not good so treating is needed. I would also recommend going back to you doctor for advice.

I was having issues a few months ago, stopping breathing. I'm on BIPAP. But I was also having some weird very strange anxiety at night, trying to get to sleep. I would fall asleep, and a minute later wake up. I looked at my BIPAP logs using a free software called SleepyHead. It showed I was having Central Apneas when trying to get to sleep. My sleep doctor said that if it is just a few at the beginning of sleep, that is normal. Because your body is transitioning to sleep and has to switch to autonomic breathing.

I bought a Contec SpO2 watch sensor, to record my heart rate and oxygen levels. It was showing my oxygen levels dropping to low 80's, and I would have a central apnea episodes for 10-20seconds each. Several in a row. I had my watch alarm me to wake me up if my oxygen dropped. This drove me insane and induced anxiety in me. I had extreme anxiety trying to get to sleep.

I eventually found that I had blood clots in my lungs. DVT/PE which was one reason for oxygen dropping. When in the hospital they started me on blood thinners. After recovering from that and being on blood thinners, it has helped to resolve a lot of my issues.

If you have a lot of Central Apnea's that continue to happen, you may need another sleep test or a different BIPAP machine that has a backup rate, that will help force you to breathe and take a breath. The basic BIPAP machines do not have this feature. If you quit breathing, they will do nothing to help you breathe.

I was having a horrible time sleeping at night and they sent me home with an "at home" test that I did in Phoenix at a friends house, it showed mild sleep apnea. They put me on a CPAP machine. I went through 1 year of being on a regular sleep pap machine with no resolution. I finally went to another doctor who put me through a formal study, also in Phoenix. This allowed for us to change the settings. However, I was having larger Central Sleep Apnea events, they decided to try me on 3 liters of oxygen while I am sleeping. This has allowed me to sleep better. It appears that I have High Altitude Sleep Apnea and/or Complex Sleep Apnea.

The only way to get put on an ASV machine would be to do a sleep study at altitude.

did you present other symptoms to test for a PE

Hi @sleepysonic, Welcome to Connect. I'm not sure @warpedtrekker is still following Connect but hopefully they will see your reply and can answer your question.

Do you mind sharing what brought you to Connect, what you were searching for?

I am not sure what is going on with my breathing while sleeping. My mom says it seems like I am not able to breathe through my nose (nasal passages clear) even when I am trying to in my sleep. She says I finally gasp for air and breathe through my mouth. She says I am doing this with every breath. I don't know what to use to test myself. I don't know where to go or what doctor to see or what treatment I can get to help. When I am awake, I suffer with my breathing as well due to allergies and asthma, but I feel like as I am drifting off to sleep, my body stops breathing in a continuous way. Please advise! Thanks!

I'm in my mid 70s and have experienced the cessation of breathing as I'm falling asleep. It might last for a night or two, disappear for months or maybe yrs, I honestly don't recall, and then return for a few nights. I've never had any issues with breathing during the day, don't have asthma or allergies, and have never used an assisted-breathing device. From yrs of running and cycling, I actually have excellent cardiovascular and respiratory functions.

Stopping breathing is scary, I know. I'd definitely visit a doctor, probably a primary care physician. I suffer from a variety of issues with my autonomic nervous system and am inclined to view my condition, not yours, as neurological. A PCP will help you and, if necessary, point you in the right direction for more help.

One thing I'd consider in the meantime is getting a Fitbit or similar device. I tend to sleep in short intervals; my Fitbit measures, among other things, oxygenation levels, as long as I sleep at least 3 consecutive hrs. Sometimes, when my measured interval is only 3 hrs and my oxygenation is, say, 98%, I infer that I'm not undergoing any sleep apnea. My Fitbit (a Charge 5) also measures Estimated Oxygen Variation while sleeping. My variation is rarely high--another indication that I'm not experiencing sleep apnea. Some doctors might find this kind of info useful when you make your office visit and give the doctor your history.

Hope some of this helps. At my age, I tend to accept suboptimal operation of bodily systems, but someone younger should try to get to the bottom of this problem, as you have a lot longer to live with it! Good luck.

Peace.