CAN't SLEEP (Heart stops, breathing stops)

IloveyouGod · Post by **IloveyouGod** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 1:25 pm

I am so scared. I went to the ER yesterday because I thought my heart was going to stop. When I got there, my heart was normal. Lately, I have been having these troubling symptoms. It seems as if my heart pauses, and then resumes. I can feel the pause, and it's so scary. When I try to sleep, RIGHT when I doze off, I jerk back awake, at the same moment it feels like my heart rate slowed to a stop, and breathing has stopped, and then wen I jerk back awake, everything resumes. I dozed off so many times only to be jerked awake again by my body, like it is scared to sleep. I am so scared it is like a mini seizure or I have a neurological problem, or sleep apnea? But this has only been happening for the last 3 days, and I am scared I will never sleep again. I have really bad headaches trying my hardest to sleep. I only got maybe one hour yesterday after the ER. If only my body wouldn't jerk me awake then I'd be fine. I am now on a one day holter monitor. Anyone else experience this?

OldeCodger · Post by **OldeCodger** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 1:59 pm

Apnea will give you the breathing symptoms you describe. If your airway closes as you begin to fall asleep, you notice the lack of air and awake gasping. If you are fully asleep when the closure occurs, you may have a blockage for longer than a minute and never know it. I have used a CPAP machine for 3+ years. I finally had a sleep study when I could not fall asleep because breathing stopped. Many people have this condition and do not know it.

I would pursue the sleep study testing, you may find that this is all that is wrong physically. Your anxiety may be providing the rest of the symptoms.

Best wishes

Joesph · Post by **Joesph** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:20 pm

I have a slightly similar issue… I have a jittery stomach which presents itself as a sleeping problem. I will fall asleep, but I can’t stay a sleep longer than about an hour, which obviously makes me sleep deprived the next day. Sometimes I just wake up, other times it happens as you described. The doctor gave me xanax. I only use it at night (.5mg) when my jittery stomach won’t let me sleep. I wish I knew the answer...

Joe

lennalu · Post by **lennalu** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:20 pm

I went through an episode of that...just as I was falling asleep, I'd jerk awake like I wasn'
t breathing and it scared me. It went away after awhile and I just assumed it was another anxiety thing happening. It was scary but it did go away, so I just wanted to let you know that. Its like our bodies do the freakest things to freak us out lol. I hope you get to feeling better and get some sleep.

Joesph · Post by **Joesph** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:43 pm

I'd jerk awake like I wasn'
t breathing and it scared me.

How did you resolve it, how did you eventually get to sleep?

lennalu · Post by **lennalu** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 2:51 pm

I think it went on for about a week ( this was a couple of years ago) and I found something that I read about spontaneous panic attacks that happen just as your body starts to relax and go to sleep. After that I decided to try not to get upset when it happend and just tell myself...its a panic attack...it will go away and make myself try to stay in bed and relax and pretty soon it stopped. It was weird though and I don't know what brought it on because I was doing good with everything. Anyway...I got through that and now I'm on to the next thing lol to freak out about....

strauss · Post by **strauss** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:56 pm

My Name is strauss on may 5 of 2009 i started having panic attacks i was at a job interview & I started feeling shaky heart racing dissy nausea & I Rushed home & Called 911 & They Said I Had An Anxiety Attack How do you make them go away

K-ruffin · Post by **K-ruffin** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:58 pm

i get these feelings all the time where this feeling comes over my body andd i feel like im gonna pass out but i never do its almost like how you feel when your standing in an elevator. my breathing gets funny and of course i start to panic..is this a anxiety attack?

allie76 · Post by **allie76** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:44 am

Hi

I too had this exact same problem about two months ago. I tried a new medication and I'm always nervous about new meds. So in the process of taking it (two days into it) I had a panic attack thinking it was the medication side effects. That night after having a huge panic attack I lay there trying to sleep, I made the mistake of checking my pulse to see how it was doing. As I lay there my pulse would be normal until I started to drift off then it seemed to pause or not be there. I rationalized that my hand was posibly moving away from the area I was checking as I would fall asleep, so it appeared that my heart wasn't beating but in reality was just fine. But even though I said that to myself the whole night I jerked back awake all night long, everytime I would fall asleep I would jerk awake. I thought the same thing. Just wondering how things went for you??