Wake up from my sleep in night difficulty breating/swallowing

Hi, I just wanted to say that ur not the only person that this has happened to, I can say that I can relate to one or two of ur symptoms which are that u wake up before ur body does and that ur mind is awake but u can't do anything and that u wake up with difficulty breathing /swallowing I sometimes get awoken quite abruptly with difficulties in breathing so I do know that its not very nice to be woken up feeling like that, its absolutely horrible feeling like that so I do understand how u feel.

Hi, If you've tested negative for sleep apnoea then it sounds as if this is sleep paralysis. I've suffered from it for the past 50 years.

You quite accurately describe it as waking up before your body does. During the REM stage of sleep, when dreams occur, our brain secretes a hormone that paralyses all our voluntary muscles, to make sure we don't jump up and act out our dreams. Most people have the occasional experience when the brain carries on pumping out this chemical for a minute or so after we wake, or - more rarely - starts producing it before we're completely asleep.

Some individuals - estimated at 2-5% of the general population - experience this phenomenon on a regular basis. It can feel as if you can't breathe in this state, but it's usually a false impression. In our waking state, breathing is controlled partly by the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, which are part of the autonomic nervous system, and partly by our intercostal muscles (in the chest) which are under voluntary control. When we wake up in a temporary state of paralysis, only the automatic breathing is taking place, as all our voluntary muscles are out of action. This means you can't take an extra deep breath, as this is under voluntary control. If you stay very calm, you should become aware that abdominal breathing is still taking place.

Ditto for swallowing. Although there's an automatic swallowing reflex that stops us choking on our own saliva in REM sleep, you won't be able to swallow at will when in the paralysed state.

If this is worrying you unduly you can ask your doctor to prescribe an antidepressant - usually one of the older tricyclic types like amitriptyline. These drugs suppress REM sleep, solving the problem. But they won't cure you, so you'll need to stay on medication for the rest of your life. My own choice was to stay off meds and learn to live with the condition, which is perfectly harmless even if it can be a bit scary.

The first thing is to try and identify any triggers that lead to you waking in this state. In my case it's usually getting too warm in the night or getting too much sleep - for example, having a lie-in in the morning. Other people find getting over-tired can bring it on, and there can be all kinds of other factors, including certain foods or drinks. Try and find your own triggers, if any, and avoid them.

Secondly, try not to panic when you wake in this state. I know that can be easier said than done, but you'll come out of it more quickly if you try and stay calm. I find a good way to break out is to make an effort to wiggle the tip of my tongue or the last joints of my fingers.

Above all, remember that this condition isn't dangerous. It's just a slight variation on the normal sleep pattern.

Try to sleep with a drinking water with in your reach and when you wake up have a sip of it just to wet your mouth and tongue to facilitate swallowing. There after, when you feel that your body is fully awake take another small amount.

Please be caution that you should not drink a lot of water during difficulty in breathing because the water may go a wrong way or will go to your larynx instead that might obstruct your airway but a little amount can help facilitate breathing/swallowing.

Sheery