forgetting to breathe......

[chinadoll]

recently am finding myself "forgetting to breathe"....am watching tv and feel heart flutter and shudder....then realise that I have been breathing shallow or even not breathing....have to take a few deep breaths and it dissappears....also just when I am about to drop off asleep I get the same sensation....I wake from that half way point between sleep and awake and breathe in deeply a few times and next thing I know its morning....am wondering is this a transient thing or has anyone else experienced similar sensations???

[Cetti]

I'm not going to pre-suppose the reason chinadoll, as that would be the job for your GP but it could be a case of hyperventilating.  This has happened to me on more than one occasion through a time of severe stress. I've found myself holding my breath, then gulping air very quickly making me a bit light headed. Breathing slowly into brown paper bag  will bring your breathing back to normal.

If  this sounds familiar my suggestion is only a stop gap, so please see your GP for any underlying cause. 

[Hgrove]

It happens to me a lot.  It is made worse by being overweight and/or eating a heavy meal.

[Clanad]

As cetti and hgrove have stated, be sure to consult your physician, however, check this cite for possibility of apnea episodes.  Best of luck!

http://www.sleepapnea.org/geninfo.html

[lucyshandbag]

you do need to see a gp but my friend has been suffering with the same thing for the past 2years, the doctor says it's panick attacks, and of course, the more she worries about it, the more it happens.  she also gets pins and needles and forgets how to swollow, which is all part of it.  it's really common and i don't think a doctor can do anything about it, you just kinda grow out of it he told her, but go and see him anyway just incase it isn't panick attacks.

[keenu]

Sounds like apnea to me.  I have experienced the same thing quite often but mostly in the daytime (unless at night I just don't realize it.)  You should start some breathing exercises.  Train yourself to deep breathe on a regular basis.  Breathing is SO important to a healthy body and mind.  Concentrate on your breathing and you should improve.

Disclaimer:  of course, you should always seek council with your GP.

Stand and be true,

keenu