Imagine this – you’re lying in bed, sound asleep when suddenly you wake up with a gasp. Your first thought is to gulp in as much air as you can because you thought that you stopped breathing during sleep. Well, that wasn’t just a thought. It can happen and it’s a sign you need to visit a sleep center Silver Spring. Here are the things to know.

It’s A Sleep Disorder Called Sleep Apnea

You know how your chest rises and falls when you’re sleeping. The breath comes in and out of the nose. Well, there can be times when you can just stop breathing. No warning, no problem whatsoever. You might not be able to tell the difference since you’re way deep in dreamland, but if you sleep with someone, then they can notice it and if you wake up, then you’ll have the urge to breathe in loads of air.

This is not normal at all. This is a sleep disorder and it is known as obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder in which your breathing airways can collapse. This is what causes your breathing to cease, but the collapse is momentary because after a few seconds, the airways are relieved of the pressure and you can breathe normally again.

Even though sleep apnea is not lethal by any means and it doesn’t affect life expectancy, it doesn’t take away the fact that it can be a scary experience to know, even in hindsight, that your breathing stopped. It is enough to spook you for the rest of your life.

Sleep Apnea & Breathing

So, sleep apnea sounds dangerous and even though it is not physically dangerous, it can still disrupt your sleep schedule and it can also mess with your mind about not going to sleep.
If you want to know more about sleep apnea, then you can start by focusing on the symptoms, which include:

• Waking up with a start and even gasping for air.
• You will break out in sweats, as if you’re anxious or if you just ran a marathon.
• You will not be able to fall asleep after the fact, which is very frustrating.
• Your sleep will be disrupted throughout the night.
• Sleep apnea gets worse when you suffer from anxiety or stress.

Even though you might not be able to feel when your breathing stops, it doesn’t go unnoticed by the person sleeping next to you. This is a whole debacle in itself, because one moment you’re breathing normally, and then the next, it stops completely, which is scary to see and even think about.

So, judging by the symptoms, you will need to see a doctor about this issue, because it is not normal. What’s even more frustrating about sleep apnea is the fact that you don’t know how it is caused, you don’t know what the trigger is, and so on.

Sleep apnea is confusing in the sense that it can be because of genetics, it can occur randomly anytime or it can even occur in children. But, there’s no explanation. Why your airways collapse for a few moments is inexplicable and this is what makes sleep apnea one of the most confusing and scary sleep disorders after insomnia because there is no clue about the cause.

Regardless, you still don’t want to miss the chance of seeing a doctor and getting your sleep schedule back on track.

How To Manage Sleep Apnea?

Well, now that you know that the main issue of stopping of breath while you’re asleep can be because of sleep apnea, you need to understand how you can deal with it and manage it so that you get a good night’s rest. Well, here is everything you can do.

CPAP Machine

One of the best ways to manage and even treat sleep apnea and get a good night’s rest is to use a CPAP machine. It is a machine that looks like an oxygen mask, but it is so much more than that.

It is a machine that is used to regulate the pressure in your airways so that when sleep apnea strikes, the machine can regulate the change in pressure and won’t cause your air passages to collapse. This will ensure regular breathing in the long run, which is amazing.

Consult A Doctor

If you are noticing the above-mentioned symptoms of sleep apnea, then you need to go and consult the issue with a sleep doctor Frederick. You need to be properly diagnosed before you can even start to manage said disorder and self-diagnosis is never a good option. You want to sit with a doctor and have a long, constructive chat about your symptoms and why you’re feeling the way you are.

The doctor will run a bunch of sleep-related tests and they can also do a sleep study, just to be sure. This is going to cover everything and you will get a detailed treatment or management plan from a professional.

Have A Routine

One of the main aggressors of sleep apnea is not having a routine. When you go to sleep and when you wake up may seem pretty simple on the surface, but it sets your day up, and indirectly your health and life are positively affected. This is why having a routine is crucial.

You don’t want to wing it when it comes to your rest and sleep. You need to make it a priority. If you’re stressed and anxious, then this will aggravate sleep apnea and things can take a wrong turn.

Light Exercise Before Sleep

If you want to tire yourself out so that you can snooze as soon as you hit the pillow, then you want to exercise throughout the day. This is not only going to keep you energized throughout the day, but it will tire you out once the evening rolls around.

So, if you are someone who performs their workouts during the evening, then shift that to the morning hours, and in the evening, just do some light stretching to spread that relaxing feeling all through your limbs and brain. You will feel tired in no time.

Be Open About Your Symptoms

When going to a doctor’s appointment, you can feel a bit embarrassed, especially when talking about sleep-related issues. It’s normal and a lot of people are in the same boat as you. But you don’t want embarrassing feelings to get in the way of your diagnosis. This is something that could change your life, so hiding things from a doctor – someone who can help you – is futile.

So, always make sure that you’re open and honest about your symptoms and the way you feel after the fact. This is going to help the doctor understand your case better and they can tailor-make a treatment plan that works for you.

Conclusion

Stopping breathing during sleep can be scary and frustrating. It can also mess with your sleeping schedule and you might also have that prickly fear of not going back to sleep so that it doesn’t happen again. You should see a sleep specialist Bethesda who can help you treat and manage sleep apnea.