Waking Up Gasping for Breath: What is Your Body Trying to Tell You?

April 30, 2023
753 Views

Imagine going to sleep after a long day, looking forward to a deep slumber – but it ends with you waking up gasping for breath. It can be pretty spine-chilling to catch your breath during sleep as if you’re choking. But what could be the reason? When you wake up with a gasp, it could mean something is affecting your body. Hence, the gasp could be your body hinting that there is an underlying condition.

In this article, we will go over the possible reasons you keep waking up gasping for breath. Continue reading to know the potential causes.

Why Do I Keep Waking Up Gasping for Breath?

There are several reasons that could result in a choking sensation when you are sleeping. You should visit a healthcare provider to determine what is behind the pain, but here are a few reasons why it happens:

1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a sleep disorder that leads to total or partial pauses in breathing while you sleep. It usually occurs when the airways collapse, causing an obstruction that affects the flow of air. Consequently, you may wake up gasping for breath or snoring audibly, among other symptoms. Morning headaches, difficulty focusing, feeling tired, irritability during day time, etc., are some other signs you may have obstructive sleep apnea.

2. Central Sleep Apnea

Another form of sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, could be the reason you’re waking up gasping for breath. When your brain fails to send the signal to breathe, pauses in breathing occur during sleep. Unlike OSA, there is no obstruction in central sleep apnea.

This condition is related to heart failure, opioid use, and even sleeping at high altitudes. Hence, trouble with other body parts can affect your mouth and how you breathe.

3. Hypnic Jerks & Sleep Paralysis

Irregular breathing might result from involuntary muscle jerk movements known as hypnic jerks or sleep starts. Oftentimes, the feeling of flailing, a banging or snapping sound, or visual hallucination, such as seeing flashlights, might accompany hypnic jerks.

Sleep paralysis, too, can cause you to wake up with a gasp. This phenomenon prevents the affected individual from moving when they wake up, often leading to chest pressure and shortness of breath. Some people even encounter a sleep paralysis demon – a hallucination that sits on their chest or lingers in the room. This might affect breathing and cause you to wake up with a gasp or choking sensation.

4. Acid Reflux

Acid refers to a condition in which strong stomach acids flow upwards into the esophagus, and chronic or severe acid reflux symptoms are called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If you’ve just eaten or lied down soon after eating, it increases the possibility of acid reflux. As a result, coughing, choking, and other symptoms will occur when you sleep — and you might find yourself waking up gasping for breath.

5. Anxiety

Anxiety while sleeping could affect your breathing. This could cause you to gasp for air, feeling like your breathing is restricted. If you’re waking up aspen for air due to anxiety, you will also experience sweating, chest pain, chills, faintness, and a sense of impending doom. In some people, stress, along with anxiety, can cause you to grind your teeth as well.

The Takeaway

At Whole Health Dental Center, we believe an impaired mouth could indicate issues with your body. We know how your mind and mouth have a connection, and if you are waking up gasping for breath — it might be due to sleep apnea, anxiety, acid reflux, hypnic jerks, or sleep paralysis, among other factors. Allow us to heal you by scheduling an appointment at 703-385-6425 or visiting our experts at 7115 Leesburg Pike Suite #310, Falls Church, VA 22043.

Recent Blogs

Alternatives to CPAP: 6 Ways to Treat Sleep Apnea Without CPAP

May 30, 2023

Imagine sleeping with a device that sends constant pressurized air to keep your airways open as you sleep – that is what a CPAP does for obstructive sleep apnea patients. However, there are options for sleep apnea treatment without CPAP. So, to stay informed on what the CPAP alternatives are, continue reading! What is Continuous […]

2583 Views Read more

Sinus & Tooth Pain: Exploring the Link Between Teeth & Sinuses

May 15, 2023

Did you know an infection in your sinuses can affect your teeth? Our entire body is interconnected, with no exclusion of any body part. Sinuses are located near your mouth, so when it becomes infected, the resulting pressure causes pain in the upper teeth. But how to know if you have sinus tooth pain or […]

4213 Views Read more

Waking Up Gasping for Breath: What is Your Body Trying to Tell You?

Apr 30, 2023

Imagine going to sleep after a long day, looking forward to a deep slumber – but it ends with you waking up gasping for breath. It can be pretty spine-chilling to catch your breath during sleep as if you’re choking. But what could be the reason? When you wake up with a gasp, it could […]

753 Views Read more

What’s the Link Between Sleep Apnea & Genetics?

Mar 15, 2023

Many individuals do not realize that the disorder they are suffering from might run in their family. If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, there’s a possibility that it was passed down. The belief that there exists a connection between mouth and body is well-founded; sleep apnea is known to […]

85 Views Read more

Wellness While On Vacation

Oct 9, 2019

“I need another vacation to recover from this vacation!” Does that sound familiar? Or how about, “I’m on vacation, so I’m going to indulge, then diet after I get home”? What’s the point of going on vacation: to harm – or to restore – yourself? Is it possible to make wellness fun? I decided to […]

85 Views Read more

ABC Before D: Dr. Felix’s Guide to More Health at Less Cost

Aug 12, 2019

A quiet revolution is starting in medicine and dentistry: Chronic pain, fatigue, and overall health can be improved without drugs. Oral sleep appliances can activate stem cells around natural tooth roots to widen both the jaws and the airway, as I describe in Six-Foot Tiger, Three-Foot Cage and Early Sirens. “What you write in your […]

130 Views Read more

Fix Mouth Breathing with Buteyko Breathing

Dec 29, 2014

Got chapped lips, dry mouth, inflamed gum, bloating, snoring, bad breath, anxiety, and/or sleep apnea? Habitual Mouth Breathing (HMB) may be the culprit, and Buteyko Breathing can help. HMB is an unhealthy habit with many oral-systemic side effects. In children, HMB can lead to undesirable cranio-facial changes, narrowed jaws, crowded teeth, long face, weak chin, […]

140 Views Read more

Habitual Mouth Breathing: Damages and Solutions

Dec 15, 2014

Nose breathing is basic to natural health, while habitual mouth breathing (HMO) can contribute to cavities, bleeding gums, narrow jaws, crowded teeth, less attractive face, snoring, aging faster, and more — see over-breathing next. Are the lips of your child apart when she/he is sitting quietly? Are they dry and chapped? These small signs can […]

227 Views Read more
Skip to content