5. Choking or Gasping: Midnight Scares
Picture this: You’re in a deep slumber, lost in a dream, when suddenly you’re jolted awake, gasping for air. It’s as if you’ve just surfaced from deep underwater, taking that first desperate breath. That’s what life with sleep apnea can feel like—like drowning in your sleep.
This gasping is far from normal and is a red flag for OSA. During these episodes, your body literally forgets to breathe. It’s like the airway hits a roadblock, forcing your system into emergency mode to restart your breathing. Picture your respiratory system as a busy highway; when there’s a crash, all traffic comes to a halt until it’s cleared.
What’s equally unnerving is the unpredictability. You never know when it’ll hit you. These episodes can occur several times a night, each one a mini-panic session for your body. You’re forced into an abrupt return to consciousness, almost as if your body’s pulling you back from the brink.
This symptom shouldn’t be swept under the rug. It’s like a fire alarm going off intermittently throughout the night. Except, in this case, the fire is in your lungs, and the alarm is your body’s desperate attempt to douse it by waking you up to breathe. (5)
