Help?! My boyfriend sometimes stop breathing while sleeping...?

Question

This only happens when he sleeps on his back. Sometimes I would have to move him to his side so he'll breathe normally. He can stop breathing from 5 sec to 30 sec (from what I witnessed). He probably can stop breathing for longer if I'm not there to shake him or move him. Is this sleep apnea? How can we change his breathing habits?

He's 5'11 145lbs.. pretty normal i think

Answer 1

it is sleep apnea. it sounds like obstructive sleep apnea. some ppl get it mostly if they lay on their back. the epiglottis cuts off the trachea (wind pipe) while on the back. go to a pulmonologist. he will order a sleep study. your man may need to be on a cpap machine at night.

Answer 2

Hey,
sounds like sleep apnea/apnoea

I was convinced my dad had it, and i nagged him to get tested but he wouldn't, so i called up someone from the sleep apnea society and they called this hospital they were in touch with and they sent a test to my dads house! It indicated sleep apnea- then he got tested again and they said the same thing.

He still won't get treated because all the doctor have said it's fine, but it isn't. He wakes up choking and unable to breathe sometimes and his dad died of a heart attck.. it makes me so angry that he won't get treated.

There are different types.. theres obstructive- i.e somethings obstructing the airways like the airways are relaxing and closing, or there is too much fat around the neck or a receding jaw, where the jaw goes in below the upper lip a bit.. and then theres central sleep apnea- which is a bit more serious as it can't actually be treated ( i dont think) and this is where the brain actually doesnt send the proper signals to the lungs and breathing justs stop for peroids of time... it's hard to tell the difference, not everyone with sleep apnea snores, and you can have a mixture of both types- like my dad has.

It's very bad for you because it means you wake up all through the night and it wears you out (even though the person usually doesnt remember waking up at all)- its usually the partner who notices. it can be very hard to get a partner to seek treatment because they often dont think its serious. but it is.

it is really serious. every time the body stops breathing it is being straved of oxygen and then the body releases adrenaline to wake the person up and get them breathing again- this is stressful for the body, not to mention what this all does to the heart.

Untreated sleep apnea can cause stress on the heart.

Don't want to panic you, i'm sure he's going to be absolutely fine, but tell him to get checked! I'm passionate about it cos im still so angry with my dad for not getting treatment.

The treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is a cpap mask that gently pressurises the air so that it keeps the air ways open during the night, it doesn't force you to breathe or anything, just keeps the airways open! they can be really hard to get used to but apparantly well well worth it!

Answer 3

Not Breathing While Sleeping

Answer 4

Um....you um, haven't taken out insurance on him yet, have you? Ok, never mind...macabe humor....

Ok, while sleeping on his back, boyfriend stops breathing from time to time 5-30 seconds...

Definately something that needs to be looked into...Um, you haven't asked him to stop doing that, have you?? Ya, your right, he prolly can't help it...

Ok, here's what you need to do...contact your doctor's nurse, and ask the doctor for an overnight oximetry test from his favorite vendor. The test can cost as much as $200, and as little as $30. Run that thru your insurance, and it might cost you $5 or what ever your deductable is...Shoot, If you promise to use the vendor after the final diagnosis, they might let you do the test for free.

Once that is done, your doctor will set you up with a sleep lab to have your boyfriend looked at while he is sleeping...without you,... alone,..... two nights...twp separate nights.... [Think you can handle that????]

Once that is done, the pulmonologist/sleep doctor will order a CPAP or a BIPAP machine.. Since you have not listed any other symptoms, odds favor that it will be a CPAP machine.

And he will wear a mask of some sort, and have many references to the dark lord "Darth Vader" applied to him before he goes to sleep.....until everyone gets used to Darth Vader and his mask.....

Answer 5

yes, this sounds a good deal like obstructive sleep apnea and it will only get worse with age. He needs to have a sleep study done and possibly be fitted with a cpap machine for sleeping. Untreated, sleep apnea can lead to heart disease, kidney failure and chronic fatigue syndrome. The sooner he gets it treated, the less likely it is to cause him serious health issues down the line.

Answer 6

Have him answer these questions (honestly) to see if he may have a sleep disorder. A score of 10 or more along with the witnessed apnea (period of time not breathing) is enough to have a doctor order a sleep study.

http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/epworth.html

What is a sleep study???
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-studies

Answer 7

Sleep apnea

Answer 8

He needs to see a physician immediately and/or enter a local sleep clinic (just do a google search and you should find some in your area). This sounds like a serious condition, unfortunately I'm not a physician so I can diagnose it. If my Boyfriend were dong this I would make him see a doctor.

Good Luck!
Ellie

Answer 9

sleep apnea is the correct term he needs to go to the doctor, they have a breathing machine he'll need this will also cause him to be even more tired because his brain is deprived of oxygen while he is sleeping.

Answer 10

Ask a doctor about it first! But it could be sleep apnea my mom has the same disorder.