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Sleep Disorder?

In the past few years I have frequently woken up startled and fearing death. Sometimes my body is numb, my heart is palpitating, I am gasping for air and have flashes of light. I have limited my intake of food and caffeine related drinks in the evening hoping to minimize the frequency of incidents and I do have fewer incidents but these episodes continue to interrupt my sleep. I never have any trouble falling asleep, it is the annoyance of waking up many times throughout the night and there are days where I am very tired. Sometimes I am left feeling fearful for the next nights sleep.
I was not aware of any sleep disorders I may have until I was out of town with a colleague who is a nurse and was very disturbed with my sleep pattern for three nights. She commented on this as not being snoring but almost like I stop breathing and then try to catch my breath or gasp for air. She stated it was eerie. She highly recommended I have a professional assessment, which I am in the process of doing but the wait time has been 6 months and I am still waiting for an appointment.
Do you have any helpful suggestions or recommendations for my future appointment?
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your response. Sorry, I should have mentioned I don't drink alcohol, I eat healthy and am not over weight. I am sure I have had this sleep problem for years but was not aware of sleep disorders. What are the long term effects?
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your experiences sound like obstructive sleep apnea. Your colleague's descriptions also support you having this condition. It's important to realize that you don't have to snore to have obstructive sleep apnea. Here are some suggestions to try before your appointment. You've already limited food intake before meals, but try to eliminate eating or drinking any alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. Try sleeping on your side. If you have any weight to lose, that may help as well. Unfortunately, only a sleep study can determine if you have this condition and if and how you should be treated. There are other sleep conditions to rule out as well.

There are various simple home testing options available, from single sensors that measure your breathing to more sophisticated options. You may want to discuss with your medical doctor or sleep center about either moving up your appointment or consider a home testing option.

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