please help- I don't know how to breathe properly - holding breath constantly

[aesedr]

It's been going on for a few years now and it's affecting my sleep.

I'm constantly holding my breath. Like absolutely always. Even in my sleep. If I try and consciously relax and breath normally I last about 5 seconds before holding my breath again. It's constant. I can inhale but it seems at the exhale part I sort of don't exhale fully and hold it in.

It's actually worse in my sleep as I never have a chance to notice it and stop it. I wake up with extremely sore neck and shoulders.

I don't understand why I do this. I can say that I started doing this after the birth of my DD. Do you think something isn't right with my diaphragm? It doesn't feel different though. I have a very weak core - could it be that?

I don't understand what the problem is. I'm not even stressed I don't know how to stop it.

I've tried googling but can't find anything. I try to understand the mechanism of breathing for any clues but I can't find any answers.

@Leftbutcameback

You might also try a chiropractor - I have a stiff upper back and that’s due to my lung problems and how I breathe too. He’s been very helpful.

Thanks I went to a chiropractor and he didnt do much at all for my issue. My back felt good but that was about it. It was v expensive too.

Dysfunctional breathing? A family member of mine is a respiratory physio and quite literally teaches how to breathe.

@Leftbutcameback

I’m interested in what you say about sleep. I have a very sore neck after sleep but my physical therapist says that it’s not what’s happening during my sleep, but actually during the day (which makes sense). I wonder if you are actually breathing ok at night as when you’re asleep you can’t consciously control your breathing and it seems more likely to be normal. And you said that the doctor has looked at that already and so the disordered sleeping might have another cause? Sounds very stressful, good luck

When I went for a sleep study they said I was waking up absolutely loads but my brain doesn't remember it as I go back to sleep again, microarousals. But the doc had absolutely no idea why I was doing this when prior to this my sleep was bliss.

I told her that I think I'm not breathing right and I wake up with a very sore neck and shoulders but she was adamant that my breathing was okay. The thing is when I hold my breath I'm still breathing so I would assume the O2 levels showing as ok.

Why would you ache in the morning and not during the day too? I don't really get it.

@GoodSoup

Dysfunctional breathing? A family member of mine is a respiratory physio and quite literally teaches how to breathe.

Where is your relative based! I can't find any specialists near me! It's all normal physio.

When you breathe do you breathe up and down or in and out (i know that sounds strange)

When you breathe in do your shoulders go up and then down when you breathe out, almost as if you are getting taller and shorter?

Or do your shoulders stay in place and ypur chest gets wider and narrower?

@Toomanyradishes

When you breathe do you breathe up and down or in and out (i know that sounds strange)

When you breathe in do your shoulders go up and then down when you breathe out, almost as if you are getting taller and shorter?

Or do your shoulders stay in place and ypur chest gets wider and narrower?

Yes I know what you're saying. I think I am breathing up and down. My shoulders are definitely moving a little bit but tbh my shoulders are usually up to my ears because of the breath holding!

I also notice that I am holding my stomach in alot due to my diastasis recti and the wondered if this was contributing to it.

I do ache in the day too and am always stretching my neck and shoulders, but I always assume somehow overnight it would get better and when it didn’t I assumed it was my pillow. Spent a fortune on new pillows. Not the pillow of course. I’m working with a brilliant soft tissue therapist now and she’s great at targeting the small muscles that get tight with breathing at the top IYSWIM. I agree re expense of chiropractors, although I still go every so often because it helps. My soft tissue massage therapist is £30 for half an hour and I go every other week now. I think that’s much better value.

I also saw a respiratory physio years ago at the local hospital (SE England) so there are some in the NHS. I was referred by my respiratory consultant .

*Yes I know what you're saying. I think I am breathing up and down. My shoulders are definitely moving a little bit but tbh my shoulders are usually up to my ears because of the breath holding!

I also notice that I am holding my stomach in alot due to my diastasis recti and the wondered if this was contributing to it.*

@aesedr that will be contributing to the neck and shoulder pain, because you are in effect using your neck and shoulders to do the work your chest and diaphragm should be doing. You also might not be breathing fully into your lungs

I wonder if you are subconsiously avoiding breathing deep from your belly because of your diastasis recti and have gone too far in the opposite direction so you are only breathing very high in your chest

Try practicing breathing by breathing from the bottom of your ribs, feeling like your ribs and shoulder blades are splaying but your shoulders are barely going up and your belly is barely going out.

Also try forcing air out through pursed lips, sometimes if you have disorderd breathing out you might not be letting of enough carbln dioxide so its almost like the oxyden has nowhere to go

But get your thyroid levels checked too if you can, this definitely cleared up for me after getting my thyroid treated

I initially thought anxiety too but it's been going on since the birth of my youngest and she now 4!
That doesn't mean it's not anxiety or panic attacks. Though I've had the same disordered breathing from very low iron as from anxiety. Has your GP ruled out things like low iron, low 12 and thyroid problems? Given you can't exhale properly have they ruled out Asthma?

This website I think is the one I used to find self help physio stuff but I think they list professionals who practice in the area as well:

www.physiotherapyforbpd.org.uk

Bpd in that context stands for breathing pattern disorders

Kelly was brilliant for disordered breathing post Covid.