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Original poster

MY DH stops breathing when he is asleep...suggestions for what this is?

30 replies

Pavlovthecat · 25/03/2008 02:42

Over the last few weeks I have noticed that at night time my DH will stop breathing for about 20 seconds or so, completely, then start breathing suddenly, usually snoring quite badly with it. Over the last few days, it has happened, possibly twice a night, that I am aware of.

He usually snores anyway, and this is getting worse, but he does have a cold and a bunged up nose right now so think this is why its getting worse.

I am a bit worried about the not breathing though. Is it common? Is there a reason for it? Can he do anything about it? Is it dangerous for him?

OP posts:
Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 25/03/2008 02:43

Darn it, I keep forgetting I am in US, so no one is up!

OP posts:
Olihan · 25/03/2008 02:49

I'm up!

I think it's sleep apnea (aponea/apnoea - don't know how to spell it!), that's what it's called when babies do that type of stopping breathing at least. I don't know an more than that though.

I may be up but I'm not useful .

carol3 · 25/03/2008 02:50

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea

Sounds like sleep apnea

Olihan · 25/03/2008 02:52

Here, it does sound like it.

alipiggie · 25/03/2008 02:58

Pavlovthecat, you need to tell him to go to the Dr, sleep apnea can be an indication that something else is wrong. It can be very serious and should be investigated. Not to scare you, but do take it seriously. And I"m up as I'm in Colorado.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 25/03/2008 03:07

thanks everyone.
I have tried to speak to him about it, and he keeps saying its just a cold, or, its because I drank alcohol last night, or its because its too hot in the bedroom. He wont take it seriously. I might have to scare him into it myself!

I will go look at the sites you sent .

Colorado - what time is it there? I am going back from NYC to UK on wednesday...

OP posts:
alipiggie · 25/03/2008 03:08

It's currently 9.07 . Been glorious here today too really hot and sunny. Safe journey.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 25/03/2008 03:10

Thats it, exactly it...will read on...

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alipiggie · 25/03/2008 03:18

Tell him, most people use the same excuses and that every time he stops beating his heart struggles and he should go to a sleep assessment clinic. They take it very seriously in Europe I know for a fact. Not sure about here, just friends/family I know have had to even have surgery to help them.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 25/03/2008 03:25

I will bug him about it.

We are sorting out diet out when we get back home, eating more healthily, exercising a bit more, I am sensing that this might be atributing to it, even if not the whole cause. Also, we only have one pillow each, staying with family. At home we have two lovely ones, and a bigger bed, apparantly lateral sleeping reduces episodes, as does sleeping in an elevated position, and here is is harder for him to get a comfortable sleeping position, maybe why I have not noticed it before/why it is only occuring now?

OP posts:
Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 25/03/2008 03:26

allpiggle - nice weather!!! I stayed in LA this vacation and it was hot there too, not in NYC tho!!!

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alipiggie · 25/03/2008 03:27

Has he been stressed recently? That can make it worse, alcohol and diet certainly affect it as does (dare I say this) smoking and passive smoking. If the climate is drier than you're used to, this probably isn't helping either. Just scare him into going for a check up nowt wrong with that .

cmotdibbler · 25/03/2008 08:47

He has got sleep apnoea - it is only now being recognised as a serious ongoing condition.

Its very easily treated with CPAP (continuous positive airways pressure) which is a machine that blows air into the nose to keep the airways open.

I thought DH did it maybe 10 times a night. On his sleep study it was 87 times an hour, and the consultant said it would have taken 20 years or more off his life.

You've probably noticed it as you have been sleeping lightly whilst away

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 26/03/2008 00:08

Apparantly, upon talking to him, when he said it because of this, or that, that when he shared a house with a friend (a room I think) as a younger man, his friend noticed it too!!!

Does this mean he has had it all this time? Or could it be that it stopped and come back? Maybe I put it down to snoring, it is defintely more distinctive than breathing in the past, but maybe I did not notice properly. Surely I would have.

Anyway, the deal is...we go back to UK tomorrow, and he will give it two weeks to get ourselves back on track, if it is still happening he has promised to0 go to GP. I made him promise, told him he is very important to me and to Bella and he needs to make sure he is always well.

The apartment we are in is very dry, he is smoking more than normal, he does not usually smoke taylor made cigerettes (uses tobacco) and even then he smokes far far less at home. Probably the same for drinking, although we have not drunk to excess here apart from probably two nights out of the last month (too many children to look after!)

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Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 26/03/2008 00:10

cmotdibbler - thats really frightening 20 years . Do you know how long he might have had it for before it was diagnosed?

Concerns me as DH said today that it had been mentioned before that he stops breathing when he sleeps, this was at least 10 years ago, before I knew him, I think it was more like 12-13 years ago he lived with this friend.

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cmotdibbler · 26/03/2008 08:30

Dh has done it forever - he has a 'funny' story about waking up with the girl he was sleeping with thumping his chest to make him start breathing again. It took me a solid 10 years of nagging to get him to go to the Drs and then once he did, he was really frightened by what they told him about the effect on your heart. During his sleep study his blood pressure was sky high in the morning from all of the adrenaline released by his body to restart his breathing.

All of those things that you mention will make sleep apnoea worse, but it really does need looking at as only a sleep study will show the true extent - but if other people have noticed it before, its no good putting it off any longer. One of the main indicators of risk is neck size apparently.

Waiting lists to have them done on the NHS can be quite long - our health insurer paid for everything except the actual machine.

Sleep apnoea is on the news in the UK today as NICE have ruled that CPAP should be the primary treatment for it, and that all NHS trusts should pay for it.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 27/03/2008 18:34

cmotdibbler - I reckon that DH has suffered from it for this long too.

We are back in the UK now, so hopefully will notice some improvement in next couple weeks.

Thanks for advice everyone.

OP posts:
winebeforepearls · 27/03/2008 18:43

Pavlov, see here

zippitippitoes · 27/03/2008 18:45

i have this i didnt realise it was serious

themildmanneredjanitor · 27/03/2008 18:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 27/03/2008 18:56

Zippi - I think, from what I have read,and what people have told me, is that the majority of people who suffer from this have no other issues, and it is not dangerous.

However, it can indicate an underlying problem, or cause other problems,and this is why people are suggesting that it gets looked into.

The funny thing is, DH does not suffer from excessive tiredness, in fact completely the opposite. He is a night owl, enjoys staying up later than me, and does not need more than 8 hours sleep.

He can however, be a little clumsy ((usually only with expensive wine glasses!)) and has had a few minor dings in the car reversing...but that is likely just that he is bad at parking in small spaces!!!

TMMJ - I have attempted to press the urgency of it to him, and he just thinks I am being overly dramatic, but has promised, so I will keep him to it.

He just does not want to talk about it.

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fryalot · 27/03/2008 18:58

pav - my dp does this. Apparently, it is related to sleep-walking and other sleep issues

Also, unless you have timed the non-breathing times, it won't be quite as long as you think it is - sometimes, I am sure that dp has stopped breathing for minutes but it is in fact only about twenty seconds.

Scary and freaky though eh?

zippitippitoes · 27/03/2008 18:59

i used to find i couldnt wake myself up and dreamt i was buried or suffocating or some similar nightmare

or i do a huge snore which is me starting breathing again and it wakes me up

now i have another man that i find embarrassing as even to me it sounds grossluyy unattractive as i am rather vain

hope your dh is ok

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 27/03/2008 19:09

I have sort of timed them Squonk - and it is arounde 10-20 seconds but does seem like longer.

I really do only think it has started again recently as I am a light sleeper, and suffer from insomnia from time to time, have always known he is a loud snorer (as am I!) but never noticed this before...

It is interesting to read how many people suffer from this without even knowing, and also how easy it appears to potentially change your life. In many cases just changing lifestyle is the case.

Be intersting to see DHs view on attending a sleep clinic!!!

OP posts:
zippitippitoes · 27/03/2008 19:10

exdp told me i stopped breathing in my sleep

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