If You’re Doing This In Your Sleep, It’s Time To See A Doctor

Stress. Anxiety. Noisy neighbors. Blanket-hogging partners. With the list of things that can disturb a person’s sleep being more of a scroll, it’s no wonder an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans are affected by sleep-related problems, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association.

Included on that list might be symptoms you don’t even know you’re experiencing as a result of an undiagnosed sleep disorder — or a health condition that’s bringing on a sleep disorder.

“Most people will realize their sleep was disrupted when they feel excessive fatigue the next day, but it’s often difficult to trace this excessive fatigue to symptoms such as congestion, digestive issues or pain,” said Dr. Janice Johnston, co-founder and chief medical officer of U.S. health care plan Redirect Health. “Instead, people may misattribute these feelings to a lack of caffeine, a late night or daytime stress.”

If you experience any — or more than one — of the following symptoms after hitting the sheets, it might be time to check in with your doctor for a consult.

Gasping for air is most commonly a sign of sleep apnea, a sleep disorder where your breathing repeatedly stops and starts.

“During sleep, the muscles relax and the throat narrows or closes off,” said Dr. Zeeshan Khan, director of the Institute of Sleep Medicine at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, New Jersey.

Sleep apnea is also associated with snoring, choking while you sleep and waking up with a dry mouth and headache. “A sleep specialist can order a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea, which is typically treated with a device called CPAP — continuous air at a set pressure that splints the airway open,” Khan said.

Postnasal drip is another possible culprit. “When too much mucus makes its way to the back of the throat, it can block airways, causing people to temporarily stop breathing while sleeping,” Johnston said. “This leaves them gasping for air. It can be caused by allergies, changes in weather or the common cold.”

Staying hydrated can help thin out mucus and make it pass more easily. Ditto mucus-thinning agents, like Mucinex, and saline nasal irrigations. If OTC strategies don’t cut it, a specialist can curb post-nasal drip by prescribing a decongestant to help clear mucus and prevent your throat from becoming blocked, while also checking for other possible causes, such as a sinus condition, like allergies or sinusitis.

Acid reflux can also cause gasping, thanks to acidic secretions from the stomach refluxing up to the esophagus. “Often, patients will taste an acidic feeling in their mouth,” Johnston said. Sleeping on your left side, elevating the top half of your body with a wedge pillow or popping antacids may help get nighttime gasping under control.

Snoring is another common symptom of sleep apnea. “When there’s narrowing along the airway, either in the nose or throat, the tissue begins to vibrate and make a snoring sound,” Khan said. “This can be associated with gasping for air or snorting while sleeping, dry mouth in the morning and nasal congestion.”

It can also be caused by allergies or the common cold, as well as being overweight, Johnston said. Shortness of breath and increased sweating are additional symptoms that might disrupt your sleep.

A sleep specialist can order a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea. If there’s no evidence of sleep apnea, then different treatment options for snoring include sleeping on your side, raising the head of the bed, utilizing nasal strips, nasal sprays or an oral appliance.

Sleepwalking is considered a parasomnia, or an undesirable behavior or experience during sleep. “It’s a disorder during the deepest stage of non-REM sleep when the brain is interrupted and is in a state between sleep and wakefulness,” Khan said.

It can be caused by sleep deprivation, stress, anxiety or fever. Taking certain medications, like hypnotics, sedatives or certain medications used for psychiatric disorders, can also be a contributing factor. Ditto alcohol use.

A sleep specialist can diagnose this disorder by taking a thorough history and ordering a sleep study. Preventative measures are recommended (such as adjusting medications and being woken up around 15 minutes before you usually sleepwalk) and triggers like sleep deprivation, stress and alcohol are to be avoided.

Sleep talking, or somniloquy, is one of the most common parasomnias with an unknown cause. “It’s more frequent in people with mental illnesses and can be associated with sleepwalking and nightmares,” Khan said. Other causes may include emotional stress, fevers and substance misuse.

“These health conditions can lead to a reduced ability to concentrate, extreme mood swings or hallucinations,”…