Waking up with shortness of breath

[CarJim75]

Hello guys,

So last night I awoke to with shortness of breath. I was immediately able to resume normal breathing. It has happened to me in the past prior to my diagnosis of GAD. Does anyone know if this is common with GAD?

On a side note, my biggest fear is dying during my sleep. Any thoughts or suggesting to overcome my fear? Thank you.

[cat eyes]

I have the same feeling! I wake up with heart papiltations and want to run to the er. It's all anxiety.

[CarJim75]

It sucks, I hate it. Wish I was "normal" again...

[missfoxC]

I've got the death anxiety too. Every time I feel that one creep up I tell myself it's inevitable. I also started seeing a Christian counselor. It helped immensely. I was almost completely done with trying to believe in God until I started going. Now I know that even though we think this life is great but imagine the next life. I've decided I wanna live as long as God wants me to but I don't wanna live her forever. Sorry I went on a spill! I just know fighting anxiety and depression can really tear your faith apart.

[CarJim75]

No not at all. I actually was about to look for YouTube videos with bible passages. Let me know if you recommend any bible verses? Thank you.

[missfoxC]

My favorite is Philippians 4:6,7. There's more though. I'll get my bible tonight and send more! It really helps and to get my focus And understand the big picture. I hope it helps. You can pm me Any time for anything! Buddy system is definitely something that's needed!

[CarJim75]

Thank you! Yes by all means PM with additional passages.

[missfoxC]

Let's me know what you think of it! Sometimes when I read it I can feel my body completely relax. You probably think I could like a bible thumper but I do believe :)

[CarJim75]

It is relaxing :) try this one Psalm 34:17

[hopeNfaith88]

Hello guys,

So last night I awoke to with shortness of breath. I was immediately able to resume normal breathing. It has happened to me in the past prior to my diagnosis of GAD. Does anyone know if this is common with GAD?

On a side note, my biggest fear is dying during my sleep. Any thoughts or suggesting to overcome my fear? Thank you.

Are you overweight? The reason i ask is sleep apnea may be possible if this happens alot and you are exhausted during the day.
Or you just may be having night terrors and waking up in panic

[CarJim75]

I can afford to shed some pounds but nothing drastic. There was a nightmare right before I woke up. Ive had nightmares before but it didn't include waking up with shortness of breath.

[hopeNfaith88]

I can afford to shed some pounds but nothing drastic. There was a nightmare right before I woke up. Ive had nightmares before but it didn't include waking up with shortness of breath.

Oh if you had a nightmare first thats your answer! Since my anxiety has been intense the last couple months, this same things been happeningto me frequently. I have real dreams that im dying and in the dream i get out of my bed and crawl to my moms room gasping for her to call 911 and help me. I think its so real and actually happening...i feel my body shut down. Then i wake up (for real) breathing hard and with a pounding heart. I also have other nightmares like my house being robbed but they are all realistic because in the dreams they always begin with me getting out of bed. Its terrifying. It happens because the nightmare kicks your body into survival mode and panic attacks can haplen while you sleep believe it or not. Theyll lessen and eventually go away when your daytime anxiety does.

Sometimes i have nightmares that i jump awake from in a panic, sometimes i wake up normally (just open my eyes and im a lil scared), and sometimes i dont wake up at all til im supposed to. I know its scary because this started happening and its out of the ordinary for you, but it certainly happens. So no worries.

[CarJim75]

I was doing well getting my anxiety under control and then this happens. I'm trying to stay positive and see it only as a small set back.

[savannah]

when i was preg i had gad and i would wake up gasping for air, its bc the acid comes up into the throat and chokes u and takes your breath way a friend of ours has gad and had the sam problem, google it

[laurandisorder]

I think it's nightmare or dream related.

I have very vivid dreams and they often turn nasty - like I die in them - and as I 'die' in my dream and lose consciousness, I wake up gasping for air like a fish out of water. Sometimes I even sit straight up in bed, gasping.

It's different to the shortness of breath that I have experienced with anxiety and panic attacks. I can usually get my breathing regulated to fall back to sleep within a few minutes.

I hope this helps.

[Buttercup]

Any of you guys that have the nightmares on beta-blockers? I noticed that I had really vivid and intense dreams when I started on them- not always nightmares but some really wierd and trippy ones that felt so real. Checked the info leaflet that came with the meds and it seems that vivid dreams can be a side effect. Anyway, I would often wake up from those dreams with shortness of breath and drenched in sweat. Seems to have alleviated a bit now but still get it sometimes. If I am really freaked out I will get up and put the lights on, sip water and chill out for awhile before trying to sleep again.

[joshbagosh]

Psalm 23 works wonders for me!

[jessy]

Gosh this happens to me on many occasion , glad to see I'm not alone .

It is very frightening :-/

[AnxiousChic]

Anxiety!
My main symptom is shortness of breath. It started out happening in the middle of the night. I would feel it in my sleep and wake up with it. Then I stressed about it and it started happening all day too. I had shortness of breath for about 6 days straight until I finally calmed myself down and it went away. I get it occasionally, but it lasts a few minutes, I don't think about it, and it goes away.
I was diagnosed with GAD back in 2001. But hadn't an attack since about 6 yrs until last month. But I'm fine again now.

[CarJim75]

How are you able to get your anxiety under control?

[dazza]

We all know shortness of breath (or an APPARENT shortness of breath) is typical of anxiety... and this could be just that, BUT, I must say that it is actually fairly common to wake up and gasp for air, whether you have GAD or not.

This usually occurs when the brain is only partially asleep (or semi-awake).
It's quite a freaky situation since you may try to move but you're kinda paralysed.

It's happened to me a number of times over many years and I accept it as just one of those things. My father has had the same over his entire life.

Perfectly normal... don't worry about it.

[AnxiousChic]

How are you able to get your anxiety under control?
My husband is a Physician's Asst. He did Cardiothoracic Surgery for over 2 years (so I always know I'm not having a heart attack - LOL), and now he does Orthopedic Surgery for the last few years. He has been a big help with calming me down from a medical perspective...
Once you realize that there really is nothing wrong with you, that this has happened to you before, and that you will get out of it just as you have in the past...it is easier to move on. Easier said than done, of course ;)