What does choking in my sleep mean?

Choking in your sleep can be an unpleasant experience both for you and your bed partner. You might wake up gasping, or feeling like your throat is closed and you can’t breathe.

If I wake up choking have I got obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?

A common cause for this is obstructive sleep apnea. This is a condition where your upper airway closes off as you sleep, meaning you cannot get air into your lungs and you cannot breathe.

When you fall into a deep sleep, your airway closes, and you stop breathing, so your body wakes you up to open the airway and restart your breathing, which might result in choking, a snort, or a gasp.

This means your sleep is very fragmented and of poor quality.

OSA is a common condition affecting over 1.5 million adults in the UK. Not only this, but 85% of people with OSA do not know they have it. Anyone can have OSA regardless of age or size, but it does become more common with age and if you are carrying extra weight.

The nighttime symptoms of OSA are loud snoring, stopping breathing, and choking or gasping. As sleep is such poor quality, during the day people are often very tired, cannot concentrate, and might be low in mood.

When someone suffers from OSA for many years, there is good evidence linking this to the development of some significant physical and mental health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and depression. OSA is explained in more detail here.

If you think you have OSA you should order a home sleep test so you can be diagnosed and quickly on the path to the right treatment. We send out our home sleep tests by free next-day delivery, and we send the report back to you within 2 days of completing the test – faster than any other clinic.

What is the Home Sleep Test?

  • Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition. 85% of people who have it are undiagnosed.

    Our home sleep tests provide a quick, convenient and affordable way to have sleep apnea confirmed.

  • These are small watch-like devices that are worn on your wrist overnight. This is cutting-edge technology that gives extraordinarily detailed information on your sleep - which is a fascinating thing to uncover, and a vital step in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.

  • The home sleep test measures a number of different things:

    • Blood oxygen levels

    • Heart rate

    • Activity of your nervous system (called peripheral arterial tone, or PAT)

    • Movement (known as actigraphy)

    • Snoring pattern and volume

    • Chest movement and breathing effort

    • Body position

  • Our home sleep tests include free delivery. They are dispatched the same day if ordered before 12pm.

How can you treat sleep apnea?

There are different ways sleep apnea can be treated;

Lifestyle

If you are carrying extra weight, then losing some of this can help with symptoms. Stopping smoking is good for all aspects of health but also sleep apnea. Reducing alcohol intake and treating any nose allergies like hay fever can also make a difference.

Positional therapy

Some people only get sleep apnea when they are lay on their back, as in this position your airway is naturally narrower. Sewing a tennis ball into the back of your pyjamas can help keep you on your side, as can holding yourself in position with triangular-shaped pillows.

Dental devices

These are like sports gum shields, but with a lower section for the bottom teeth, that clip together and hold your lower jaw slightly further forward. These can be effective for snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea. There are self-moulded options and customised devices made by a dentist.

CPAP

This is the gold standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. It stands for continuous positive airway pressure and is a small box that sits on your bedside table. The machine blows air at low pressure through a tube that connects to a mask and gently holds your airway open from the inside.

This is an extremely effective treatment and can mean people start sleeping properly for what might be the first time in years. We have set many patients up with CPAP such as Nigel;

“Use of the machine was immediately successful with more restful sleep and feeling much more alert during the day. Absolutely no more daytime sleepiness now!”

Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

    • AutoSet CPAP - Sefam S.Box®

    • Nasal or full-face mask

    • Humidifier and travel bag

    • Free delivery

  • You will have an initial video appointment with one of our sleep experts, known as a physiologist, who will show you how to use your CPAP machine and run through any questions you may have.

    You will also be sized for a mask in this appointment, which is an essential step in getting the right mask fit.

  • Follow-up at 2 weeks

    By this time you should be using your CPAP machine regularly, though you may have some questions or queries that our physiologists can answer.

    All our devices have modems so the usage data can be accessed by our expert team. We can confirm if your apneas are being controlled and can make any manual adjustments to the pressures, if required.

    Follow-up at 6 weeks

    You should be up and running with CPAP now. We will make sure you are happy with your settings and can make any necessary adjustments.

  • CPAP can make such a difference to your life! We are absolutely committed to making sure you get the most out of this treatment, and so if there are any niggles, problems or questions you have along the way, we are always on hand to help.

    Our team usually get back to you same day, and we don’t charge for this advice.

Our comprehensive CPAP Package includes;

CPAP package with Sefam Néa
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CPAP package with Sefam Néa
£1,200.00
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Pay for CPAP in instalments

If you would like to pay in instalments, simply contact us and we will send you the link.

Can choking in my sleep be the result of a post-nasal drip?

Most of us have experience a runny nose, often during a cold or during sinusitis. When we lie on our backs to sleep, the nasal secretions may run down the back of the throat. These secretions can collect on the voice box and trigger choking, gagging or coughing.

Causes of this post-nasal drip include colds and viral upper respiratory tract infections, allergic rhinitis and sinusisits.

Once identified this can be treated, and most colds will settle after a few days. Allergic rhinitis can be treated with antihistamines and avoiding whatever the allergic trigger might be. Sinusiitis can be treated with regular sinus washouts, and sometimes your GP might prescribe nasal steroids or antibiotics.

If I wake up with shortness of breath, is it heart failure?

Heart failure is a complex condition where the heart doesn’t beat as effectively as it used to. This can lead to water accumulating in the body. Symptoms may include swollen ankles and breathlessness. The ankles get swollen as they are the lowest point of the body and the gravity pulls it down.

If you’re carrying extra fluid due to undertreated heart failure, then when you lay flat, your ankles are no longer the lowest point of the body. The water can ‘spill’ into the chest and collect in your lungs.

This might cause you to wake up extremely short of breath, something called paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea. If this occurs you need urgent attention from a doctor, which often means going to A&E.

Conclusion

There are a number of different causes for choking and gasping in your sleep, but obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common.

Our home sleep tests diagnose obstructive sleep apnea in the comfort of your own home. The tests are sent out by free next day delivery and consultations are available with our NHS trained expert sleep doctors.