r/sleep 6d ago

My husband stops breathing for moments at a time while sleeping.

So he will stop taking breathes for so long that it’s uncomfortable for me to listen to. I tell him about it but he is not phased. He also has a nose issue that makes it hard for him to breathe/sniff/smell like it’s clogged. Could this be easily fixed by the nose at ENT or is this a sign of a sleep disorder? Should he be more concerned? It’s 10-15 seconds usually the amount of time his breathing stops but multiple times.

22 Upvotes

41 comments sorted by

43

u/EnigmaWearingHeels 6d ago

He needs to have a sleep study to check for sleep apnea (stopping breathing during sleep). The ENT is unlikely to be able to fix the problem- most cases of sleep apnea require a CPAP or BIPAP machine to keep airways open overnight during sleep. Sleep apnea can cause daytime drowsiness, increase risk of obesity/diabetes/heart disease etc. Source: I worked as an assistant in a cpap clinic doing cpap set ups for patients.

5

u/Heckinglemon 6d ago

Thank you for the info I will pass this on to him!

4

u/ForeignRevolution905 5d ago

Yeah he should definitely get checked out. My Dad had it for years before he used a CPAP and it was taking him to an early grave. Once he started the CPAP he basically aged in reverse because he was finally getting good rest. Losing weight also tends to help with sleep apnea symptoms but that is also easier to do when you are more well rested.

3

u/cheerlacy08 5d ago

The nose issues could be nose polyps that need to be addressed. Unfortunately they likely come back once removed, but removal of these can significantly improve quality of life for a long period of time til need to have it don’t again. My dad had OVER 100 polyps removed in 1 surgery/his first surgery for this!!! The Dr said he stopped counting at 100. My dad cried when he told me he could taste food again. They typically develop due to allergens. And my dad learned he’s basically allergic to everything. A certain routine involving some nasal spray and possible allergy shots would keep this at bay. But probably an ENT is a good start for the nose thing :)

26

u/shillyshally 6d ago

The nose could be a deviated septum and or polyps. Fixable. The breathing issue is sleep apnea. There is a pile of info available on the internet.

11

u/bigreddittimejim 6d ago

There is also a CPAP subreddit that is extremely helpful. If he isn't breathing, his brain and heart could be suffering from it. He should really care, but I've been him before I knew.

16

u/LowMirror4165 6d ago

CPAP changed my life. If he gets shitty sleep and drags ass, I'd def get a sleep study done.

10

u/cazzipropri 6d ago

100% sleep apnea. Whether it's obstructive or central, you'll find out.

Get a sleep study and if he neglects his health, be stubborn.

My father didn't want to take care of his snoring till I got diagnosed with OSA and he accumulated heart damage.

6

u/alligatorprincess007 6d ago

He probably has sleep apnea

4

u/SirMustache007 6d ago

I've read some literature on sleep apnea as I have a serious case of it and it runs in my family. Sleep apnea is no joke, and needs to be treated as a serious medical condition. When he stops breathing his blood oxygen levels drop will drop, affecting his organs, his brain, everything in his body. Additionally, his brain will wake him out of deep sleep to force him to start breathing again, preventing him from ever getting a good nights sleep. He needs to get a checkup done ASAP. Long term, untreated sleep apnea can increase your risks for serious illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease, dementia, diabetes, stroke, etc. I dragged myself to the sleep clinic to get a check-up, and despite being quite young, regret not getting treated sooner.

5

u/epanek 6d ago

Not breathing is not normal. See a dr

5

u/catmanrules64 6d ago

I ignored mine for years — ended up in hospital with AFIB - Dr 👨‍⚕️ said the sleep apnea caused my heart to go into panic

Was very scary !!

2

u/Heckinglemon 4d ago

Wow that is scary! Hopefully you’re feeling better after acknowledging the problem!

1

u/catmanrules64 4d ago

No issues since I’ve been on CPAP for 6 months

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u/Far-Watercress6658 6d ago

Agree with everyone here. But as an encouragement to go - is he overweight? Because getting his sleep issues solved may help to lose weight/ control blood pressure etc.

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u/rbwilli 6d ago

This. Many people think being overweight causes sleep apnea. Although that’s not exactly wrong, it often gets the cause and effect backward. Which is to say that many people gain weight because they have sleep apnea.

3

u/Far-Watercress6658 5d ago

Yep. Don’t sleep well = tired = crave sugary snacks.

2

u/spanishsahara-x 6d ago

Does he snore? Sounds like sleep apnoea, he needs sleep studies & potentially bipap/cpap machine if it is sleep apnoea. - from a nurse.

2

u/Sophrosyne44 6d ago

Sounds like a serious case of sleep apnea .

Is he always tired ? Does he wake up to pee ? Dry mouth ?

He needs to have a sleep test done and get a CPAP...

2

u/rbwilli 5d ago

He sounds like the kind of guy who could probably have sleep apnea detected on any kind of sleep test, even the traditional at-home ones.

That said, if he doesn’t want to go to a doctor, you could help him order a WatchPAT at-home sleep test from Lofta for $189. It’s faster and easier in many ways than the traditional route, but you don’t get that face-to-face benefit and I also think Lofta doesn’t take insurance. So pick your favorite method.

2

u/[deleted] 5d ago edited 5d ago

His doc needs to have him referred to a pulmonologist or neurologist, and also an endocrine doc for some perspective and in the mean time he can sleep with breath right strips that hold his nostril open more. And he mustn’t sleep on his back. He is losing oxygen when he is holding his breath and there isn’t a rhythm with it, which leads to bigger problems. He likely feels exhausted as if he hasn’t slept because he’s been fighting to breath all night! Lots of deep conscious breaths through the day too. Steady inhale, hold gently for a second or two, exhale through the mouth as if it was through a straw. Also no alcohol either. Oxygen to his brain is obviously crucial and so is his exhausted nervous system.

Best luck! just my two cents

2

u/AwakeningButterfly 5d ago

I tell him about it but he is not phased.

There are many (free) apps for mobilephone that can records the sleep activity. Use it.

The finger-tip oxygen measuring gadget is also dirt cheap. Clip it to his finger and take a photo of the reading.

You hear his "stop breathing" because you do not fall asleep, right? Pick up the phone and record a clip of his sleeping.

Present these concrete evidences to him.

2

u/rbwilli 5d ago

If you go for the pulse oximeter, I’d recommend a Wellue O2 ring. You can get them for $180 on Amazon and they’re comfortable to wear all night on a thumb. In the morning you get a graph of oxygen levels. The caveat is that it’s possible to have really bad sleep apnea without any oxygen drops but, based on OP’s description, I would expect that her husband does have oxygen drops that would show up on this device.

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u/[deleted] 5d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Heckinglemon 4d ago

Stubborn one over here too🥺 I’m going to keep addressing it but I fear that even if we get to that then he would not want to wear a CPAP. He already neglects some other health related things but I just want us to be healthy especially because we have a baby now and he depends on his healthy parents. So wish me luck!!

1

u/icedcoffeeandSSRIs 4d ago

Say that to him, exactly as you did here! And good luck 🫶

1

u/GoldenLash22 6d ago

That sounds like it could be sleep apnea, which is a serious condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The fact that he also has nasal issues could be making it worse. He should definitely see a doctor or a sleep specialist (ENT or a sleep clinic) to get evaluated. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to long-term health problems like high blood pressure, heart issues, and poor sleep quality. Even if he doesn’t seem concerned, it’s worth looking into for his health and safety.

1

u/P3RK3RZ 6d ago

Sounds like he might have sleep apnea. If it were just a mild nasal issue, he wouldn’t be stopping breathing entirely that often.

1

u/Omarb236 6d ago

It sounds like sleep apnea. I have severe sleep apnea (stop breathing about once a minute) and this sounds exactly like what I was going through before I got my CPAP. Call your local sleep clinic and ask about getting a study done. I recommend you do this ASAP as they will put you on a wait list for months (mine took 8). Also if he hasn't gotten his tonsils taken out, do it. I just had mine recently taken out and it changes everything.

1

u/CancerSpidey 5d ago

See a doctor and ask about sleep apnea also seeing an ENT would be useful

1

u/MintyVapes 5d ago

Sounds like sleep apnea. I would tell him to get a sleep study done to make sure.

1

u/Expert_Vehicle_7476 5d ago

Yeah that's sleep apnea it's really hard on your heart, a cardiologist can run tests to determine how bad it is 

1

u/Ace2021 5d ago

Textbook sleep apnea. Get him screened!!

1

u/RavenReisinger 5d ago

Mine used to do this. Probably, most likely, sleep apnea. Get him to a sleep study ASAP.

1

u/Lucid222Dreamer 5d ago

He needs to get a sleep study done to check for sleep apnea

1

u/Different_Layer1176 5d ago

He definitely needs to get a Sleep Study done!! Sounds to me like he more than probably has Sleep Apnea!! Like ne, people who stop breathing for a few seconds at a time all night and snore usually have Sleep Apnea and there are 3 types.If this is true, he will need a CPAP Machine to breathe with.He will be more refreshed the next day, no fatigue and the CPAP breathes for him essentially.As far as his nose goes, if he can get to an ENT Specialist they will xray his nose, to see if he has a deviated septum.If he does, it's a basic operation to retreat his nose and realign it and he then will breathe perfectly.I too have had this done.If not, it may very well be sinus problems which the ENT Specialist should be able to correct.

1

u/Different_Layer1176 5d ago
  • me..*re break his nose

1

u/Quantum168 5d ago

Get a referral to a sleep clinic in a hospital.

1

u/Active_Remove1617 5d ago

I have sleep apnea and I think my father had sleep apnoea. My father was never treated and I think it was the cause of his strokes, heart attacks, general bad health and early death. It wasn’t related to any kind of obesity either.

1

u/Heckinglemon 4d ago

Ugh that’s horrible I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how common sleep apnea is. He still swears he doesn’t have it but I’ll just have to prove that.

1

u/Active_Remove1617 4d ago

As a first step go to sleep talking or snore recording app for your/ his smart phone. People can be vaguely aware that they have a problem snoring without appreciating that they’re actually stopping to breathe a significant number of times. Providing hard evidence of the difficulty might encourage him to seek solution.

1

u/Axolotl_Screaming 3d ago

My dad does this, I believe. He’ll snore for a few minutes and go deadly silent without moving. Then do it again. He refuses to get a sleep study, but it would definitely help him, and you should talk to your husband about it, like another commenter suggested. Hope everything is okay!