Puffing while sleeping might be a common sight to some, but it should not be taken lightly. It can be a sign of sleeping conditions that needs medical treatment immediately. You will find the answers to your curiosity here.
So, what does puffing while sleeping mean? Puffing, or gasping while sleeping can be a major sign of sleep apnea or hypopnea.
Sleep apnea occurs when a person is experiencing difficulty in breathing during sleep. It can be due to the brain’s failure to send the right signals and keep the body breathing or an airway obstruction.
Regardless of what kind of sleep apnea a person might have, he or she will experience puffing while sleeping.
Since the air does not circulate properly inside the body due to difficult breathing, the heart may stop beating for a second or longer and the brain will not receive the oxygen it needs as well.
This may trigger the brain to send an “emergency wake up” signal to your body and wake you up to make you puff or gasp for air, since you couldn’t breathe well enough during sleep.
It’s your brain’s way of making you get the air you need to stay alive.
Although, puffing while sleeping can sometimes mean other things, such as a simple exhausted body that needs plenty more air or sleeping in a thin aired room can also cause this to happen.
But if you puff while sleeping constantly and it’s accompanied by other sleep apnea symptoms which will be further mentioned in this post, then there’s a high chance that you might have a sleeping condition.
If you want clear answers, our best advice is to get a sleep activity watch to monitor your sleep personally, or seek help from a doctor and schedule an appointment for a sleep study session where experts can study your sleeping habits and body’s behavior for proper evaluation.
But if you’re experiencing this, how can you avoid it? How do you stop it and why should you? There are still more to learn about this issue, so read on to find out the answers and stay healthy!
How to avoid puffing while sleeping
If you are certain that you may have sleep apnea that’s causing you to continuously puff during sleep, there are a few ways that involve surgeries, medical equipment and lifestyle changes that can avoid it.
Check this list of ways that can help you avoid puffing while sleeping.
- Rapid Maxillary Expansion
- For children with obstructive sleep apnea.
This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
- For children with obstructive sleep apnea.
- Jaw Advancement Surgery
- For teenagers and adults.
This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
- For teenagers and adults.
- Surgical Airway Advancement
- Similar to the 2nd example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.
- Nasal Strips
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as puffing.
- Oral Appliance
- Oral pieces can help with sleep apnea and puffing, they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter sleep apnea and puffing while sleeping.
- CPAP Treatment
- The CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” is a commonly used treatment and proven to be effective for sleep apnea patients and stops puffing while sleeping.
- Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
- Certain sedatives such as sleeping pills can cause puffing while sleeping. Consult a medical expert to figure out a solution.
- Treat chronic allergies
- Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea and cause you to puff during sleep.
- Try to avoid overworking yourself.
- Sometimes, simply going to sleep while totally exhausted can make our muscles relax too much to the point that it can lead to puffing while sleeping.
- Avoid drinking liquor before bed.
- Excessive liquor can also relax the muscles that will lead to puffing while sleeping. Limit alcohol consumption or avoid drinking too much before going to sleep.
- Sleep with your head elevated.
- When the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
You can also use an anti-snore pillow which will keep your head in proper place that can prevent you from puffing while sleeping.
Sleeping in a chair or a recliner chair is also an option.
- When the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
- Try to sleep on your sides.
- Sleeping flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause puffing while sleeping
You can read about: “How to prevent sleeping on my back” to learn how you can keep sleeping on your sides.
- Sleeping flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause puffing while sleeping
- Get plenty of exercises.
- Lack of physical activity can cause our body’s functionality to drop. This means that we need the right amount of exercise to keep our body “awake” and functioning even as we sleep.
- Stop or limit smoking.
- If your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and causing you to puff while sleeping
Those who are also exposed to secondhand smoke can be prone to sleep apnea, so avoid getting near smoke as much as possible.
- If your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and causing you to puff while sleeping
- Drink enough water.
- When we are dehydrated, the throat becomes dry which makes the vibrating tissues sound louder and produces snoring. Stay hydrated to prevent puffing while sleeping.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Our diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your muscles may not work as it should.
Focus on eating healthy foods!
- Our diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your muscles may not work as it should.
- Sleep on time.
- Not getting the right amount of sleep and not sleeping early can cause the body to become dysfunctional and make us puff while sleeping.
- Lose weight.
- Being overweight or obesity will cause difficulty in breathing. The excess fat will get in the way of the air passages, causing tissues to vibrate. This can cause puffing while sleeping.
As you can see, some of these only involve basic lifestyle changes. However, if these aren’t enough to cure any one of your conditions, the best thing to do is see a doctor for better medications.
Why you should stop puffing while sleeping
There are many reasons why you should stop or avoid puffing while sleeping as soon as you can especially if it’s a sign of sleep apnea. See a doctor immediately if you notice the puffing has been constant.
When you do have sleep apnea, here’s the possible risk factors that can threaten your health.
- Death
- Sleep apnea interrupts breathing that can affect the heart and the brain which can lead to sudden death during sleep.
- Difficult breathing
- Sleep apnea can occur when there is an obstruction in the airway or the brain is unable to function well that helps the body breathe, causing difficult breathing.
- Snoring
- If there is an obstruction in the airway, the muscles around the throat may vibrate and cause snoring.
- Worsens other illnesses
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep disrupts your entire body’s functionality and eventually attacking the other diseases a patient may already have.
- Heart problems
- With sleep apnea, you are more prone to heart problems such as heart failure or heart attacks. This is due to the lack of blood oxygen levels.
- Irregular heartbeat
- Due to the low blood oxygen levels or the air is unable to reach your heart, it can lead to an abnormal heartbeat or pauses in breathing during sleep.
- Stroke
- Similar to heart problems
- Depression
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep and get the proper rest can mess up your emotions or eventually lead to depression.
- Weight gain or loss
- Sleep apnea messes up your body’s hormone production. You can end up gaining weight faster due to sleep apnea.
- Diabetes
- Having sleep apnea disables the body’s ability to control the sugar level which can lead to diabetes.
- High Blood Pressure
- Sleep apnea can potentially cause or worsen hypertension in people.
- Increases ADHD
- Being sleep deprived decreases the person’s ability to focus, worsening conditions such as ADHD.
- Headaches
- The lack of air that enters the brain can lead to other brain problems, but usually results in morning headaches.
- Daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty breathing at night can lead to restless sleeps, making you feel the need to stay asleep even during the day because your body couldn’t rest well at night.
- Insomnia
- Difficulty in breathing can lead to insomnia. Instead of waking up randomly at night, you will end up being unable to sleep.
- Seizures
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
- Irritability
- When you are sleep deprived, you will unconsciously lose control of your emotional stability. You can become irritable or easily frustrated with sleep apnea.
- Poor memory
- Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation which may lower your brain’s performance as it affects the brain activity, causing poor memory in patients.
- Respiratory diseases
- Sleep apnea is a respiratory disease that may cause other diseases or worsen them.
- Driving accidents
- The lack of concentration and daytime sleepiness can lead to driving accidents when you have sleep apnea.
As you can see, sleep apnea can be really scary and should not be taken lightly. If left untreated, it can lead to fatal situations such as death.
What are the signs of sleep apnea that causes puffing while sleeping
Sleep apnea must be stopped immediately. It should not be left untreated, as you can see the risks listed in the earlier sections. But how do you know if you have sleep apnea?
You might be confusing normal symptoms such as puffing while sleeping for sleep apnea. Again, if it’s not really constant, it may not be sleep apnea or it can be a different condition.
Actually, there is a way to help you find out the best way how you can resolve your sleep apnea.
One of the most common ways to identify sleep apnea is by conducting a “sleep study” wherein the patient will have to stay in a center where doctors and nurses would be observing their sleeping habits.
Not only the sleeping behavior but other factors that could be a sign of sleep apnea as well. Here’s a list of sleep apnea signs to watch out for if you are not ready to go for a sleep study yet.
- When you snore heavily
- Maybe, it can be a sign of fatigue but snoring loudly and usually can be a sign of sleep apnea.
- Sudden weight gain or loss
- Losing control of your weight can be a sign of sleep apnea.
- Gasping for air during sleep (puffing while sleeping)
- The feeling of drowning without knowing it and suddenly you’re out of air.
- If you have insomnia
- Having trouble going to sleep because you have breathing problems that you may not notice
- If you experience hypersomnia
- Having trouble staying awake in the morning because you were unable to sleep well due to your sleep apnea
- Waking up with a headache
- Sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state. Since you can’t sleep well, your body will use energy for means that can help you breathe which may lead to headaches.
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- With sleep apnea, the person tends to snore and keep their mouth open when gasping for air which leads to a dried up mouth once we awaken.
- Decreased ability to focus
- Sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything
- Feeling uncomfortable
- Your lack of energy due to sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge
- Suddenly stop breathing during sleep
- Your housemates should notice this and tell you about it. Sleep apnea can disrupt breathing that may last for up to 10 seconds which is already risky.
What causes sleep apnea that leads to puffing while sleeping
There are different factors that can cause sleep apnea or worsen it. Check out this list that will give you an idea about the illness.
- Being overweight
- Body fat can get in the way of the body’s ability to stretch its airways open making it harder to breathe which will cause sleep apnea.
- Airway obstruction
- Anything that can obstruct the airways will make breathing difficult and cause the tissues to vibrate and cause sleep apnea.
- Sleeping position
- Sleeping on your back may cause the tongue to fall back and the muscles to relax which can block the airways.
- Drinking liquor
- Drinking excessive liquor especially before going to sleep will relax the muscles and create difficulty in breathing.
- Taking medications
- Certain medications can make the body relax as well
- Sleeping exhausted
- Sometimes, going to bed overworked or completely exhausted can cause sleep apnea since the body is too tired to help your breathing stay normal.
- Anatomical build
- Your physical attributes can obstruct your airways and some of this can be hereditary.
- Age
- As we age, our throat will become narrower which is beyond our control. However, proper sleep routine and a healthy, balanced diet can prevent snoring or sleep apnea.
- Hypothyroidism
- The condition wherein your body does not produce enough thyroid hormones, which is needed to control how to use energy received from food through metabolism. Bad metabolism can affect heartbeat and breathing.
- Acromegaly
- Opposite of hypothyroidism, acromegaly produces too much growth hormones which can affect your overall health including breathing.
- Allergies
- There are certain allergies that can worsen sleep apnea or snoring. Allergies that result with difficulty in breathing are the likes.
- Smoking cigarettes
- Excessive smoking can cause your throat muscles to swell, making the airways narrower and lead to obstruction, causing sleep apnea.
- Sleeping with a full stomach
- When you go to bed with a full stomach, there’s a risk of relaxing your muscles or your body is working on processing the food inside your body which can lead to difficult breathing.
- Going to bed exhausted
- Try to take a quick break before going to bed. If you are too tired and went to sleep, your muscles won’t work as it should and may not keep you breathing right during sleep.
- Lack of physical activity
- The lack of physical activity can weaken your muscles, making it unable to sustain your body’s need to keep breathing during sleep.
Some of these cannot be avoided, but it’s still important that you know about it.
Related Questions
What causes you to snort when sleeping?
Snorting when sleeping can be a sign of sleep apnea if it’s loud and constant. Sleep apnea occurs when the person is experiencing difficulty in breathing which may cause the body to snort due to lack of air.
Is Catathrenia dangerous?
Catathrenia currently does not pose any dangerous threat other than becoming a disturbance to your bed partner and harming their sleep’s health.
As of the moment, the rare sleeping condition is still being studied but is not as dangerous as sleep apnea and other sleeping conditions.
