Wake Up Choking

[tom2012]

Hi just wanted to see if anyone knew what was wrong. The letter below is what I found on the net which I could of wrote myself.

For more than eight years, I've always dreamed of some objects about to slip into my windpipe or had already slipped into my windpipe. I thought I was going to die, I would quickly jump out of bed (and knocked myself on something hard that I got bruises), attempting to clear my throat by making gagging sound, or putting my head down towards the floor so the "object" wouldn't fall into the throat, or tried to get help from my family.... then, at this moment, I suddenly realized that I was quite alright-- "it's only a dream" I told myself and went back to bed, heart still pounding from being too scared. It was so scary because I really thought I was going to die. How many times does one feel that they are about to die? Probably none, probably once or twice in their lifetime. But for me, I had this dream almost every other night at some point.

 

[timetorecover]

sleep apnea?

 

[Kimpersonal]

Finding this post is one of those OMG moments for me!!!! I used to suffer from these dreams sooooo badly! This is validating and exciting because I conquered these terrifying nightmares and hopefully what I learned might help someone else who needs to make them stop!!

First, I want to explain what mine were like so you can decide if my case is similar enough to warrant taking any advice from me, okay?

Usually (tho not always) these dreams occurred in the same dream-like state as the "falling dream" that more people have experienced and can relate to ... very "semi-conscious" dream which is why it seems so very real and vivid. In my opinion, this is when the sub-conscious will push a matter of utmost importance into the conscious mind ... something which NEEDS to be dealt with. You will likely keep getting this dream repetitiously until you at least begin dealing with what your subconscious is begging you to, if your at all like me.

In my dreams I was swallowing lego pieces, earrings, necklaces, puzzle pieces, bobby-pins, open safety pins and needles ... often even larger things like a sock or a facecloth! (my gag reflex is working overtime right now while sharing this). It was SO vividly real ... the physical sensation ... that I would jump to the bathroom and stick my fingers down my throat trying to bring up what I feared was falling towards, or already in my stomach! I know that sometimes I was gasping for air ... but most times found I could breathe through my nose? So, while at first I thought it might be sleep apnea, this alerted me to thinking that it was something else. Yet, I still had no clue what.

One dream in particular ... I was swallowing yet another necklace. I managed to stick out my tongue quick enough to catch the very last length of it with my upper-front teeth and pin it to my tongue (I hope that makes sense. Very tricky to describe). I reached in with my fingers and found nothing there of course ... but I had scraped my tongue hard enough to make it bleed. It was while swallowing the trickle of blood that the meaning of the dream popped into my thick skull!

*** What are you trying to swallow in your life that you don't want to swallow?***
***If it is hard to swallow, it probably isn't good for you!***

This dream is showing you that the anxiety in your subconscious is SO high that it needs lowering ... what is it in your waking life that is bringing you the most anxiety? Is somebody else pressuring you to take on more than you can bear? Are you pressuring yourself to do something that goes against what you REALLY want to do?

Try to figure it out BEFORE you bite your own tongue ... that really hurt like a SOB! :p

Once I figured out the meaning and began working on some sources of anxiety the dreams subsided and eventually stopped. Don't get me wrong, I still had nightmares ... just no more of these ones, thankfully!

I hope this helps somebody.

 

[Shaun UK]

Thanks for sharing, this is my condition exactly. Did you have some form if therapy to help relieve the anxiety?

 

[lky]

Finding this post is one of those OMG moments for me!!!! I used to suffer from these dreams sooooo...

I have mentioned this problem to several doctors. They think I am crazy. It doesn't happen as often as it used to. In the beginning I thought I had large weirder objects stuck in my throat, like a hammer or knife. They aren't as big now, but items like ball bearings, etc. But last night was horrible. I dreamed I had some sort of device the shape of the outline of my jaw stuck. It was too big to swallow. I half woke up digging down in the sides around my teeth in an attempt to get hold of it to pull it out. Its always so horrifying! Sometimes I jump out of bed because its something serious that I know will hurt me it I swallow it. Then, I wake up and realize that I'm not choking.

 

[ReachingOutJ]

This happened to me. I went to the ER several times, only to be rejected and treated as though I were a hypochondriac. I begged them to put me into the sleep lab, but they refused, because I had anxiety; they assumed that was all it was. I called a sleep clinic in another city and begged them to take me in for a study. I went for a two night study, and they found out that I have mostly sleep-onset central apnea; likely due to a head injury I sustained when I was hit in the head by my ex. I had a little bit of obstructive as well. I am now on an ASVPAP machine, and it's been about 4 months. My sleep reports have been good; numbers are low they say, but the process of getting the help I needed was deeply anxiety inducing, and it contributed to my PTSD and GAD. I had previously had a gallbladder operation before all of this happened, too, and my family and boyfriend were being verbally abusive. Family still does it to me, but I depend on them for my insurance, so I'm f*cked on that end.

Please try to get into a sleep study. I had dreams I was choking on my pillow, but it turned out to be a real medical issue.

 

[ReachingOutJ]

sleep apnea?

That is what I also suspect. I used to dream I was choking on my pillow. They found apnea.

 

[Kwensi Givens]

Hi just wanted to see if anyone knew what was wrong. The letter below is what I found on the net which I...

Yes omg ive been having this for like almost what seems to be a year. Also one where my teeth or tooth is llose and sometimes my jaw locks . Its really scary and dont know if i should tell somebody. My homie saidd its because im young but idk lol

 

[Nikkiizzzzz]

I have been experiencing this for the past 6 months. For me, i will be asleep and in my dream i will accidentally swallow something, somehow i have something in my mouth and it accidentally slips down my throat...it is always stange objects, usually small things but not always, and i wake up in a panic.

I don't actually feel like i am choking, but i wake up in a panic worrying that since some large object just slipped down my trachea i will surely have my air way obstructed and choke/die.

I have jolted out of bed and tried to run to family members to say goodbye, screamed, thinking i am about to start choking or just sat up and freaked out trying to get some water to wash it down...as i slowly gain comsciousness i not only realize it was only a dream, but the object i supposedly swalled/inhaled and the context of the fear begin to seem totally unrealistic and silly...

once i even dreamed i was giving birth out of my mouth and i woke up fearing i would not be able to breath. Once again, i never am afraid that the object i swallowed will go to my stomach or hurt me in that way and i never physically feel the object in my throat or feel like i cant breath, its just the fear that i am going to choke to death and a panic...as if i am waiting to feel my airway blocked but the choking never comes and i gradually come into consciousness and realize i am ok and it was a dream .

I also have experienced other weird sleep issues, such as post hypnognic hallucinatuons and awaking in a panic with a general feeling of doom

 

[joeylittle]

Nikkiizzzzz, you should get a sleep study done. What you describe could be a symptom of sleep apnea, which can only be diagnosed (I believe) in a sleep study. Since you also have hypnogogic issues, it really would be worth it - if nothing else, that way you can rule out physical causes of these episodes and concentrate on the mental side of them.

Even though you don't experience choking in your dreams, actually, you could be experiencing a blocked airway. Our bodies register abnormalities during sleep in very strange ways. A sleep study will tell you a great deal.

 

[Ed Norton]

Yep JL

 

[Deleted member 29920]

I get this too but for me I dream of having a huge piece of bubblegum, I'm chewing it but start to choke and wake convinced it was really there. Ughhhhh!