Thursday I woke up in the middle of the night, unable to breathe. I was gasping as hard as I could and barely getting a tiny sliver of air. I was terrified, sure I was going to die. Well, I didn't die. I scared the daylights out of Randy, but I didn't die. I also didn't go back to sleep. I propped myself up on the couch, afraid to lay down, and waited for the night to pass.
I think I've figured out what's going on. Back in January I got a really bad cough, probably from a cold. The cold passed but the cough remained, giving me several sleepless nights and a very sore throat. I've had a cough ever since, although it has diminished.
There is a thing called Laryngospasms, where the vocal cords suddenly close. It usually lasts about 60 seconds (which seems a LOT longer when you are gasping for air), then eases up. It's caused by allergies, reflux or injuries. My allergies are mild, I don't have gastroesophageal reflux , but I did strain my throat. Bingo.
Knowing what it is does help; I looked up a couple of breathing techniques and thought I would get a good night sleep last night. But when nighttime came, I was simply too afraid to go to bed. I spent another night propped up on the sofa, doing a little dozing but waking quickly. It's just so scary, not being able to breath. It can happen while I'm awake, too, so staying up all night doesn't really help, but I find it hard to fall asleep when I'm afraid of suffocating.
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