Irregular breathing during sleep at night? recognize cheyne respiration

Adults and teenagers generally breathe about 16-20 times per minute when they are sitting still. You will breathe more and more frequently when you are on the move, even if you just walk inside the house to get a drink. In rough total, you can breathe up to 17,000-30,000 times a day— or more. Our breathing patterns are generally regular, although you can also catch your breath after exercising. However, if your breathing is always irregular, even when you are lying down and doing nothing, you should be vigilant. Irregular breathing all the time can be a sign of a condition called Cheyne-Stokes respiration.

Normal breathing pattern for adults

Before understanding what Cheyne-Stokes respiration is, you need to first understand what a normal breathing pattern looks like for the average adult.

On normal breathing, you will inhale and inhale for about two seconds. During the inhalation, there will be a pause (period of not breathing) for about 2 seconds which is then ended by exhaling for 2 seconds. The normal frequency of breathing in general is 16-20 beats per minute.

In addition, normal breathing should:

• Slow, regular, only going in and out through the nose
• Breathing through the diaphragm (chest breathing)
• Invisible (no physical effort to breathe)
• Not heard
• Not gasping for breath
• There was no sighing sound
• There is no sigh
• Don't take deep breaths

Cheyne-Stokes respiration, causes irregular breathing during sleep

Cheyne-Stokes respiration is a condition where breathing is irregular with a pattern of repeated ups and downs. At one point, breathing can be very deep and fast (hyperventilation) followed by very shallow and slow breathing - it can even stop completely for a few moments, a sign of apnea.

Here's a comparison of normal breathing patterns with Cheyne-Stokes respiration:

Comparison of normal breathing patterns (chart left) with Cheyne-Stokes breathing patterns (chart right)

This pattern will continue to repeat itself, with each breath cycle typically taking 30 seconds to 2 minutes and an apnea phase of 10-30 seconds between cycles. Cheyne-Stokes respiration usually takes place during sleep.

Cheyne-Stokes respiration symptoms

Irregular breathing during sleep due to Cheyne-Stokes respiration is characterized by:

• Shortness of breath or shortness of breath when lying down.
• Severe shortness of breath accompanied by coughing at night, which disrupts sleep.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness due to disturbed night's sleep.

The cause of irregular breathing is typical of Cheyne-Stokes respiration

Experts claim that irregular breathing patterns typical of Cheyne-Stokes respiratory can occur as the body's way of dealing with various problems or damage that occurs in the body itself. The instantaneous stopping of breathing that occurs after a very deep breath is thought to increase oxygen and reduce carbon dioxide levels.

Cheyne-Stokes respiration can be caused by many things, including:

• Death process. Irregular breathing is often a characteristic sign of dying, regardless of the cause of death. This condition is the body's way of responding to any physical changes that occur in the last seconds of life. This process can be very painful and tiring.
• Congestive heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle is weakened, making it difficult to pump blood around the body, including the lungs, to breathe normally.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood)
• Sleep at an elevation
• As a result of a blow to a certain body part
• Brain injury
• Brain tumor
• Intracranial pressure
• Kidney failure
• Drug overdose

How to diagnose Cheyne-Stokes' irregular breath?

Irregular breathing due to Cheyne-Stokes' respiration is quite difficult to diagnose based solely on symptoms and an initial physical examination. So, the doctor will usually recommend that you undergo a polysomnography to record your heart rate, respiratory rate, brain waves, blood oxygen levels, eye movements, and other movements while sleeping.

Treatment options for cheyne-stokes respiration

Cheyne-Stokes respiration treatment will be designed based on the results of the diagnosis and the cause. Therapy can include a treatment regimen for heart failure (prescription drugs, use of a pacemaker, to heart valve surgery), wearing an oxygen mask while sleeping, to installing a CPAP for sleep.

Research shows 43 percent of people who have irregular breathing due to Cheyne-Stokes' respiration experience a reduction in symptoms after using CPAP.