Heart Palpitations, shortness of breath while sleeping

I have had this problem for about 10 years, but if I slept on the couch I would not have the symptoms so I blamed it either on the bed, possibly an allergy to the detergent the bedding was washed in. It has been miserable. Just last night I had the best sleep in years, it was late I was tired the bedroom was dark I pulled back the covers and had a great night sleep, It wasn't until morning I realized I did not sleep between the sheets but on top of them. This got me thinking the weave is so tight it won't allow the skin to breath. I hope this simple answer can benefit someone else out there.

So it's not just me !   I had a pretty bad experience in hospital  recently, I thought I might die if I did actually get to sleep as everytime I would start to go to sleep I would get this really weird kind floaty feeling just as I was about to fall to sleep and then if I did go into sleep I woke up with a fast heart rate, a gasp for breath and one time with my whole body shaking.

I had original gone to the ER as I had breathlessness heart pulp / chest pain.    After all the test they said it wasn't a heart attack and put it down to a lowish iron level which I ended up getting an iron infusion for.     While I was in the ER hooked up to all the monitors overnight, everytime I went to sleep I would get these attacks, the monitor would go off showing my heart rate going 'tachy' up to 166BPM and one time the whole bed was shaking from my body shaking, I would also need to take a big gasp for breath.

The next night I was in the general ward and had not slept for 30 hours, I kept telling everyone, the Dr's the Nurses, family, that I can't sleep because of what was happening, but nobody really seemed to pay any notice.   So I was ready to fight another night and not sleep, but the nurses gave me some valium but I was scared to sleep. I fell to sleep about 20 times that night each time waking with the same thing, I was still being monitored I could hear the alarm going off due to my tachycardia each time I woke up.    Anyway I did end up staying asleep early in the morning and my heart calmed down.   It seems to be a problem breaking through from the waking state to the sleeping state.       I still have it a bit now that I am out of hospital (1 week ago), but no where near as bad.    Not sure if it was a reaction to something they gave me or what, but it was very really and very scary.  

You should be evaluated by a sleep medicine specialist who would probably want to do a sleep study (polysomnography). What you describe sounds like it could be sleep apnea, where you stop breathing for brief periods of time during sleep.

Wow, I also have MVP, regurgitating valve and the same symptoms you have for over 10 years now. Even though I have learned to live with them, I still get afraid when I go through a big attack! Beta-blockers only help so much! I get so fatigue I can hardly walk or do the chores at home. I can't sleep on my left side either and nevertheless on my chest. I mostly feel better sleeping almost in a sitting position. But what really gets me is the dizziness!!! Also, when it's time for PMS, the symptoms really kick in. t's really tough but we have to live with it...The best to all! Hope you can benefit as I had with the comments others have shared.

I use to get electrocuted as soon as I fell asleep that would jolt onto my feet gasping for air.  Drs were lost cause, many prescriptions anxiety etcetc.  Finally I went to a natural path

who ordered a test of my mineral status. Found out I was low on several due to sweating working outside in the heat.  They gave me an IV of lost minerals and immediately felt better and slept thru the night.  I was low in magnesium, and real low in molydium , and others.  If your sweating a lot your losing valuable minerals and we are already depleted so if anyone is still reading this I hope this helps.

  Also for those with shortness of breath check to see if your gut is tender when pushed on.  Could be you are bloated and not allowing a full breath into lungs.   Start taking different probiotics and this will go away when you get the right ones.  This from years of frustratiions with drs misdiagnosing the symptoms, and finally I found relief on my own.  Candida causes this 2nd problem, research it.

I have exactly the same problem mate. Last night I would try and go to sleep, but just before I would drift off my heart beat would drop and I would get palpatations, so I would sit up, my heart rate would increase and I would feel fine again. Then I would try again and the same thing would happen. Kept me up nearly all night until I was that tired I just fell asleep. I have anxiety, but only usually experience this on thr night of a hangover. I have got a chest infection at the moment and am wondering if this is the cause. Its so bloody scary. Feel like im gonna die.

Are you eating anything with monosodium glutimate in it? Read your labels. Food allergies cause heart palpatations too. I remember those same feelings your talking about, but if I fell asleep I would wake up being electocuted and jump out of bed. I think I would stop breathing and that my body would jolt me awake. So start with diet eliminate msg, and gluten for few days 1 at a time until you feel better, then you know what caused it. Let me know what happens I will try to remember everything I did to get better.

I havent had a smoke or drink for 10 days, cut out fatty foods and am eating alot of raw fruit and vegies. Iam 6ft and 85 kgs so not massively over weight. But as I lay here now im worried about going through the same thing tonight again! Im pretty sure its my anxiety, but I cant help worrying that my heart is failing!

Go to a naturalpath, or any natural homeopathic doctors that advertise Rife equipment, or frequency generators. They helped me so much I bought 1 after a few treatments. Research them online but find a dr that will use it on you first to see it work. Also check your blood pressure when you lie down, and when you are sitting up. How low is it going when the symptoms come on at night? Could that infection be a problem the rife machine will help that too. Do you get short of breath after laying down? If so push on our your gut does it hurt a little when pushed in if so you are bloated and this can interfere with getting enough oxygen in your lungs, so you have to take care of that problem first.

I will look into the naturalpath thing, thanks! Im hoping that when this flu goes away the palpatations and anxiety will subside with it, im coughing up alot of flem and my throat feels like its ripped to threads :( .I managed to get a few hours sleep, but here iam again 2.30 in the morning, wide awake going through the same thing again. The palpatations are so scary, immediately after my hands and face tingle!

U can walk into the hospital and ask for an ecg to check your heart or if u need a referral request a diff doc. Told mine what I needed to check you have to be pushy sometimes.

After suffering with all these symptoms I was diagnosed with Leaking mitral valve and underwent surgery.  I strongly suspect that minerals have a lot to do with the stoms everyone is describing, and as most of you work out you are losing minerals when sweating.  pottasium and transdermal magesium certainly helped me

I have the exact same symptoms , waking up every or every other night with heart pounding, pressure in chest and almost breathless for almost 4 years. Doc did ekg,s multiple times, blood test every year, thyroid panel test, a1c test, stress test and all came back negative. I was diagnosed with anxiety and i completely refused to accept it being blamed for stress or anxiety, since i wasnt stressed in any manner . I am 28 , non smoker non drinker . Finally, out of frustration, i took a vacation and visited my friend. Surprisingly my symptoms stopped immediately and have had normal sleep after long long years. As soon i came back , my symptoms gradually reappeared, which arose a suspicion in me, maybe something in my apartment makes me sick. As long as i was in bed ,my symptoms worsened. Finally , i experimented sleeping on carpet lying on my comforter. Again, my symptoms subsided. YES, IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE MATTRESS JUST LIKE ANOTHER PERSON COMMENTED ABOVE. I remember exactly, my symptoms started after i bought a new mattress 4 years back. These days, new mattresses are sprayed with flame retardants (PBEDs), which usually take years to offgas. Its just like a suffocating feeling, and when brain feels suffocation, it sends wrong signal increasing heart rate which ends up being hyperventilation . I ditched the mattress and bought a foam mattress , since then my symptoms are gone. Its more like a reaction or chemical sensitivity rather than a usual illness.

I see this post is a year old but if you haven't already done so, please get tested for MS (starts with a MRI of the brain). The muscle cramps in your legs, involuntary muscle spasms and slowed GI motility are what's jumping out at me here.
I was diagnosed with MS a number of years ago and found this page researching breathlessness on falling asleep. However, in my case I suspect it's not actually the MS that's causing breathing problems, rather the recent introduction of a strong muscle relaxant drug into my cocktail of nightime drugs which also includes prescription pain killers and sleeping tablets. ie I'm overdoing it on the central nervous system depressants which is slowing my breathing. So guess I have to cut back a little.
I hope you get to the bottom of these health problems and hope I'm wrong about the MS but would hate to see someone go undiagnosed for years as I did (16 years in my case....).
Best of luck with everything, Elisha

The symptoms are the same as mine were, a severe gluten intolerance. Heart palpitations, throat being ripped apart and shortness of breath. Avoid gluten and see if it helps.