When you hear that a person who slept healthy did not wake to see the daylight, how do you feel? Many of us feel cold and are bewildered. It leaves us wondering what must have transpired in their sleep. If the dead could have a chance to commune with the living, we may want to seek the medium to know the cause of their “sudden” death. Dying in sleep is also known as Nocturnal Death. Some people consider it mysterious, associating death with spiritual reasons. But some explained medical conditions explain why people die in their sleep. Below are some reasons.
1. Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a condition in which one stops breathing while one is asleep. There are basically two forms of Sleep Apnea. There is the Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) which occurs when one’s airway is blocked. There’s also the Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) which occurs when your brain fails to control your breathing. However, the mixture of both can still be a cause. So when one suffers from both OSA and CSA, one is said to have Mixed/Complex Sleep Apnea. You can learn more about Sleep Apnea here. Some causes of sleep apnea include pressure on the windpipe, heart failure, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, low blood oxygen levels and more. Obesity can also lead to this. Note: Sleep Apnea can occur to anyone irrespective of age. So when one dies in his sleep, the person may have had Sleep Apnea which led to cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest.
2. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) are poisonous byproduct of combustion. They are usually contained in smoke. While mild exposure to carbon monoxide may lead to dizziness, nausea or headache, serious exposure can lead to heart and brain damage or death. Carbon monoxide when inhaled reacts with oxygen in the blood. Thereby decomposing the oxygen and leaving the blood with a low (then no) oxygen level. Asphyxiation is the result of this and one can die from one’s sleep. Generator fumes smoke from burning substances in your house while sleeping can send your soul to an eternal journey within minutes. Get good ventilation and avoid sleeping with a flame to prevent this.
3. Medication Misuse
Medication is another reason why people die in their sleep. As Paracelsus the father of Toxicology says, ‘All things are poison, and nothing is without poison.” The thin line between the medicinal nature and the poisonous nature of a medication is the dose. Certain drugs made to treat insomnia or pain when taken as an overdose or when taken with other depressants may result in suppressing the part of the brain that controls breathing. This respiratory arrest can be caused by drugs like amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine, tramadol, valium, morphine, etc.
4. Traumatic Experiences
Severe brain trauma can cause one to die in one’s sleep. Head injuries should not be taken lightly. If you have any head injury, quickly seek medical attention. While certain symptoms of brain trauma resulting from head injury may appear to be less serious, it is very fatal. One may just want to “sleep off” the symptoms, not knowing that he is slipping off to brain haemorrhage which can cause him to die in his sleep during the night.
5. Heart Failure and other Terminal Diseases
Generally, most of the causes of why people die in their sleep can be narrowed down to heart failure or respiratory failure. Certain health conditions like Cardiac Arrest, Heart Attack, Arrhythmia, Congested Heart Failure, Stroke, Epilepsy, and Type 1 Diabetes among others can also lead to nocturnal death.
6. Choking
Night-time Seizures or Too much alcohol can lead to vomiting and choking. This can lead to death. Falling asleep with food or anything in your mouth is deadly. At the point of sleeping, your muscles are relaxed. So, you may accidentally inhale the food or lozenges you have in your mouth and this can lead to choking and then sudden death. If you wake up at night to see someone struggling to breathe, do not assume that a spiritual force is pressing the person’s neck. Quickly, carry out the back blows or Heimlich manoeuvre to save the person’s life.
To avoid dying in your sleep, prioritize your health and get healthy sleep. Be aware of every symptom of sleeping disorder and do not be dismissed about them. Medical checkups and attention will also help you avoid nocturnal death.
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