People with asthma have a condition that can make breathing very difficult. There can be asthma attacks, or flare-ups, that can make breathing very difficult or even impossible to do. Most people learn how to not have asthma issues during the day, but they tend to have bigger problems at night. This can be very scary as people wonder if someone could die from an asthma problem while they are sleeping.

This will review the dangers that people with asthma can be at while sleeping, as well as the additional dangers people with asthma should be worried about that are not related to sleeping. We’ll show what the things are that can contribute to night time asthma in the UK as well as the causes that can make the symptoms be even more intense. Additionally, we will show what things can be dangers that come from sleeping with asthma that is not controlled very well, as well as everything you can do to make your situation better.

Key Takeaways

These are the five biggest things to take away from this article about the harm that asthma can do while sleeping:
Night-time asthma is very common and impacts millions of people in the UK
In some cases, nocturnal asthma can be life-threatening.
Mismanaged asthma can lead to respiratory failure.
Sleep disrupting asthma symptoms can decrease lung function overnight, especially in poorly controlled cases.
Improved sleep quality and reduced risks can be achieved through medical consultation, proper medication compliance, trigger avoidance, sleep position modification, and adherence to an asthma action plan.

Cumulatively, the greatest risk factor for serious complications overnight is having asthma that is poorly controlled at night.

Is Night-Time Asthma Common?

In the Usa, approximately 5.4 million people are being treated for asthma. Research indicates that 75% of asthma patients report night time symptoms periodically.

Real-world evidence shows:

40-60% of people suffering from asthma say they were woken by coughing and wheezing, or difficulty breathing.
Emergency asthma attacks are more likely to happen late at night or in the early morning hours.
There is a higher risk of asthma-related deaths in the overnight hours.
These stats are important to explain why night-time asthma attacks, even when daytime symptoms are mild, are a cause for concern.

Understanding Nocturnal Asthma and What Triggers It

Understanding your symptoms can explain why some patients may lie awake for hours. There are multiple reasons why night time can be more difficult for the patient with asthma.

Triggers include:

A person’s airways naturally narrow during sleep due to the body’s circadian rhythms.
Cortisol is lower in the evening, leading to the body having reduced anti-inflammatory response.
Allergens may be present in your expected and natural environment. Dust, droppings from pets, and Mold are some common triggers.
Poor air circulation in the room of the patient, and low temperatures in the room may also be triggers.
When sufferers of asthma lay down during sleep, their airways may become irritated due to acid reflux lie which can also be a trigger.
Many sufferers also find that when they lay flat, their airways become more difficult to clear due to mucus which may be harder to clear and separate from the airways.

Why Can Nocturnal Asthma Be Dangerous?

What makes nocturnal asthma dangerous is that even when symptoms are present, the patient may suffer from other symptoms that may go ignored during the sleep hours, and unlike daytime hours, these symptoms may be severe.

In very bad cases, airway inflammation and bronchospasm can get bad enough that:

Oxygen levels drop
Carbon dioxide levels increase in the blood
Breathing becomes shallow, or not at all

This can cause the person to not breath, and that is an emergency. Even though deaths caused by asthma while sleeping is rare, it can happen more to people who have bad asthma that is not treated, have symptoms at night often, or can’t get emergency help.

People who have asthma and wake up at night have a chance that their lung function can drop 10-20%, and their chance to have a bad asthma attack goes up a lot.

Can Asthma Kill You in Your Sleep?

It is true that people can die in their sleep from asthma, but that is not very common with all the new medications. Most of the deaths from asthma happen because the person:

Did not take their medicine
Takes their rescue medicine to often
Does not have an action plan
Waits too long to get help when their symptoms get worse

People who have asthma and are controlled by medicine and see the doctor regularly don’t have to worry about having a life-threatening event in their sleep.

How to Manage and Prevent Asthma in Your Sleep

Good control of asthma helps reduces night-time asthma symptoms. Here are some practical tips.

Follow Your Asthma Action Plan

A double personalized asthma action plan helps recognize early warning symptoms and determine when to change medication or seek assistance.

Take Medications the Right Way

Preventer inhalers are crucial to controlling nocturnal symptoms and are used to prevent inflammation in the airway. Missing doses significantly increases the risk of night time symptoms.

Minimize Triggers in Your Bedroom

Allergen-proof bed and pillow covers
Wash your bed sheet covers every 7 days and in high temperatures
No pets in the bedroom
Dust and Mold control

Change Your Positional Sleep Pattern

Sleeping in a slightly elevated position may help to reduces airway irritation and acid reflux. Both of these can severely worsen asthma symptoms especially at night.

Keep track of night symptoms

Poor asthma control can arise from constant waking and cause coughing, chest pain or difficulty in breath which are symptoms of poor asthma control.

Final Thoughts

Most people with asthma do not manage their condition well which results to a serious risk sleeping at night. Asthma symptoms at night can worsen UK and night time asthma symptoms can be treatable.

If you have to deal with asthma symptoms that interrupt your sleep, then you may not have your asthma under control. If you avoid your triggers, use your medications, and collaborate with your doctor, you can help reduce the complications and breathe easier, both day and night.