When we're eagerly awaiting something, we hold our breath. People also hold their breath when they're stressed, anxious, excited, upset, frustrated… there are a lot of times when we inadvertently hold our breath without even realizing it.
In times of stress, worry, and fear we tend to either speed up or hold our breath. This stress response happens automatically due to our innate fight, flight, or freeze response.
Tension shuts breathing down.
Running out of breath when you speak is an indicator of tension in our bodies, particularly in our abdomen, neck, and torso. If we're holding that tension there is less freedom and expansion in our ribs, which means less air available to carry our sound.
Breathing is usually automatic, controlled subconsciously by the respiratory center at the base of the brain. Breathing continues during sleep and usually even when a person is unconscious. People can also control their breathing when they wish, for example during speech, singing, or voluntary breath holding.
Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), also known as “Ondine's curse,” is a rare neurological disorder characterized by inadequate breathing during sleep and in more severely affected individuals, during waking periods as well.
Cyanotic Breath-Holding Spell Absence or pause in breathing (apnea) that may be involuntary and is believed to be related to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Mostly benign, it may lead to more serious conditions of bradycardia, asystole, cyanosis, syncope, and seizures.
Somatic OCD is a subtype of OCD with obsessions around being extremely conscious of the sensations happening in your body. If you think you may have somatic OCD, you might find yourself unable to stop noticing or thinking about “normal” everyday functions like swallowing, blinking, breathing, etc.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes the airways to collapse or become blocked while you're asleep. It can cause you to stop breathing for 20 to 30 seconds at a time, numerous times throughout the night.
Noisy breathing is typically caused by a partial blockage or narrowing at some point in the airways (respiratory tract). This can occur in the mouth or nose, in the throat, in the larynx (voice box), in the trachea (breathing tube), or further down into the lungs.
Simply maintain an ongoing flow of attention on the experience of your breathing: inhale, exhale; inhale; exhale. To help your focus stay on your breathing, count silently at each exhalation. Any time you find your mind distracted, simply release the distraction by returning your focus to your breath.
Thinking about the way you are breathing can also trigger hyperventilation. Trying to control your breathing can cause you to overcompensate and take in too much air. You may have developed a habit of inhaling deeply when you first notice changes in your breathing.
Shortness of breath is often a symptom of heart and lung problems. But it can also be a sign of other conditions like asthma, allergies or anxiety. Intense exercise or having a cold can also make you feel breathless.
The disorder is sometimes called selective sound sensitivity syndrome. Individuals with misophonia often report they are triggered by oral sounds -- the noise someone makes when they eat, breathe, or even chew.
Shortness of breath is a common symptom of anxiety. As with other anxiety symptoms, it can be concerning. However, it is ultimately harmless and will go away when the anxiety lifts. Feeling short of breath can make a person feel more anxious.
Hypnic Jerks and Sleep Paralysis
Certain experiences that occur when falling asleep or waking up may cause uncomfortable breathing sensations. Hypnic jerks, also known as sleep starts, are the sudden, involuntary muscle jerks you may experience as you fall asleep.
A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.
Two of the most common and terrifying symptoms of this severe anxiety are a sense of shortness of breath and feelings of suffocation. Studies have shown that breathing air that has increased levels of carbon dioxide can trigger panic attacks in most people with panic disorder as opposed to people without the disorder.