Imagine closing your eyes and falling asleep, never to awaken.
Death is one of life’s few certainties, that and taxes. It’s scary to think that while you rest,
you could face the possibility of passing on from this life.
It’s a common belief that this is the best way to go. Though It might seem preferable to many,
it’s not very comforting when it happens to young people.
In today’s video, we will explore what it truly means to pass on in our sleep and how it happens
in the first place! Stick around as we dig deep into the reasons why people die in their sleep.
Number one on our list is heart attacks.
Researchers have found that a large number of people pass on in their sleep due to
heart attacks. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to the heart is cut off or
slowed to a large extent. Most of the time, blood flow becomes blocked due
to the build-up of fat, cholesterol, and other substances in the heart’s arteries.
Coronary artery disease causes most heart attacks. In coronary artery disease,
one or more arteries block the blood supply to the heart, and plaques, deposits of cholesterol,
are usually to blame. Plaques can narrow the arteries, cutting off blood flow to the heart.
Arrhythmias follow at a close second.
Arrhythmias, a common cause of death while sleeping,
is associated with the heart's electrical activity. Cardiac blocks that disrupt the
electrical pattern cause heart failure and death.
Often sudden, unexpected death while sleeping has been blamed on the failure of the heart beating.
The incorrect signaling causes the heart to beat too quickly or slowly. Due to these
irregularities, the heart muscle gets damaged. The charge required to fire the muscle in a
synchronized manner may be disrupted. Contractions may become irregular, too fast, or too slow,
and the effectiveness of the heart's pumping may be compromised, leading to cardiac arrest.
Strokes are another common sign.
Strokes frequently occur during sleep, which can result in sudden death. The heart significantly
influences other systems that rely on its blood circulation capacity. In particular, an abnormal
heartbeat can induce a blood clot to move to the brain and cause a stroke. Hypertension,
or high blood pressure, may raise the risk to a greater extent; consequently,
people with these traits and symptoms are more vulnerable to dying in their sleep.
Congestive heart failure also plays a role in sudden death.
Congestive heart failure can also eventually result in total heart failure. Left-sided
heart failure can rapidly affect the right side of the heart, which results in fluid
accumulation in the lungs, shortness of breath, mainly while lying down, and peripheral edema
in the feet and legs. Overloaded heart volume can halt its ability to pump blood. Once the
heart stops pumping blood, the person becomes brain dead and passes away in their sleep.
In other instances, the affected person may have had an undiscovered cardiac
problem that made them more susceptible to dying from an irregular heart rhythm.
Heart disease can kill both the elderly and the young. The American
Academy of Pediatrics identifies sudden cardiac death during sleep
or the day as the most significant cause of death among young athletes.
The heart and lungs work together, and just like a team, if one system fails quickly,
the other is likely to fail soon after.
Let’s explore Pulmonary disease.
Pulmonary disease is often long-lasting, and its effects may show slowly.
Progression of this disease can result in death.
At the most basic level, the lungs are in charge of obtaining oxygen and carbon dioxide from the
air. When the lungs don't function properly, the amount of oxygen in the blood drops,
and carbon dioxide rises, your body’s acid-base balance can change drastically.
Asphyxiation can happen when there is a sudden blockage, like when someone chokes
on vomit. Even though it's unlikely, a case of obstructive sleep apnea could also end in death.
Chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
cystic fibrosis, emphysema, lung tumors, and pneumonia that get worse over time can lead
to respiratory failure. Respiratory failure occurs when the lungs themselves stop working.
Changes in the muscles or nervous system, like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
or myasthenia gravis, can also cause the lungs to stop working.
Sometimes, congenital disabilities, like congenital central hypoventilation syndrome,
can make it hard to breathe. SIDS- sudden infant death syndrome is a condition when
babies don't breathe properly while they sleep, which in some cases may lead to sleep death.
Sleep apnea is common in sleep deaths.
One of the worst widespread causes, among the many different types of sleep apnea,
is obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea primarily affects our sleep patterns.
It causes recurrent stops and starts while breathing during sleep, resulting in your throat
muscles relaxing intermittently throughout sleep, which leads to airway obstruction.
Researchers state that untreated sleep apnea has an increased risk of experiencing a heart attack.
People with untreated sleep apnea are twice as likely to suffer a stroke.
So how does obstructive sleep apnea kill? When the air passage of the breathing
system becomes clogged, oxygen levels in the blood might abruptly decrease.
If a person is already at risk for heart attack and stroke, obstructive sleep apnea can trigger
a sudden cardiac event or brain attack that can lead to an untimely death during sleep.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea have a greater risk of sudden cardiac death
between midnight and 6 a.m. Data suggests that about 22 million Americans have sleep apnea,
and about 80% of these cases are left untreated.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning the silent killer.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas typically produced
by fuel combustion in automobiles, fireplaces, gas stoves, barbecues,
and furnaces. Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur in poorly ventilated, enclosed spaces.
Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms range from headache, vertigo, and weariness to vomiting,
loss of consciousness, and abrupt death. The best technique to detect carbon monoxide in your home
is to install a carbon monoxide detector and routinely run tests.
According to data from the CDC, roughly 400 people
die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year in the United States alone.
Last but not least, on our list is epilepsy.
Epilepsy considerably increases the risk of dying while sleeping. The Epilepsy
Foundation claims that more than 1 in 1,000 epileptics die suddenly each year. Those who
have epilepsy and successfully manage their illness with proper treatment can lower the
likelihood that they will pass away due to sudden unexpected death during sleep.
It looks like we have explored the major causes of why people die in their sleep. Hopefully,
you have learned that the likelihood of passing away during sleep is primarily
influenced by your heart and brain health, along with a few other factors.
People may reason that once your time has come, there is nothing you can do about it.
We often ignore warning signs of poor health, especially within our heart!
Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more heart-related videos. Shall we?
Check out 6 Signs Of A Silent Heart Attack That Are Always Ignored Or
11 Early Warning Signs Of Heart Disease In Men You Shouldn’t Ignore.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both to learn more about signs
and symptoms you shouldn’t ignore. Which statistic surprised you most
while watching this video? Let us know in the comments section below.