Why do some people die in their sleep? Doctor explains
The thought of dying in your sleep has probably crossed your mind more than once. It’s a terrifying idea — one you’d rather not dwell on before closing your eyes at night.
But at the same time, it might be good to know if you’re at risk so you can take steps to prevent it. Let’s see what experienced doctors have to say:
Hypnophobia is the overwhelming fear of falling asleep, often fueled by the fear of losing control or even dying during sleep. For some, this fear becomes so intense that it disrupts their quality of life and takes a toll on their health. But what’s behind this fear, and is there any truth to the idea that sleep could be dangerous?
Let’s explore why some people die in their sleep and what you should know about the risks.
Oversleeping
Did you know that sleeping too much could be problematic? Over the years, a lot of research has been conducted on sleep, and many people still believe that getting plenty of it is always good for the body. But if you’re sleeping more than seven to eight hours a night, you might want to pay attention—it could be a warning sign.
Researchers have discovered a link between excessive sleep and an increased risk of early death, according to The Guardian.
Sleeping ten hours a night raises your risk of dying early by 30% compared to someone who sleeps eight hours. This was revealed in a 2018 study published in The Journal of the American Heart Association.
Additionally, sleeping ten hours is associated with a 56% higher risk of dying from a stroke and a 49% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases.
Why people die in their sleep
In 2023, Dr. Milind Sovani from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in the UK shared some insight with Newsweek about the mystery of dying in one’s sleep. According to Dr. Sovani, these sudden and silent deaths are “usually related to the heart, lungs, or brain.”
People can die in their sleep for various reasons, with sudden cardiac arrest being one of the most common causes. A 2021 study in Heart Rhythms found that about 22% of these deaths happen between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Dead-in-bed syndrome
Dr. Milind Sovani highlights another risk factor for dying in your sleep: ”Occasionally, people with diabetes can die in their sleep from low glucose levels,” he explains.
There’s even a term for this tragic phenomenon — Dead-in-Bed Syndrome (DIB). This term refers to cases where someone with type 1 diabetes (T1D) goes to bed seemingly healthy but doesn’t wake up.
Younger individuals with type 1 diabetes, especially those under 50, are at a higher risk of experiencing Dead in Bed Syndrome.
The good news is that DIB syndrome is rare, accounting for only about 6% of all deaths in people under 40 with type 1 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK.
Pompe Disease
There are also more complex and less common medical conditions that can lead to someone dying in their sleep. For instance, sleep apnea, a disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, can sometimes result in fatal complications if left untreated.
If you’re worried about having involuntary sleep interruptions, it’s a good idea to consult a doctor. There are tests you can do overnight. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you may be able to treat it with a device called a CPAP machine. This machine uses a hose connected to a mask or nosepiece to provide constant, steady air pressure to help you breathe while you sleep.
Dr. Sovani once treated a patient with Pompe Disease, a rare genetic condition where glycogen — a complex sugar—accumulates in the cells of the body, specifically in the lysosomes, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic. This happens when the body lacks an essential enzyme called acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA). The disease leads to severe muscle weakness and wasting, and if left undiagnosed or untreated, it can be fatal.
Sadly, the patient, who was in his late 30s, passed away in his sleep. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by undiagnosed genetic conditions and the importance of early detection and treatment.
Diaphragmatic paralysis
Conditions like unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis, where one side of the diaphragm doesn’t work, can make breathing harder, especially when lying down. Dr. Sovani points out that this can mess with your lung capacity, which can lead to complications.
Another thing to watch out for is Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), which is more common for those with uncontrolled epilepsy. Essentially, a seizure can cause problems with breathing or heart rhythm, as the CDC explains.
On top of that, high blood pressure that’s not under control, heart failure, and sleep apnea — which causes your breathing to stop and start throughout the night — can all increase the chances of dying in your sleep. It’s definitely something to keep in mind if you’re dealing with any of these conditions.
”If you suffer from a heart condition, you may also be fitted with a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator,” Dr. Sovani adds, which help regulate your heartbeat.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle — getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising—along with regular check-ins with your doctor, can also play a big role in preventing these conditions from getting worse.
Concussion – be aware of this
If you’ve hit your head hard or experienced significant trauma to your head, it’s important to keep an eye on things. Severe brain injuries can sometimes lead to sudden death, often while a person is asleep. Symptoms like nausea, constant headaches, or dilated pupils can sometimes be missed or brushed off after a head injury. If someone tries to ”sleep off” these symptoms, they could end up having a brain bleed during the night and passing away.
It’s generally okay to sleep after a concussion, but it’s crucial to see a healthcare provider or go to the emergency room first for an evaluation.
Is it painful to die in your sleep?
Whether dying in your sleep is painful or not really depends on what causes it. Some people pass away peacefully, not feeling any pain or even realizing what’s happening.
But for others, they might wake up for a moment and feel some distress before they pass. Conditions like a heart attack or trouble breathing can bring pain before death.
The thought of dying suddenly in your sleep is terrifying, and it’s something none of us want to imagine. But it’s important to remember that it’s rare to pass away unexpectedly without having been diagnosed with a serious condition.
While there are risk factors that could increase the chances of dying in your sleep, don’t forget to live. Life is precious, and it’s the moments we share, the love we give, and the memories we create that truly matter. So, take care of yourself, cherish those around you, and live fully—because each day is a gift.
Research shows body senses death is near – it starts in nose
Humans do not like to be in the dark about things, and perhaps that is why the idea of death scares so many people. However, research shows that while death remains largely a mystery, some of the things surrounding it are becoming more and more obvious.
Keep reading to learn more.
What cannot be explained by science is often referred to as a ‘sixth sense’ by people. And sometimes, scientific research comes out which ends up confirming what humans had long suspected with their sixth sense.
According to research, when a person dies, their body immediately starts to break down. During this, putrescine is emitted into the surroundings. Putrescine is a toxic and foul smell, and humans, at a subconscious level, can recognize this as a putrefying odor. And when the human brain recognizes this scent, it immediately responds to the death.
Researcher Arnaud Wisman from the University of Kent’s School of Psychology in Canterbury, UK, and Ilan Shira from the Department of Behavioral Sciences in Arkansas’ Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas, shared that much like animals, humans can also sense scents and respond accordingly. This is a major survival tactic developed across several species. So when humans come across putrescine, consciously or subconsciously, they respond to it.
The researchers conducted experiments that show that when humans are exposed to the putrescine scent, they move away similarly to animals who also run away in similar circumstances. “We do not know why we like (or dislike) someone’s smell, and we’re usually not aware of how scent influences our emotions, preferences, and attitudes,” Wisman and Shira stated.
“It is hard to think of a scent as frightening,” other researchers have claimed. But it is not untrue that scents make people more alert about their surroundings.
Sex pheromones, which are defined as odors produced by males or females, also have a reaction on human behavior, which usually brings a reaction in another human for the purpose of mating.
“Putrescine signals a different type of message than pheromones, but people’s responses to putrescine (avoidance and hostility) do seem indeed to be the opposite of responses to many sexual pheromones,” one researcher explained.
But unlike other scents, for this one, humans are not aware they are smelling it and their response is more likely subconscious. So it seems our nose can help us figure out if there is death or perhaps ‘danger’ nearby.
It is always so fascinating to learn about how humans work and how our subconscious might be reacting to things we might not even notice! Share this with others so they can also know about this fascinating discovery.
Tom Selleck says fatherhood is the “most important” role he has ever played
Yet whilst it’s impressive that he’s managed to retain the respect and love of the masses throughout the entirety of his career, arguably an even greater feat is that he’s kept his family life private over the years.
The Magnum P.I. actor has faced some serious challenges across the decades, but his golden rule has always been to put his family first.
It’s no surprise, then, that Selleck admitted, as per CBS Local in 2012, that fatherhood is the most important role he’s ever had to play.
Selleck and his wife, fellow actress Jillie Mack, welcomed their daughter Hannah Magaret to the world in 1988. For Selleck, it was a day that changed everything.
The actor even moved his family to a ranch in Ventura County, California, as he believed it would give them the best shot at raising Hannah out of the searing spotlight of Hollywood.
“I quit Magnum to have a family,” Selleck explained to People back in 2012.
“It took a long time to get off the train, but I try very hard to have balance, and this ranch has helped me do that.”
Fast forward to now and that’s a choice that certainly seems to have paid dividends.
Not only was Hannah given a safe, rural environment in which to grow up, but living on the ranch brought her closer to the animals that would shape her own career: horses.
The now 36-year-old forged a career as a world-class equestrian, winning laurels and fame in her own right along the way.
“As a kid [my parents] tried to raise me as normally as possible given my dad’s line of work,” she told The Epoch Times.
“Those horses have been a great way for me to have my own accomplishments outside of whatever my parents had done.” Hannah started horse-riding at the tender young age of 4 and there’s been no looking back since.”
Tom Selleck never fails to impress me, and I know I can’t be the only fan of his!
Share this article if you, too, think Tom Selleck is a good actor and, more importantly, a good man.
Sally Jessy Raphael claims Instagram won’t verify her account
The former talk show host took to Instagram claiming the social media company refused to verify her account despite her providing them proof of her identity.
“So, Instagram doesn’t want to give me my blue check – no matter what proof I send them,” the 89-year-old wrote alongside an image of a gigantic blue checkmark. “AND there’s a fake account called ‘realsallyjr’, and that’s NOT ME! Help me let Instagram know, so we can fix this.”
Raphael began hosting the The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, later titled Sally, in October 1983. She hosted the tabloid-style show until May 2002.
Her show was one of the first syndicated talk shows that involved audience participation. She helped paved the way for women in the business, including Oprah whose show premiered three years after Sally.
Over the course of 20 seasons, Raphael interviewed countless celebrities, though she always maintained that Audrey Hepburn was her favorite.
“I was so awestruck, I could hardly ask a question. Everything she did, I admired. Everything she had done in her life I found to be exemplary,” she told the DailyMail.
Throughout her career and even into her retirement, Raphael has maintained a signature look that makes her stand out in a crowd.
When filming began for The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, she realized she couldn’t see the teleprompter.
“When we started, I looked at the teleprompter and I said ”I can’t read that! I’m going blind!’ “
On her search for a new prescription, Raphael came across an ad for an eye test, glasses and a Pap smear. Despite the bizarre ad, the talk show host booked an appointment.
During the appointment she was told she would need a more expensive pair of glasses, but unfortunately they only color they had was red.
“You got it,” Raphael said.
Although she didn’t anticipate the trouble she’d face from the producers of her show.
“I had to fight to have the glasses. Producers tried to change them. Those shadowy figures objected to everything.”
She has since accumulated over 200 pairs of red glasses.
As of August 2, Raphael currently has less than 650 followers on Instagram, but even though her numbers might not match those of other talk show hosts, her fans are just as loud if not louder with their support.
“The Icon, the Legend of daytime TV, Ms. Sally Jessy Raphael needs her Blue Check Mark ? “
“That’s pretty crazy that someone as famous as you are is having trouble with being recognized. I’m trying to understand what the issue is though”
“We should flood your feed with blue hearts it’s so much better than a blue checkmark”
I remember watching Sally on TV! Do you? Let us know in the comments.