paradoxical breathing...

[Livia]

anyone here got something called 'paradoxical breathing' when they sleep??

[Linda196]

Paradoxical breathing is usually, but not always a result of injury to the chest wall or the diaphragm. What happens is, instead of your chest expanding when you breath in, it contracts, ant the expansion of the abdominal cavity provides the only expansion of the lungs. It's very hard to explain and harder to picture unless you've seen it.

It can be caused by some metabolic imbalances, or neurological impairment, but you would expect that to occur consistantly, not just during sleep, unless there's some form of sleep apnic related respiratory distress causing metabolic alkalosis.

How was it diagnosed? If during a sleep study or hospital stay during which you were observed in sleep, I would expect your doctor to follow up quite aggressively.