All of the sudden, you're ripped from your sleep, unable to breathe through the coughing and wheezing, and you reach for your inhaler, relaxing the tightened muscles in your chest. You look at the clock and it says 2:15 A.M. Has this ever happened to you? If so, then you're one of the thousands of people who suffer from nocturnal, or nighttime, asthma in this country. Research done by the University of Colorado found that around 39% of the 8,000 individuals with asthma studied suffered from asthma episodes every night. Almost 66% had episodes three times in a week, and almost 75% around once a week. According to the American Lung Association, the symptoms of asthma are usually more severe at night.

Why the More Severe Symptoms at Night?

Even in the 1600's, doctors observed that the symptoms of asthma got worse during the night. Only recently has medical research uncovered circadian rhythms, solving the 300-year-old puzzle. Circadian rhythms are repeating periods inside our bodies that deal with the production of hormones. The change regular changes in the amount of hormones in your body help control the vital functions, such as the ability to breathe. The use of the lungs regularly peaks at around four in the afternoon, and reaches a low point at four in the morning. For those without asthma, this difference ranges between 5 to 8%. Those with asthma, however, can experience a lowering function of the lungs up to 50%. The lower the function of your lungs, the more vulnerable you are to triggers, increasing the chance of an asthma episode.

Reducing Nocturnal Asthma

Lowering your chances of having an asthma episode while sleeping means ridding your room of triggers. Focus on the usual suspects, like pet dander and dust mites. These are some more possible causes of Nocturnal Asthma:

Allergen exposure close to your bedtime could cause an nocturnal asthma episode. Try to evade any triggers late at night.

Almost 70% of asthma sufferers are also afflicted with chronic bronchitis. Consult your physician about ways to clear nasal passages and stop postnasal drip from sealing your airways off and making nocturnal asthma symptoms worse.

While sleep apnea (the stoppage of breathing for a short period during sleep) normally only affects the upper airway, but bodily reactions to this condition could affect the lower airways as well by bringing about an asthma episode. Chronic fatigue and snoring loudly are some of the tell-tale signs of sleep apnea, and if you think you may have this condition, consult your doctor for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Nocturnal Asthma Medication

If the avoidance of triggers is hard or ineffective, your physician might prescribe a beta-agonist. This medication lowers the constriction on breathing by relaxing the muscles around the airway. The shorter-acting beta-agonists are generally less successful at managing nocturnal asthma than the long-acting variety. Instead of trying to provide relief for existing symptoms, the long-acting beta-agonists work to prevent nighttime asthma episodes. Different medications are time-released so that the greatest amounts of the drugs are in the bloodstream at night. Ask your physician for further explanation.