Hey,
I was wondering is it possible that your airway gets blocked during sleep? Causing brain damage?
Cheers,
Kieran
Yes Kieran - google sleep apnea (apnoea in UK English). Well, not exactly brain damage, but it can drive up your BP, cause dangerous daytime sleepiness and definitely shorten your life.
If you think you or a member of your family has it you should see your doctor and ask for referral to a sleep specialist.
your autonomic system ensures your breathing during the night when asleep. However you may wake in the night if your breathing stops due to obstruction in the back of the mouth usually and this is the start of sleep apnoea which mostly occurs amongst the overweight population.