A healthy person can drown in their sleep without waking up.
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 84/100
Evidence from multiple studies on Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS) and fatal nocturnal arrhythmias demonstrates that otherwise healthy individuals can experience fatal cardiac events during sleep without waking up.
Evidence for · 7
Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome: The Hundred Years' Enigma
2018 · cited by 25
Sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS) describes fatal cardiac events occurring during sleep in seemingly healthy individuals.
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More for · 6
Critical Roles of Xirp Proteins in Cardiac Conduction and Their Rare Variants Identified in Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome and Brugada Syndrome in Chinese Han Population
2018 · cited by 22
Genetic variants associated with cardiac conduction defects can cause sudden fatal arrhythmias during sleep.
Blunted Nighttime Sympathetic Nervous System Response to Stress Among Thai Men with Positive Family History of Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome.
2019 · cited by 7
Blunted nighttime sympathetic autonomic responses in vulnerable individuals can trigger lethal nocturnal cardiac arrhythmias.
Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome: Epidemiological and Morphological Characteristics in Thai Autopsy Cases
2018 · cited by 6
Autopsy studies document healthy young adults dying suddenly in their sleep from nocturnal cardiac and respiratory collapse.
SCN5A missense variants and their contribution to deaths in Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS).
2025 · cited by 3
SCN5A channelopathy mutations strongly link to sudden nocturnal death in otherwise healthy individuals.
Genetic analysis and in silico prediction of CACNA1S and RYR1 variants of sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome in Thai population.
2026 · cited by 1
Skeletal muscle and cardiac conduction genetic variants contribute to the risk of sudden nocturnal death.
Association between SCN5A and sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome in Thai decedents: a case–control study
2019 · cited by 1
Cardiac conduction system abnormalities can cause sudden death during sleep in healthy young adults.