Eli5: why is it that when you start thinking about breathing or blinking you have to do it manually?

Question

I’ve also heard of something similar where if you focus on your tongue you feel like there isn’t a comfortable place for it in your mouth, is there an explanation for that too?

In: 21

Answer 1

Yeah I used to have trouble sleeping because I would think about breathing and as soon as I start to drift off to sleep I stop breathing and have to be jolted back awake