Panic Attacks while Sleeping

What about panic attacks while sleeping? Are they different to regular panic attacks? Who is affected by panic attacks at night and why do some people get them?

How common are panic attacks at night?

Only around half of all panic attack sufferers will ever experience them at night and they are still far less frequent compared to ‘regular’ day time panic attacks. They represent around 10 per cent of all panic attacks taken together.

What Are The Typical Symptoms?

The symptoms are fairly similar to a regular panic attack but with some small differences.

Typically the person will wake up to find their heart racing and themselves profusely sweating. Sometimes a choking sensation or chest pains can be felt.

This is commonly reported as the sensation that they are having a heart attack.

Where Do These Attacks Come From?

Like daytime panic attacks, nobody is exactly sure where panic attacks while sleeping come from. What seems certain is that they are not caused by dreams. If you wake up from a nightmare in an excited state then this is not a panic attack.

Some doctors speculate that these types of panic attack are triggered differently due to the state of the body whilst lying down and asleep.

Night Terrors

Also known as Pavor Nocturnus, night terrors are experienced mainly by children. They wake up in the middle of the night in a state of anxiety and confusion.

However, these are not panic attacks. They are usually easily differentiated because a person suffering night terrors will appear to be awake but yet are not fully conscious.

Dealing With Panic Attacks While Sleeping

The same advice for all types of panic attack also applies here i.e. to seek professional help, ideally in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy.

Otherwise, similar coping strategies can be used. Due to the lack of sound at night time, people can become overly concerned at the sound of the heart which only contributes to their fear. Many sufferers find it useful to get out of bed and watch a television program or part of a DVD and consume a warm (non-caffeinated) drink in order to calm down.

While panic attacks while sleeping can be alarming, with time, most people usually learn to cope well with panic attacks at night and are able to, for example, roll over and fairly easily get back to sleep.

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