night time panic attacks?

[yogiblonde]

Hi Everyone,

I don't feel too anxious at the moment (but I guess that's all relative for an anxious person anyway) but I've started waking up in complete panic thinking I'm dying in my sleep. Its happening a few times a week now.

I wake up in panic, struggling to catch my breath and really light headed. Scaring the life out of my husband in the process.

Has anyone else had this happen? Is this my anxiety or something more?

Thanks
Yogiblonde

[ankietyjoe]

Very very common.

It's to do with hormones and sleep cycles. I've pretty much beaten my daytime anxiety now, but I still regularly get PA's almost exactly 3 hours after I fall asleep.

The best thing to do is just catch it as you wake up. I stay laying down for a while, take some deep breaths, go for a pee (which is inevitable with big panic! :D) and just breath slowly, telling myself it'll pass.

I usually wake up with my heart banging away at about 120-140bpm but it always passes within about 5 minutes or so.

It always passes! :)

[Iwant2bhealthy]

Hi yogiblonde,

My experience with anxiety begun with nocturnal panic attacks. I noticed that eating a light meal, at least 4 hours before going to bed helps. Also avoiding sugar and fatty foods was very helpful to me. It didn't stop the panic attacks completely, but it made them less frequent. Also at some point I learned how to deal with night time panic. Now if it happens I already know how to react (breathing and counting, doing a sudoku puzzle, asking my partner to hug me and reassure me).

[LeFi_81]

Very common indeed but rather unpleasant as these night time attacks are also very violent in my experience. Currently I am battling these attacks too. My Mother made a remark today that the more I go to bed with apprehension the more likely I will suffer these attacks and Yes! It made click!

Currently I am extremely under stress and really trying all I can to not "feed my dragon". As of tonght I will try some relaxing yoga moves and stretch a bit before bed. Most probably I will still sleep horrible but its step
one to realize it is just a panic attack. I will work from there in not giving it more credit (and hold on my life).

Stay strong!