Sudden feeling of dread, heart palpitations, etc when trying to sleep

[Cuckoo8]

I’ve had around ten of these “episodes” in total. They don’t come every night, or even every month (there can be 6 months between them), but they’re really freaking me out.

Here’s what happens:

I’m lying in bed, my eyes closed, trying to calm down and fall asleep. Suddenly my heart starts beating a mile a minute and I get this really strong feeling of panic, dread and fear of death. I can feel my body tense up. But I can stop this by just opening my eyes and taking some deep breaths.

What I’m afraid of is that they could be epileptic seizures, hinting at a brain tumor. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Are they just nocturnal panic attacks or something similar?

[Serenitystars]

I do sometimes, but mine I’m pretty sure are panic attacks.
Nights are usually quiet which can make the brain go into overdrive thinking about fears..etc

[Cuckoo8]

I do sometimes, but mine I’m pretty sure are panic attacks.
Nights are usually quiet which can make the brain go into overdrive thinking about fears..etc

I’m hoping that’s what it is for me as well. I’ve had weird experiences trying to fall asleep before, but these episodes are new.