Panic Attacks....During Sleep

[Trish]

Hi my attacks happen when i am asleep, they wake me up out of a sleep i'm either sat bolt upright with my heart pounding, gasping for breath or on occaions i have woken up with such a start that the force has me stood at the side of my bed, how the hell i get there i just don't know. This can happen upto 11 times a night............i am so sick of it! I was hoping the hospital would tell me i was suffering 'fits' then at least they could get them under control with medication....but no such luck(how awful does that sound?)

I have had only 3 hours sleep in the last 24, my body is so tired, but my brain is active worrying about whether i will have a good night or not.[Sigh...]

Trish

[christian]

Dear Trish

I was waking up with panic attacks a while back.

part of overcoming them is silly as it sounds is to accept the fact that you might have one or many as you have.

I take trazadone sometimes too.

Sometimes Ill be doing real good for a stretch during the day and out of nowhere i get a panic when I sleep.

When the limbic system in the brain gets stirred up you may not be aware of it at first.

Secondly you may have "issues" i.e. childhood memories.

Anyway, night panic is not uncommon.
It seems to me it's just the hardest to overcome because one naturally feels a bit more alone and maybe helpless in the night.
Insomnia and worry snowball and fatigue makes it all worse and that makes you worry more.

You've got to get the brain quieted down.
When you're having an attack well just have one.
Let the wave roll over you. If you can't control it don't.

Anxious people have trouble "surrendering to sleep"
At the moment of falling asleep when one lets go there's a little startle response
which is automatic and that can quickly kindle into a panic respone.
Also it may just be the subconscious dealing with the overwhelming amount of anxiety you carry around, all your daily ills and cares...

or maybe this message will put you to sleep.

So anyway know that you are loved and life takes care of itself...

[Piglet]

I've had a little patch of this this year but tried not to get too wound up about it and it passed after a week or so into just milder nightmares - nice!!!!

Love Piglet :)

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[Trish]

Hi Christian

Thank you for your reply, its alway good to hear that someone else knows how it feels to suffer in this way.

I was still awake at 2am this morning, but eventually got off to sleep, i then was woken with just two small episodes (i can cope with the small ones) but managed to get back to sleep and slept soundly until 9am....so it was a very good night for me.[Wow!]

I don't suffer PA's during waking hours thank goodness, so thats a blessing.

Take good care of yourself, and let me know how you are doing.

Best wishes

Trish

[Trish]

Hi Christian

Thank you for your reply, its alway good to hear that someone else knows how it feels to suffer in this way.

I was still awake at 2am this morning, but eventually got off to sleep, i then was woken with just two small episodes (i can cope with the small ones) but managed to get back to sleep and slept soundly until 9am....so it was a very good night for me.[Wow!]

I don't suffer PA's during waking hours thank goodness, so thats a blessing.

Take good care of yourself, and let me know how you are doing.

Best wishes

Trish

[PaladinX]

I have a hard time falling alseep.. soon as im ready to doze off, i get like shocks in my chest.. weird jolt sensations,, i cant stand it

[Meg]

Nothing like a panic attack at 3:30 am (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2701)
Sudden nighttime attacks (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24)
Waking Up With A Panic Attack In The Night (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5211)
Bad Morning !!!!!!!!!!! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5692)
Panic attacks during sleep. (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5796)
It's Back! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5769)
Waking Startled at Night (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5951)

he jolts are totally natural and just moving from alpha to beta to theta waves .

Take up meditation, you get them there too.
Nothing to do with panic.



Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?