Sleep Panic Attacks
Sleep panic attacks, also known as nocturnal panic attacks, are not as common as normal episodes but are still relatively prevalent. People suffering from this problem will tend to wake suddenly from sleep, without any apparent reason or explanation, and be in an immediately panicked or anxious state. They may not last too long (often less than 8-12 minutes) but are still incredibly traumatic and will take some time to recover from. They also bring with them the same distressing symptoms as a daytime attack although they are equally non-life threatening (despite feeling contrary to that at the time).
It is estimated that people who suffer from daytime attacks are as likely as 50% to also suffer from sleep panic attacks at some point in time. However, in total, less than 10% of panic attacks occur at night. For those that do suffer from them, it can be very difficult to overcome. Not surprisingly they tend to cause a great deal of fear and anguish to sufferers who then dread the whole sleep experience. People will even develop a fear that they might die during the night since they felt symptoms that seemed like a potential heart attack when they had an attack. This fear just continues the cycle of stress and anxiety that is hard to break. Insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep-related disorders are often not far away.
Despite what some people might think, there is actually no link between dreams and sleep panic attacks. Problems of this type normally occur during the earlier stages of the sleep cycle, when you are in a deep sleep, rather than the REM stage when dreams naturally happen.
Defining the causes of sleep panic attacks is not straight forward. Several different theories and explanations exist but there is not scientific proof to clearly explain why and when they happen. One possible explanation lies with the potential increase of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream that leads to the body reacting with an increased heart rate and increased breathing levels. This situation is referred to as “false suffocation alarm”.
There are many different factors that could lead to sleep panic attacks. Some of these are relatively obvious such as stress from the previous day or even alcohol/drug issues. There may also be some underlying or less obvious factors involved such as untreated depression or some type of undiagnosed disorder. Generally there will be a “trigger” that induces the attack although it won’t always be clear as to what it was.
Panic attacks and sleep problems are often linked. They form part of a vicious cycle of cause and effect whereby the anxiety caused from one problem will tend to lead straight to the other. People that suffer from sleep disorders are good candidates to suffer from panic attacks. Likewise, panic attack sufferers are also prime candidates for sleep-related problems. The anxiety from one can cause the other. It is hard to break this cycle and clear the mind of all stress and anxiety. It is possible though if you are prepared to investigate and take appropriate action.
Treatment of sleep panic attacks is normally the same as for other anxiety problems. There are relevant medications available as well as various therapy options. Proper treatment should reduce the impact of any symptoms and work towards solving any other issues that have lead to this problem occurring.
