Night time anxiety attacks

[Blondie2334]

Hello all. I have had severe anxiety but have it under control. What I do not have control of is during the time I sleep. I wake up at 2 am almost everynight soaked from sweat, mind racing and sick to my stomach.  Most times this only happens once a night.  Lately it is happening 3 times or more a night. I have started taking my "emergency meds" (xanax and lorazapan) but I am still having the attacks but so groggy I feel like it is a nightmare.
Does anyone have this uncontrolable situation?
Does anyone have any suggestions?
LOL and who gave God that right to short circuit my brain this way!  Ok that was a smart b u t t comment.  
A good nights sleep would be fantastic!   And yes to life is stressful, but isn't everyones?

[Kelly1388]

I am 27 years old female. This is not the 1st time this has happend. But this was the worst. And I'm not sure why or where its coming from. But today I layed down for a nap. Not even 10 mins. I wake my self up some how to nothing but blackness. I'm sitting on my bed. Screaming I peed myself I make it to the Cornor of the bed. Still black. My mom and sister are freaking out. But I can't see them yet. Well then I get almost like a picture flash only long enough to see the front room so I run in there screaming. Get in there goes black again so I'm running around trying to find my mom and sister then I get another picture flash and move to them on the couch. The whole time I'm fadding in and out   my sisters infront of me freaking out at one point I try to grab her arm. But I fade away again. Then comes back for me to see her. So I grab her arm so hard. So she will hopefully not let them take me or whatever it was during that time I see her and hear her but I feel myself fading away back into the darkness almost as if somthing was taking me ? Idk. I was so scared all I could do was scream don't let the take me. Help me. Help me. I finally start to come back body is numb face pale could not control my breathing feet and hands purple and cold. During this whole thing I would jump back inforth to darkness to my house with my family and there was another place as well but couldn't make it out I was so scared. I think I was dieing ? This is the 4th time somthing like this has happend. The 1st I was in bed with my boyfriend. And he wakes up to me gasping for air. And stairing at the celling eyes are white face purple. And my hand is clutched to my chest. So he says. Well hes standing for 3-5 mins rolling me over side to side yelling my name. Finally I wake up and say. "What" he scared the crap outta me. Well I peed myself again. Body numb. Pale couldnt breath. Went to the ER. They said "Acute Hyperventilation Syndrome".  Now these other 2 incidents are about the same. Idk if there related to it but.   Me my boyfriend and our dog. Was in bed. Fell asleep not sure how long. But I'm laying there can't move. I'm screaming and trying to grab him to wake him up. But he dont hear me. And the whole time I'm watching me lay there not moving. Finally I wake up. Wake him up. And say why did you not wake me up when I was yelling for you. He didn't know what I was talking about. Scary.  The next I was at my moms. Sleeping on the floor. Facing away from them on the bed. Well same thing happens. I see myself laying there. I watch my mom get off the bed and put her cig out then get back in bed. Soon after I woke. Asked my sister if mom just done what I saw. She says yes. But how did you see that you was sleep. Faced away from us. Idk. But I really would like to know. I'm so scared. I swear I was dieing this morning.

[Elebel]

Hi there Topaz23,

its interesting that you find that praying helps, I do the same thing and it works for me too.  Just makes me feel I'm not alone.  My parents are christian and brought me up knowing about God.  they both had mental probs and couldn't meet my needs emotionally but I learnt from a really young age to pray to God, since I had no-one else.  I was surprised when I read your post cos I thought I was the only one who would think to do that!  There are probably lots of people who do this.

Sweet dreams

Ele

[topaz23]

I feel for you and everyone else who wrote in about this problem.  I suffer, also from nighttime panic/anxiety.  Sometimes it isn't very severe, and other times I wake out a sound sleep and think I may be having a heart attack.  It is the most debilitating thing any person can suffer from.  I have found that deep breathing and praying does seem to help me calm down.  I just simply ask for God's help to take the feeling away and replace it with a restful sleep.  I dont like to take medication as it causes me terrible nightmares and sweating.  Subliminal CD's have also helped quite a bit.  They reprogram your negative beliefs in your mind.  You can find beautiful music to fall asleep to, and it works on the brain to eliminate this strange disorder.  Hope this helps all of you.  I send love and light, and most of all, pleasant dreams.  Deborah

[pebbles_35]

I suffer with severe anxiety to where I wake up out of a sleep.I totally feel out of control,I feel like deep down in my stomach is on fire.My heart is pounding like mad.I am screaming that I am scared and I call 911 everytime this happens.It is rediculous,but very real and devastating for me.After all of this which seems like forever,it is only a few seconds,then most of the time I am calm by the time the ambulance arrives.I also am scared to go back to sleep for fear this is going to happen again!!!!!

[alliec]

I cant stop having night time panic attacks while i am a sleep . I wake up out of a dead sleep thinking i am having a hart attack or cant breath and have been felling dizzy . How can i stop this if any one knows please help me.


                                      thank you

[klanac]

Susan Lark says in her book that many times nightime anxiety is caused by low blood sugar because you haven't eaten for a while. If you wake up in panic she said to have some type of protein like raw nuts,etc. and chew on those or just something to eat which will bring up the blood sugar and you will beable to go back to sleep.  I guess it is worth a try.  I wake up everymorning about 5 and since my panic attacks are all gone during the day, now the only problem I have is that I can constantly hear my heart pounding during the night whenever I wake up. I do go to sleep easily however. I don't dare start eating something because my dog sleeps on my bed and he would be aroused and waking everyone up.  I guess that Claire Weekes said that hearing the heart pounding is the last stubborn thing to go. Also go to panic cure.com which is very interesting a helpful.

[Blondie2334]

Yes I am patient w a mental health care provider. I don't like talking out loud about things though. Writing in a journal is better for me. When I started doing that I was able to see a pattern of my "triggers", Any kind of booze, (work in the medical field) death of someone I have gotten to know, social settings that I am not familar with. Being around my Mother, (lol sorry mom) . I have learned to not drink, death is not controlable, stay away from setting I am not familair with. As for my Mother, that is a whole nother bag of snakes. That situation hasn't changed in 35 years, guessing it never will.

The frustration of panic attacks and the drain physically that it causes suck. My husband says he can tell when I am going to have a bad attack. He says I go into "fight or flight mode" He has also told me when I have had an attack by my either extreme distance or extreme neediness.

My fear of new situations has even stopped my education. I am less than a year away from a major medical degree. Everytime I go to sign up or start class, I get so sick. I know what it is, just can't over come it.

Like I have said the night attacks are the worse. Not only does it disrupt my sleep but clouds my whole following day. The only way I know how to explain what I mean about "cloud my day" is having a really nasty charlie horse that 18 hours later your leg is still miserable.
Ok, have rambled enough.
Thanks CJ for the support.

[cj29]

I know frustration comes with this.  It does sap our energy and affects our personal identity.  Again, I am glad that you are working this out with your doctor.  Is the doctor a psychiatrist?  If not, have you talked about it with a mental healthcare professional?  I firmly believe that the combination of meds and talk therapy is the best way to go for long term relief from this.  

[Blondie2334]

My anxiety started with the "night attacks". The Dr. started with taking it all of the time, plus regular doses of paxil. Hated paxil, so went to just xanax and lorazapan before bedtime. Then he put me on Lexapro daily and xanax or lorazapan as needed. I normally can tell when it is needed before I go to bed. I have learned "my triggers" and stopped or decreased "My triggers".  I have stated taking the xanax and lorazapan regularly again because of the night attacks. But it seems to be getting worse. I can control triggers that are personal, but the work related ones, I can't. Just frustrating.  

[cj29]

Anxiety often strikes when our mind is at rest in my experience.  Throughout the day, we tend to be busier and thus our minds are more occupied with other tasks. I actually found it the hardest right when I was going to bed.  When do you take the medication? Is it before you fall asleep or after you wake up in a sweat?  I would go talk to your doctor about this.  Sometimes there are other medications that can help with sleep.  Please keep us posted!