Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Panic Attack during sleep

Question to the group:  Does anyone wake up during a panic attack?  I think I do.  When I wake up in the morning, I'm trembling and shaking with sweaty palms and cold feet -- and racing heart.  Standard symptoms of a panic attack.  Anyone else?  Thanks!
19 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
hey all.... Im 31 for the last 3 months probley 3 or 4 times a week just as i drift off 2 sleep i start getting hot flashes weird feeling in legs and panic attacks. Takes me hours to get sleep. its freaking me out what is it and what can i do to stop it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi my name is Danette I have been reading a lot of the posts from people about waking up in a panic attack I have had several in the last few years not every week just kinda of out of the blue anyone who knows me wouldn't think I would panic over anything because I am pretty laid back don't worry about much. but these panic attacks are scary they wake you up made me feel I didn't know where I was and feeling really scared like I was dying shortness of breath lasted only a few mins but took me forever to get back to sleep I just kept saying to myself your ok you will be fine and I took deep breaths it happened when my ex husband was with me I did wake him up it has happened only a few times since scary though but thank God they have been getting better each time but share talk too people close friends I bet they have had stuff you would be surprised keep the faith one day at a time
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm having these exact symptoms.  The other night I never got to sleep.  Last night I was fine.  Sometimes it happens in the day and water helps
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm having these exact symptoms.  The other night I never got to sleep.  Last night I was fine.  Sometimes it happens in the day and water helps
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I can relate it is a bad feeling,  i am dealing with the same thing although knowing other people have the same thing happening and talking about it helps.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Shannon. I recently turned 23 and I have been experiencing the same thing. I wake up in the middle of the night all scared and panicky and I do not know why. I have no recollection of nightmares and I have no idea why I get those attacks. I do realize that the normal stress that I have right now is that I live alone in my apartment, I am not in any relationship and I cannot ask anyone to live with me because it compromises with my freedom that I cannot bear to lose. Another thing that stressed me out was family issues which are personal and frankly silly to discuss on this forum. So yeah, such stuff scares me.
I think the first thing you need to do is establish your fears or tensions. Once you deal with those, you will be able to control these things easily as I have tried over the years and been successful to some extent. For further advice, or if you need to talk, the following is my e-mail address: ***@****. Please feel free to contact me. We can share experiences or even stories :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
In the last year I have been waking up in this state of panic and I cant get back to sleep.  It started getting so bad that I couldn't just go to sleep on my own.  I started keeping a bottle of benadryl on my night stand and could not fall asleep without taking one and still would wake up 3 or 4 hours later in a frenzy.  I would distract myself and do laundry or I would just do some work.  My husband wouldn't even ask me anymore about what was wrong.  I got tired of complaining. I also just started getting them during the day and feeling nervous all day. I went to my doctor and he started me on zoloft and daily xanax xr which is working out great.  I hate depending on something to make me feel normal but for a while I thought I was going to lose it.  I couldn't sleep.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Since I started having panic attacks which is a very new thing to me, sleeping is the hardest.  Going to sleep is difficult without some aid.  Also, usually when I wake up at night or in the morning I always get some form of minor panic.  Not wanting to overload my body on benzos I just break a pill into a half or a 1/4.  That being the smallest dose of xanex or Lorazepan.  I think even a tiny bit will help.  usually no need to take a whole pill.  Just it entering your system a little bit will probably calm the panic enough to either fall back to sleep or get on with your day.  Also, by not taking a whole does even at the minimum strength level, it helps you from being drowsy the next day.  If you're on a long term treatment then I do not know for sure what to tell you.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had mild anxiety for the last few years.  I have even had panic attacks during the day that have sent me to the ER.  But after getting off birth control three months ago I immediately began having these panic attacks at night.  Just like most people, I assumed that there was something terribly wrong with me. There are no word to explain the hopelessness and fear that I felt. I began to fear my bed.  I was having 5-10 attacks a night.  Some nights I was not sleeping at all due to the constant attacks. The attacks would occur in the second part of my monthly cycle. I would spend hours researching the internet, reading books, and talking to people.  When nothing was working I tried hormone therapy. I did this because I read in a couple of books that sometimes panic disorder is a misdiagnoses for hormonal imbalance. When the anti-anxiety meds were not helping me sleep, this is when I opened my mind to the idea that maybe my attacks were due to hormonal imbalance. The fact that it all started when I got off of YAZ birth control, made me suspect hormones as well. .
I went to see a doctor who specializes in all natural hormones and he put me on small doses of cortisol, and progesterone.  The first night that I still had the attacks, I called him the next morning.  He had me change my progesterone dosage to 4 times what I was already doing.  He also had me take them before I went to bed.  I have not had an attack since.  Obviously, not all panic is due to hormonal imbalance, but I am sharing my story because I think that it is an avenue that is worth checking out.  I would hate to think that I may have continued to increase the dosage of the anti-anxiety medicine each month when I could have stopped the attacks with natural progesterone. Oh and by the way, since taking these hormones my daily anxiety has decreased as well.  There is an answer to why your body is doing this, just don’t give up. You will find the right doctor who will help you.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello Shannon.  The same thing used to happen to me when I wasn't on medication/starting medication.  I would just about mid sleep and all of the sudden i would wake up in fear, heart racing, i would jump out of bed but my body would be so numb i would fall over.  It scared me to death, however, I was always somehow able to calm myself down and go back to bed with no problems after that which was always so weird to me.

I do not know if you suffer from anxiety/panic attacks in the day time too, but my psychiatrist told me it is totally possible to have them while you're asleep especially if you constantly have that anxiety feeling, or sometimes we get so used to the anxiety that it can happen in our sleep.  It is quite a scary thing, but as you can see there is quite a few of us who have had or have the same problem you do.  I hope it all works out well for you, just know you're not alone :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes!!! Ive been researching sleep panic attacks cause im getting older and im embarrassed that this happens once in a blue. I wake up mid sleep feeling half my muscles are numb, and confused and so scared like I wanna cry. But im always confused after it passes as to why I was scared. I cant breathe,sweating and I usually run around lost, confused and I always smack myself so hard trying to wake myself up> I pull my hair, I sometimes take off my clothes. I do alot but still thinking Im going to DIE! Then all of a sudden it ends and Im still scared but ill fall right back to sleep if i dont think about it. 7 years of this!

What the hell do I do if im with someone and this happens!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Everynight I wake up with my heart racing, problems breathing, a feeling of nervousness, and dry mouth. PANIC ATTACKS! I need help I really want this to stop.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I suffer from anxiety but when I wake in the morning i feel I cant breath then I cough and start to heave after a minute or two im fine is this  a panic attack from  sleeping is it possible
Helpful - 0
619380 tn?1339798596
I have had the same problems. I was surprised to find out I have about 8 of the 10 symptoms of sleep apnea. Racing heart, vivid dreams, feel terrible when about to dose off. It's even worse when I have a bad day and I'm mentally tired. My heart doctor said I'm fine and asked if I snored, and woke up with a racing heart. I took a sleep test and i'm not (for insurance purposes) in a full blown apnea. I bought the cpap myself and I sleep better and have almost no dreams and no more racing heart when I wake. My regular doctor said was only stress. most doctors don't ever think of sleep disorders. Just a long shot but it helped my stress a lot.
Helpful - 0
518398 tn?1211788965
i get that it s a horrible feeling.God bless you.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I wake up almost every night sometimes more then one time feeling like I'm going to die.  I wake up gasping for air, heart racing, and I run out of my room.  It happens when I am just falling asleep, not during REM.  I have such anxiety about going to sleep I toss and turn for hours worrying about these attacks.  I feel like I'm going to die or that I'm having a heart attack, I know its Irrational, and my heart is fine, but I can't shake the feeling.  My chest constantly feels tight and I CONSTANTLY worry about my anxiety.
Helpful - 0
191631 tn?1189755821
Yes! i wake up in the middle of the night like i had a horrible dream. and such a large feeling of doom like something really bad happend. It dosent happen much anymore like 2-3 times a year. But i know  how you feel
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes, I used to wake up EVERY morning with those symptoms...it was TERRIBLE....my doctor then put me on buspar in conjunction with my paxil.  Those tremors and heart racing has gone away....still get a little nauseous every morning, but nothing compared to how bad it used to be...best to you!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I use to get them during the night, I would wake up in a state of panic every night, I got to a place where I didnt want to go to sleep.. Now the morning time is bad for me, I dont have a panic attacks like I use to, but I have anxiety and the feeling of doom every morning...
It will go away, but it just takes time.
Sorry to hear you are going through this.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community

Top Anxiety Answerers
Avatar universal
Arlington, VA
370181 tn?1595629445
Arlington, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?