Nighttime Panic Attacks?

[harris5998]

Does anyone suffer from nightime panic attacks? Like, having nightmares and waking up feeling panicky every so often? Or just waking up nervous with your heart racing and body trembling? Some nights this happens multiple times per night, other nights (usually when I take Xanax before bed) it doesn't happen at all. It's very upsetting. I just did not know a person could wake up in the middle of a panic attack, I have enough of them during the day!

[suzi-q]

I used to wake up with one EVERY morning at one time...but never in the night...that was the only time that I am not anxious...once morning comes, its all over!!!!  Anxiety sets in!!

[wunabnorm]

I get that in some shape or form. When I try to go to sleep, I kind of feel like like just about as I am going to drift to sleep, I feel really panicky, almost as if I was floating out of my own body. Like I was leaving myself, and so I would wake up gasping for air. And recently... I have been having a new feeling. While I am sleeping... It's almost as if I can see myself sleeping, and I know that I am, and I can feel what it feels like quivers in my heart, or several pvc's in a row... and I feel like I am going to have a heart attack and die, so...I am fighting to wake myself up, and I can try several times, (screaming silently) or I can see myself trying to wake up my husband, but I can't move or spaek, and finally when I can wake up, I jump up in bed, and start gasping for air, and my heartbeat is racing!!! I might sound crazy... but... it's the only way I know how to explain it. Also...this can happen several times throughout the night. Anyone ever feel like that?

[meg1005]

I have had both experiences..I am a 21 yr old female who just recently graduated from college and have been experiencing what feels like a rush or numerous rushes before going to bed. It happens right before i go to sleep and it almost feels like an adrenaline rush with my heart speeding up and it waking me up. This can happen numerous times before I finally fall asleep from exhaustion. I have also experienced waking up before in the middle of the night gasping for air. It almost seems like I stopped breathing when I was sleeping and woke up gasping for air. This hasn't happened though for a couple months. I have recently gone to the doctor and they said everything was fine and am now waiting on blood work but I am extremely nervous and concerned!

[canihelp]

This happens when your breathing becomes shallow as you fall asleep.  It also happens when you have a rush of adrenalin as you fall asleep or during your sleep with dreams.  You quit breathing for a few seconds & the heart may skip and it wakens you.  I know it's frightening.  Sleep apnea can also cause that.  Stress is one of the main factors though in a healthy person (i think).

Read under heart problems forum to see more about heart skips & such.  These are usually benign, unless severe sleep apnea is involved. (in my knowledge)  By the way, the more you fear it, the worse it gets, so find a way to relax before you go to sleep (like reading a boring book, listening to soft music, cup of Chamomille tea, etc)

[MOTAH]

I used to get these but ONLY when I go to sleep with anxious thoughts in my head.

Try to dedicate at least 30 - 60 minutes of your time BEFORE you sleep in watching tv (& concentrating on it), listening to radio, or anything that is unrelated to your anxiety or fear.

if you could clear your mind for 30 - 60 minutes of your time before you go to bed & think of something happy or general or today's news, weather, a funny joke you remembered, etc... then you'll sleep fine & have normal dreams & you won't woke up.

I had these attacks during my sleep for around 1 month & they didn't go away until I made sure that sleep time is "forcefully" without worry.

cheers,

[aprilr]

i have the same thing i wake up every morning shaky and heart pounding for no reason its really scary

[snapdragonblue]

i wake shaky and heartbeating reallyfast too. i also have jumped out of bed from a full sleep, thinking i cant breath what is it?

[mia193]

I awake from my sleep with my heart racing, and this happens every so often now.  It used to be almost every night - from about 2-4am!  I too would pop a zanax before bed and noticed that it would help, or it i wake up, i will take one and fall back to sleep.  I think the body shuts down and the mind keeps going!  I also used to have a couple of glasses of wine before bed, thinking it would help me and it was worse for me, i think the sulfites made my heart race.  I have been (knock on wood) sleeping pretty well for about a month now, but it could always come back.  The only comfort is that I know the feeling from before, so I try to deep breath and calm myself, before i go into a full panic attack.  It does help, or I would go on this site, read some posts and it would put my mind at ease.
Hope it helps!
take care

[Mozartcowgirl]

I used to get those at night.. i would wake up .. feeling like i couldnt breath... the whole fight/flight thing.. run to the bathroom.. insert head into cold water  etc et c...

i stopped eating at least 3 hours before bed time.. then. i learned that you can eat certain foods.. at night.. that are good for you and mixes well with sleep.. Oatmeal. or raw vegtables.. i tried it.. it worked!!  i even slept better..

[Shannon Wyatt]

I too have this same condition -- I awake every morning (like clockwork) between 5:30am and 7am shaky and with my heart pounding -- every morning.  What is this?  Some latent anxiety from my subconscious?  Anyway, I have learned the best way to handle is to get up and get moving.  This works like a charm.  If it is really early, say 5:30am -- I'll go back to bed after a while but usually have a fitful and restless sleep until I get up @ 7:30am.

Any thoughts or suggestions as to why this happens in the early morning?  During the day I'm fine...   THanks!

[sick&tired01]

I'm so glad that I found this site because in the last few months I've been experiencing the same thing. I have been consumed with worry that I have a heart problem and was actually about to make an appointment with my cardiologist. ( I had to see one in the past due to severe heart palpitations.) Anyway, I'll jump out of sleep like someone scared me or something and I am trembling from head to toe, my heart is racing, and I have this strange warmth all through my body. I always look at the clock when I wake up with this and notice that it's usually about 2 hours after I've fallen asleep. I have been dealing with panic attacks since I was 6 years old so I know what they feel like, I'm just worried that I might have some kind of heart problem that is causing these symptoms. Sometimes I'm afraid if I go to sleep that I won't wake up because of this. I know it's most likely just my anxiety and hypochondria making me think this way but I still can't help but wonder.

[nastursim]

I use to wake up very regularly having a panic attack. I would wake up with that racy, light headedness, freaking out thinking I was going to die. I would pace the hallway and get myself so worked up. I would take largactyl and that would eventually knock me out. I don't know what made it stop, but as I got well within myself through therapy, they eventually did get under control. Every so often I will wake up feeling all panicky still, but I use talk therapy and tell myself that I am safe and concentrate on slowing my breathing down. Sometimes I have to snuggle up to my hubby to go back to sleep, or I put on some instrumental music to focus my attention on.

[Barbarella]

I used to get these panic attacks every night at 3 a.m. like a damn alarm clock.  I still get them sometimes at that time.  I get out of bed, check e-mails, send e-mails, and let my heart race and skip like I was taught in that book I read by Dr. Weeks.  I remember her words "let it come to its very worst you will NOT die", and soon after that I'm o.k.

[rightnode]

I get these... had one this week.  mine started about 7 years ago... 5 years before I had a daytime panic attack. I didn't know what it was... I thought I had developed asthma or something.. well that was checked out and is null.

My therapist said that anxiety will find a away to release it self-- it has to.   I find that if I breathe slowly and count backwards to take my mind off of it.. I relax and can fall back to sleep.  It does work for me.

[Michaelccc]

the breathing thing may be sleep apnea.  most likely not . it is a symptom of panic attacks. but sometimes even people with panic attacks get real problems such as sleep apnea. its a sleep disorder that is relatively easy to treat if that is the case and can definetly cause panic during sleep and breathing cesations

[Chik3442]

Thank God I found this site!  I too have experienced the same thing.  I wake from sleep, usually a couple hours after falling asleep, jumpy, heart racing...feeling like I'm going crazy!  I pace, sometimes have to go to the bathroom, whatever makes me feel normal again.  I'm so over it.  I've been battling anxiety for 12 years now!

[slugsushi]

Thank you everyone for sharing your comments. It is good to know that we are not alone, and certainly not dieing or going crazy. I"ve been experiencing night time attacks for about two years now, and they have seem to replaced the daytime ones, since I no longer get those. I usually wake up in a panic within one hour of falling asleep, and am never dreaming when they happen. If it is especially
dark in my room when they happen, I literally climb my walls trying to get out of my room, and panic
even more as I feel trapped. I feel very disorientated and have a hard time finding the door. My intial panic though is a feeling that I can't breathe, and I wake up gasping for air. Fortunately these don't happen on a regular basis, and I've never been able to get a medical explanation. I do have my own theories though, and I definitley think that my disorder is inherited from my mother. I am also a very
high strung person who doesn't do stress well. I think anyone suffering from panic attacks would do well to stay away from sugar, caffeine and alcohol.  The last time this happen to me  I had eaten a very sweet dessert in the evening.- only a theory but a very possible cause.  My hope is that everyone who suffers from these very scary episodes will find some lasting peace and healing. Good luck to you all.

[tlj02002]

I too have this problem, I only have panic attacks at night time, and typically I find myself waking up at exactly 2am; having to walk around, go to the bathroom, and stare at the ceiling for another hour before sleeping again. I am taking Zoloft and Clozepam, and these have helped it tremendously. I also have RLS (restless leg syndrome) due to the Zoloft, but the Clozepam seems to help it at times. My doctor has recommended not eating at least 2-3 hours before bed, staying away from alcohol, smoking, eat healthier, do stretches before bed (for RLS and to help sleep). The biggest thing is to go get help. I dont like medication, but now that I am on it, it has helped me tremendously. This also runs in my family BIG TIME, my grandmother's ideology on this is, "so what you're on meds, you prefer the attacks?" my answer to that is no. Good luck with the sleeping, and seek help, you are not alone, as we have noticed, there are many of us out there with this problem.

[Anxious_Manna]

actually I woke up once and I was having a panic attack let me tell you that was the weirdest feeling ever I couldn't breathe and I thought I was gunna die... I don't know what 2 do but I just fell back to sleep :( .. .But I feel you... and I'm sorry you're going through this stay strong

Anxious_Manna

[Imagine865]

I sympathize with all of you. I have many of those abrupt awakenings in the middle of the night, sure this is it, I'm dying. I must propel myself out of bed just to convince myself I'm alright. Once I recover, which takes about twenty minutes I often go back to sleep only to have it happen again.

I am trying to cut out the Xanax since I either need a lot more of it or none at all. I'm down to .25 2x per day. I feel lousy all the time, many panic attacks, a lot of a disoriented feeling. Can't stand in line without turning into taffy, often collapsing. Can't stand heat, light or noise. When people argue, beep car horns, it's torture. I start shaking form head to toe and feel like I'm suffocating.

My only fear about cutting the Xanax out altogether is the seizures everyone talks about. How about the irony of a drug that cures anxiety which gives you seizures when you stop it. We are trapped.

[Spaz68]

So excited to see I"m not the only one who is a spastic mess!  LOL.  OMG.....I'm experience the nighttime panic attacks due to excessive anxiety from my Mother's death and thought I was losing my mind!  So glad to find yall!  I take Xanax .5 for them, but does it really cause seizures if you stop taking it?  Yikes!

[beckycup]

I'm 19 years old, and I dont know whats going on with me. I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing is the same as what has been described here but it sound about right.
Three night ago I couldn't fall asleep because I was having some kind of anxiety attack. It started with feeling that prickly feeling on my leg that one some times gets when lying still in bed, but this time I got scard thinking there were ants on my leg. It was my first night back in my apartment after a two week vacation and the whole evening I was a bit worried about bugs crawling into my bed while I was away. Anyway after that I started freaking out about little noises and stuff, and I thought I was losing my mind.
I got realy freaked out. I am not a panicky person and this never happend to me befor. I got up and started going through all the possibilities of why I felt "wierd". Finally I fell asleep, but the next day I was depressed and ended up going home to my mom.
Two night ago I got a "bad" "scared" feeling and was crying for no reson at all (just because I felt weird). Its passed. Last night I went to bed feeling panicky but I focused on falling asleep and I did.
At around four thirty I woke up and jumped out of bed, I was really dizzy and panicked, although my heart was not racing. I went to pee and had some water and went back to bed still light headed.
I dont know what to think. At first I thought I was developing some kind of depression, but now I just think I'm going crazy.

[fluglehorn]

I thought I was the only one suffering from these panic attacks. I can't watch exciting TV shows or movies, because they may cause my heart to race and fear I'll have a heart attack, which makes it race even more.
Also a frightening dream can wake me, with a pounding heart. I have to get up and calm myself, watching some bland TV show. This usually takes about an hour, so I don"t get enough sleep.

.

[Autumnx1003]

Wow---I knew I wasnt the only one this problem, but I didn't know how many other people suffer with it as well!!! Yes---there's nothing that ruins my day more than waking up with that ole' racy heart, skin's crawling feeling.  OK---there is something worse, the times that I have not been able to go to sleep because of it!  I have been having this really bad for the last 2 months, and I'm really fed up with it, too!  I had it last night super bad and this morning I was a basket case.  

So---although it may not ease your symptoms, it may make you feel better to know that you are not alone :)  Many of us anxiety sufferes get the bed time creepy-crawlies-can't-calm'downs.