Anxiety problems don’t let you rest even when you sleep, so in addition to the symptoms and consequences you suffer during the day, anxiety can turn into insomnia at night, sleep disorders, or even nocturnal panic attacks. Has it ever happened to you? We tell you why you have these panic attacks when you sleep and what to do to stop them.
What are nocturnal panic attacks?
It’s more than just a nightmare, that’s for sure. And they also differ from the so-called night terrors in terms of their intensity. We’re talking about those nocturnal panic attacks that wake you up in the middle of your sleep between sweating, tremors, tachycardia, shortness of breath and the horrible feeling that you’re going to die.
Nighttime panic attacks are just like those that happen to you during the day, but with the surprise of waking you from your sleep. The fact that the, only prolongs the duration of the attack, which can last between 10 and 20 minutes although it seems like an eternity to you. And you can be calm about at least one thing, because they do not pose any danger to health.
Causes of nighttime panic attack
But what causes that panic attack while you sleep? Aren’t you supposed to be resting? Some experts point to a genetic factor, but they can also occur due to physiological causes such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. In that case, medication can help a lot to prevent attacks.
On some occasion, you can suffer this distressing experience due to having experienced a traumatic event, such as a traffic accident, for example. That night and for a few nights, the shock of what you have seen can give you a nighttime panic attack.
However, the most common cause is an. That anxiety that you suffer during the day does not rest while you sleep and the emotional overflow can lead you to suffer this terrifying episode. The main thing in these cases is to determine what causes the nighttime panic attack in order to stop it later.
What to do to stop panic attacks while you sleep?
We are not going to fool ourselves. There is no magic formula, nor an easy and quick remedy to end panic attacks, neither with the night nor with the day. As in most cases, they are the product of an anxiety disorder; the intervention will be done directly on that anxiety problem. By day and by night.
And you already know that to overcome anxiety you are going to need psychological help. If not, it will come back a thousand times to block your life until you manage to learn to manage anxiety and manage emotions. So it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to put yourself in the hands of a professional as soon as possible and discover the benefits of cognitive.
It is common to go to the doctor after suffering one of these nocturnal panics and, be careful, because Spain is one of the countries that musicalize this type of disorder the most. You may be prescribed anxiolytics and perhaps antidepressants as well, and these drugs will alleviate the symptoms quite a bit. It is important that while a doctor prescribes them, you are also doing psychological therapy to attack panic attacks in a double way. In addition, the objective is that the medication, as you master the situation, is withdrawn properly, always accompanied by medical or psychiatric monitoring.
You yourself can help stop those nocturnal attacks with good sleep hygiene. It is essential to always go to bed and get up at the same time, sleep without noise, reduce activity in the hours before going to bed and drink a relaxing infusion before bed. If you also practice some breathing exercises when you go to bed, you will be favoring a peaceful and restful sleep.
