Nocturnal anxiety attacks affect between fifty percent and three-quarters of people who are afflicted with panic disorder. Having an anxiety episode during the day is bad. Having one when you’re trying to sleep is even worse.
Everything seems more frightening at night. It’s even worse if there’s no one else around. I believe everyone, even those who don’t suffer from, has had a night’s sleep disturbed by fear.
For most people, just turning on the lights and looking around their house is enough to let them get back to sleep.
It doesn’t work that way for someone with a nighttime panic attack.
The signs and symptoms of a nighttime panic attack are about the same as as a daytime one. For example, the panic victim often feels a rapid heart beat, rapid shallow breathing, tingling in their arms and legs, a a sense of doom and so on. In short, everything that characterize any anxiety episode.
Some people experience the sense of panic just as they’re drifting off to sleep. For others, the panic comes out of nowhere while they’re soundly asleep.
Surprisingly, most people with nighttime anxiety attacks don’t remember a nightmare before or with the attack.
If this is an issue you face know that you can get rid of them. But there are things you need to do to reach that goal.
First is to get a complete physical evaluation. There are some physical ailments that look a lot like the symptoms of a panic. You want to be certain you don’t have a problem like that.
With nocturnal panic attacks, sleep disorders such as sleep apnea could be an underlying cause. Don’t be surprised if your physician recommends testing for this.
Once you know you don’t have a physical problem, you need to practice good sleep hygiene.
This means doing things like eliminating, or at least cutting way back, on stimulants such as drinks with caffeine in them. Reserve your bedroom for sleeping and romantic activities. Don’t do things like watching TV or reading in your bedroom.
You want to create the association between being in bed and sleeping.
Also, don’t watch disturbing or action-filled TV shows or read such books in the hours before bed. If you have a panic problem the last thing you want to do is to fill your mind with such images before bedtime.
You can find further sleep hygiene tips elsewhere.
The last thing I’ll recommend here is to seek specific treatment for your anxiety disorder.
A nighttime panic attack is like any other panic attack except it occurs at night. The fact that it happens in the middle of the night does make it more terrifying, but doesn’t affect the overall treatment.
Many times, Your doctor will suggest using drugs as well as cognitive restructuring.
One thing that is slightly different is that if the night time episodes are fairly frequent, a physician may recommend a sedative at bedtime as a stop-gap treatment while longer term approaches have a chance to work.
One problem with prescription sedatives is that they interfere with normal sleep patterns. A night’s sleep after you’ve had a Xanax isn’t as restful as a normal good night’s sleep.
But it is better than one interrupted by a panic attack.
Another problem with sedatives is that people can develop dependence. It’s important to know before you begin using these pills that it should only be short-term. Before you begins you should know how long you’re going to take the pills and how you’re going to come off it.
For a lot of, it’s wise to try natural alternatives before they resort to a prescription drug. You can find a an excellent of natural sleep supplements at Night Time Panic Attacks Part 2.
In general, the natural sleep aids are safe and do not disturb normal sleep patterns. Many people find they’re as effective as the prescription drugs with out the problems.
This advice should get you well on your way down the path to relief. If you want more information about all aspects of panic attacks and their treatment, visit Panic Attack Release.
And click here for a review of a great non-drug way to treat panic attacks.
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