Here, you'll discover what sleep panic attacks are, and, how they can be addressed. Sleep or nocturnal panic attacks aren't harmful, but can be scary. You'll also learn why it isn't your dreams that cause these nighttime attacks, but events that have happened earlier.
Somewhere between 40% and 50% of folks with panic attack disorders have attacks when they sleep, although only about 10% of all attacks happen nocturnally. However, because of the circumstances, the symptoms of sleep panic attacks can seem to be more intense and terrifying than during the day. And an attack can seem to last longer for many sufferers.
The symptoms of sleep attacks are the same as daytime attacks; sweating, tight chest / throat, hyperventilation, palpitations, fear of impending doom, fear you're having a heart attack, etc. However, just as with daytime attacks, nocturnal panic attacks symptoms cannot harm you.
Do dreams cause sleep panic attacks? No. It is known that your dreams don't trigger nocturnal attacks. Tests have shown that the majority of nocturnal attacks happen in the early phases of your sleep cycle.
There are 5 phases or stages to your sleep cycle; 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (not the band! but 'rapid eye movement'). A complete cycle ( 1 thro' 5) takes around 100 minutes, and then you repeatedly go through the cycle again. Your dreams occur in REM, but the majority of your sleep attacks generally occur in stage 2.
Nocturnal panic attacks occur for the same reason as daytime attacks: a stressful event or situation occurring on top of an already heightened anxiety level, typically someone with an anxiety or panic disorder.
This event can occur some hours before the actual attack is triggered, so something that happened during the day could trigger an attack during the night. This could be any stressful situation, and / or, overstimulation through alcohol and / or drugs, etc.
Remedies are the same as for daytime attacks; medication, therapies and self-help such as; exercise, diet, breathing exercises, meditation, self-hypnosis, yoga, etc. These basically help to treat the symptoms or help you cope better with your condition.
But a critical element in preventing panic / anxiety attacks and curing general anxiety is the 'fear' of suffering another anxiety or panic attack. The symptoms of an attack are just so great that the 'fear' of another is implanted in your psyche. This adds to an already higher-than-normal level of anxiety, so that when a stressful situation is encountered, a panic attack can be triggered by it.
This cycle of anxiety can be described as 'anxiety > fear > panic attack > anxiety > fear > panic attack' and so on. And unless this vicious cycle is broken, you're unlikely to prevent further daytime or nocturnal panic attacks, and so be able to cure your general anxiety.
To discover just how you can break this vicious cycle of anxiety and fear in order to prevent daytime and
sleep panic attacks and so cure your anxiety, please go to
http://eliminatepanicattacks.blogspot.com and get your life back on track.
