It is not too unheard of for someone to have sleep panic attacks. Although they may seem to have no apparent cause, they are usually the result of stress during the day. Panic and anxiety is nearly always brought on by a root cause. This could be an impending event, like moving house, or a trauma in the past, or everyday stress. If these emotional challenges are not dealt with while awake, they can manifest themselves in the form of nightmares or sleep panic attacks. You can read more about this at: panic attacks while sleeping.
If panic attacks while sleeping become a frequent occurrence, they can lead a person to develop other problems. The person can start to fear going to bed and sleeping, which may lead to insomnia. The persons sleep routine may already be upset by the panic attacks. This can increase the chance of panic attacks more as the person becomes more tired and stressed about the whole thing.
There is no physical danger in a sleep panic attack and it is important t remind yourself of this if it happens to you. If you start to have a panic attack while asleep then wake up, it will feel strange. You need to quickly remember you cannot be hurt by this. Next, start the deep breathing and relaxation exercises that you would use during the day to control panic attacks. It is possible to feel a bit paralyzed as you are not fully awake, but it is nothing to worry about. As your body goes into REM sleep, it is natural for your main muscle groups to become completely inactive, as the body repairs these muscles. It is abnormal for a person to ever notice this effect of paralysis but it is not a great concern. You can read more about this at: curing panic attacks.
Always, with panic attacks, the deep reason for the attacks should be determined and action taken to address it. This is the same with sleep panic attacks. The risk of a panic attack happening can be reduced with some immediate actions. Stretching in the evening is a good practice, especially after some light exercise. It is good for everyone to stretch out the leg muscles and helps you to relax in preparation for sleep.
Similar effects to those described here are felt by those with sleep apnea and some other conditions. If you only get these attacks while sleeping, you may consider that it they are not panic attacks but another, specifically sleep-related, condition. It is advisable to talk to your doctor about this. You can read more about this at: panic cure.
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