{"id":25957,"date":"2020-10-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-staging.saatva-node-stage.tsc-starts-coding.com\/nocturnal-panic-attacks\/"},"modified":"2024-09-12T17:20:04","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T17:20:04","slug":"nocturnal-panic-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva-node-stage.tsc-starts-coding.com\/blog\/nocturnal-panic-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Treat Nocturnal Panic Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’ve ever woken up to a racing heart, sweating, or feeling like someone is choking you, you may be having panic attacks while sleeping. Rest assured, \u201cnocturnal panic attacks are terrifying but very treatable,” says licensed clinical psychologist John Paul Garrison<\/a>, PsyD. Here’s what you need to know so you can get the care and rest you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are nocturnal panic attacks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nocturnal panic attacks are pretty much what they sound like. \u201cThese are panic attacks that wake sufferers out of sleep in a state of extreme anxiety,” Garrison explains. They most often occur during the end of the second and beginning of the third stage of sleep<\/a>. While these panic attacks are alarming, they’re not dangerous and usually last only a few minutes. However, once you’re awakened by one you may find it harder to fall back asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think you’re waking up with panic attacks, start by seeing your doctor, who can rule out other potentially harmful conditions. \u201cOften people worry that their symptoms are related to a physical problem rather than a mental one,” Garrison says. \u201cHaving a physical or a check-up ensures that the panic attacks are not another issue, and that gives you evidence that it is purely psychological.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you know your symptoms are not caused by something physical, find a mental health provider, who can help diagnose your problem and develop a treatment plan. \u201cDue to the complex nature of panic and anxiety<\/a>, it is often advisable to speak to a psychologist,” Garrison says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panic attack vs anxiety attack<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people use the term \u201canxiety attack” to describe intense periods of anxiety, says Monique Reynolds, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety & Behavioral Change<\/a> in Rockville, Md. However, most doctors don’t use the term because, unlike \u201cpanic attack,” there’s no clinical definition of \u201canxiety attack.” Additionally, panic attacks in sleep are different from sleep terrors, nightmares, and arousal caused by dreams<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms of panic attacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNocturnal panic attacks generally comprise the same symptoms of panic attacks that occur while aware and awake,” says licensed clinical psychologist Benson Munyan, PhD, director of Neurocove Behavioral Health<\/a> in Orlando, Fla. This includes physical symptoms such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n