Nighttime Panic Attacks?

[harris5998]

Does anyone suffer from nightime panic attacks? Like, having nightmares and waking up feeling panicky every so often? Or just waking up nervous with your heart racing and body trembling? Some nights this happens multiple times per night, other nights (usually when I take Xanax before bed) it doesn't happen at all. It's very upsetting. I just did not know a person could wake up in the middle of a panic attack, I have enough of them during the day!

[snapdragonblue]

i wake shaky and heartbeating reallyfast too. i also have jumped out of bed from a full sleep, thinking i cant breath what is it?

[mia193]

I awake from my sleep with my heart racing, and this happens every so often now.  It used to be almost every night - from about 2-4am!  I too would pop a zanax before bed and noticed that it would help, or it i wake up, i will take one and fall back to sleep.  I think the body shuts down and the mind keeps going!  I also used to have a couple of glasses of wine before bed, thinking it would help me and it was worse for me, i think the sulfites made my heart race.  I have been (knock on wood) sleeping pretty well for about a month now, but it could always come back.  The only comfort is that I know the feeling from before, so I try to deep breath and calm myself, before i go into a full panic attack.  It does help, or I would go on this site, read some posts and it would put my mind at ease.
Hope it helps!
take care

[Mozartcowgirl]

I used to get those at night.. i would wake up .. feeling like i couldnt breath... the whole fight/flight thing.. run to the bathroom.. insert head into cold water  etc et c...

i stopped eating at least 3 hours before bed time.. then. i learned that you can eat certain foods.. at night.. that are good for you and mixes well with sleep.. Oatmeal. or raw vegtables.. i tried it.. it worked!!  i even slept better..

[Shannon Wyatt]

I too have this same condition -- I awake every morning (like clockwork) between 5:30am and 7am shaky and with my heart pounding -- every morning.  What is this?  Some latent anxiety from my subconscious?  Anyway, I have learned the best way to handle is to get up and get moving.  This works like a charm.  If it is really early, say 5:30am -- I'll go back to bed after a while but usually have a fitful and restless sleep until I get up @ 7:30am.

Any thoughts or suggestions as to why this happens in the early morning?  During the day I'm fine...   THanks!

[sick&tired01]

I'm so glad that I found this site because in the last few months I've been experiencing the same thing. I have been consumed with worry that I have a heart problem and was actually about to make an appointment with my cardiologist. ( I had to see one in the past due to severe heart palpitations.) Anyway, I'll jump out of sleep like someone scared me or something and I am trembling from head to toe, my heart is racing, and I have this strange warmth all through my body. I always look at the clock when I wake up with this and notice that it's usually about 2 hours after I've fallen asleep. I have been dealing with panic attacks since I was 6 years old so I know what they feel like, I'm just worried that I might have some kind of heart problem that is causing these symptoms. Sometimes I'm afraid if I go to sleep that I won't wake up because of this. I know it's most likely just my anxiety and hypochondria making me think this way but I still can't help but wonder.

[nastursim]

I use to wake up very regularly having a panic attack. I would wake up with that racy, light headedness, freaking out thinking I was going to die. I would pace the hallway and get myself so worked up. I would take largactyl and that would eventually knock me out. I don't know what made it stop, but as I got well within myself through therapy, they eventually did get under control. Every so often I will wake up feeling all panicky still, but I use talk therapy and tell myself that I am safe and concentrate on slowing my breathing down. Sometimes I have to snuggle up to my hubby to go back to sleep, or I put on some instrumental music to focus my attention on.