The Frightening Experience Of A Nocturnal Panic Attack

Have you ever woken suddenly from your sleep and felt like the world was caving in on you? A feeling of anxiety and fear that you cannot explain? Nocturnal panic attack is a frightening experience and those who have experienced it feel a sense of confusion. Confusion because there seems to be no apparent reason why it's occerred.

Nocturnal panic attack has been described as just about the worse type of attack a sufferer can experience. The good news is that after the first experience, a solution can then be worked towards. Identifying a reason why it occurred can usually be isolated to just a handful of possibilities and it may be stress related: something which has been playing on the mind of a person or even food related.

Can Nocturnal Panic Attack Be Prevented?

Preventing night attacks could require several changes to paersons routine before going to bed. Anyone who experiences frequent nocturnal panic attack episodes should begin to question their nightly regiment before they go to bed. Ideally a person who experiences frequent nightly attacks should make it their goal to reduce the common causes of panic attacks. The difficulty with panic attacks is the fact that it can be triggered by just about anything so isolating a cause is easier said than done.

Did You Know?

About one in ten panic attack episodes will occur at night while one in two people who experience symptoms will also experience a nocturnal panic attack. The cause? Research indicates dreams could be ruled out as a cause in most cases and it's more likely a combination of events which have occurred during the day or even days leading up to an attack.

Making Lifestyle Changes

Making some necessary adjustments may be required. Eliminating nightly snacks, and eating earlier in the evening always helps. Working to limit any stress occurred during the evening hours is always very helpful. Avoid discussing any important issues before bed; this can lead to unwanted stress before sleep, which could be causing the panic. Exercising before going to bed is recommended or at least sometime in the evening; even a short walk can be helpful.

If nocturnal panic attack is still a factor after implementing some changes then it's time to see your doctor. Avoid the temptation to simply live with it. Your doctor can analyse the situation with you such as events preceding an attack and may pick up on something you are not aware of. Medication could be an alternative.