Anxiety Attacks While Sleeping

Has it ever happened to you that you woke up all drenched in sweat in the middle of the night and were muttering something inexplicable in a loud voice? I am certain that if it has happened, then you definitely know what it is. Yes, it is an anxiety attack or panic attack as it is commonly called. An anxiety attack is a very sudden surge of extreme anxiety, intense psychological arousal, fear and general discomfort. These are linked with various somatic and cognitive symptoms. Our mind works in mysterious ways, so it is really difficult to fathom what goes on in our minds and what leads to such panic attacks. Now there are people who get anxiety attacks while sleeping as well. These are also called nocturnal anxiety attacks. What are these panic attacks at night? Let's check them out.

Anxiety Attacks at Night

Symptoms and Manifestation of the Attack
Whenever a person is experiencing an anxiety attack, he or she might have a sense or fear of dying. This has been reported often in such cases. They also feel nauseated, get a flashing vision or have a sense of losing control over themselves, accompanied by heavy breathing. The most common symptoms of anxiety attacks include:

• Heart palpitations
• Trembling
• Difficulty in breathing
• Burning sensations in face and neck areas especially
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Hot and cold flushes
• Sweating
• Chest pain

Most often than not chest pain and shortness of breath is very prominent. Even though these are experienced in association with a psychological condition or an anxiety disorder, it does not necessarily indicate a mental disorder. However, agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, where people can have severe panic attacks and fear of facing a difficult situation to the extent that they might not even drive or step out of the house. This is a very severe psychological condition.

Anxiety Attacks Causes
There are various causes and triggers of panic attacks while sleeping. Some of the common anxiety attack triggers are:

• Heredity, with the disorder running in families for generations
• Biological causes like obsessive compulsive disorders, hyperthyroidism, Vitamin B deficiency and so on
• Side effects of Specific Medications
• Phobia
• Explication of the subconscious - People who cannot be actually what they want to be vent out that feeling of insecurity and frustration through a panic attack
• Serious illness

There are a few other causes of anxiety attacks while sleeping, like use of certain stimulants and anti depressants, association of some situations with panic attacks and then having them in that particular situation and hyperventilation syndrome. Now that we have identified the various causes and symptoms, let's see how can these anxiety attacks be prevented or dealt with effectively.

Anxiety Attacks Treatment
Self help techniques, psychological therapies, medications and so on help to treat anxiety attacks. The first and foremost course of treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. It basically involves explaining the individual what exactly is a panic disorder and it is not just him or her suffering from it. Cognitive restructuring is done in this process and an individual's thoughts where he or she feels he or she is going crazy are replaced by a positive perception of these attacks. Another method is pharmacological intervention, with the help of antidepressants like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, Monoamine oxidase inhibitors and antianxiety drugs like benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines is a very widely prescribed medicine for panic disorders.

This was, however, a general explanation of panic attacks at night and its triggers and treatment. These things could slightly vary depending upon the individual and the underlying causes of the attack.

This reminds me of what a famous poet, John Milton had said, "The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven".