Panic Attacks at Night

A defenseless, unconscious state is what is assumed to be behind panic attacks at night! As said, these attacks are a mere manifestation of stress and anxiety, which seem to get stronger and more intense while we sleep. Rapid heart rate, abnormal sweating, feeling of being choked, feeling breathless, seeing all sorts of distorted images, feeling light headed, suffering from dizziness, having disturbed thoughts and possibly many more such symptoms, are all a part of panic attacks at night. Causes of panic attacks at night have not been deciphered clearly and in a solid manner. Whatever causes have been related with this disorder, have a high probability of being so but are not definite and certain. However, once you are aware of the panic attack symptoms, it is wise to fix the problem rather than sitting over it and hoping for it to subside over time.

Causes of Panic Attacks At Night
Factors which have been linked with causing panic attacks at night or at any time of the day may have their source from events such as examination worries, stress at work place, divorce, death of a loved one, job loss and all such events, which wreak a major turmoil in a person's life. These factors intensify when a person is sleeping, as this is the time when he may feel an unconscious loss of control over his mental state. So, once the control is let lost, all negative thoughts start building up in the sufferer's mind and result in panic attacks while sleeping.

Although these factors are the most common and possible reasons for panic attacks at night, there are certain medical conditions which may also cause the same. Mitral valve prolapse (cardiopathy resulting from the mitral valve not regulating the flow of blood between the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart), hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia and stimulant use are some of them which may become the triggers for panic attacks at night.

It has also been found that people who are suffering from heart attacks or stroke, are common sufferers of panic attacks at night. This is due to the fact that they always have the fear of dying in sleep and such fears can easily trigger the attacks. It is also important to be aware of the fact that dreams have nothing to do with panic attacks at night. This might be a misconception which many people bear. The theory behind dreaming is related to REM (rapid eye movement) and this is when people dream. Studies reveled that affected people never experience panic attacks whilst dreaming.

Panic attacks during pregnancy is also one of the common disorders which most expecting mothers come across. Like any other major changes in life, pregnancy also give rise to great deal of anxiety, contemplation and even fear. Women who have been suffering from recurrent panic attacks become more prone to the disorder when they get or are pregnant. While for some women, hormonal imbalance which occurs during their pregnancy is considered as the main cause for incidents of panic attacks at night.

Treatment for Panic Attacks
The first step towards panic attack treatment is the realization of the attack. After you wake up, you should try to collect yourself and make yourself believe that you are safe and comfortable. Do not try to fight back the panic by replaying your negative thoughts in your mind. This will make the situation more grueling and intense. Just accept that you have been hit by a panic attack, without contemplating over it. This tactic will help the after effects of the panic attack to subside and help you to regain your correct state of mind.

Soon after you become aware that you have had a panic attack, start breathing slowly and in a rhythmic manner. Breath in, hold for sometime and breath out. Breathing will help slow down your heart rate and improve circulation. This is in turn will decrease the level of anxiety and help calming down your nerves.

Psychotherapy is one effective way which most people go for when it comes to treating panic attack disorder. It helps the affected person to realize the irrational thoughts and behaviors which cause panic attacks. The main purpose of psychotherapy is to help the person to inculcate relaxation techniques.

After getting yourself stabilized and in a proper frame of mind, try to determine the cause of the panic attack. The cause may be anything; work pressure, family issues, relationship woes and the like. So, once you have been able to decipher the specific cause, be ready to face it head on and get started with dealing with it. Most people run or hide or turn a blind eye to their problems in life and this does not seem to help at all. So, try addressing all the problems systematically and if not at least acknowledge them. Acknowledging also helps in preventing the stress from building up.

There are certain medicines which also help in reducing the frequency of panic attacks at night. However, they do not do good for long term effectiveness. Side effects are always a possible concern while using such medications. However, such medicines when combined with psychotherapy, work well in treating the panic attacks. Read more on panic attacks in children and tips for treating panic attack.

Severe panic attacks at night can be prevented by getting in a stable state of mind before you retire to the bed. Avoid alcohol, coffee or beverages and read something light or listen to soft music. Do not be tense about any ongoing problem at home or at office. Convince yourself that there is a solution to it and you will soon be coming out of it. It is also important to stop assuming about all possible repercussions about the negative situations that you are dealing with. Have faith in yourself and believe that everything will be fine – self motivation is the key!