Can you have a panic attack in your sleep?

Question:

I have been having bad panic attacks lately. I now know when Im going to have one because I get this weird feeling in my hands right before it starts. But I never had one in my sleep. I woke up to what it felt like someone put an IV of ice cold water in my arms. I thought it was because I slept on my arms so I waited about twenty minutes for the feeling to go away. When it didn't, I started to panic and the cold feeling went into my chest so I started screaming I was having a heart attack. Everyone in my family knows about the panic attacks I have so they calmed me down and said I wasn't having a heart attack. Turns out it wasn't a heart attack, but was it a panic attack? Can you have one come on even when you are sleeping? Just typing this is making the tingling feelings I get in my hands come.

Answers:
yes i get them. i know how you feel and really feel for you. and i even wake up with them also at times. this is what i do to calm my self down i pretend of being in a beautiful place an island by myself then i take breathes in and out slowly. i tell my self that these panic/anxiety attacks will not get the best of me because i am bigger and stronger than they are. also you should go to a doctor or psychiatrist and tell them what happens when you experience these attacks and how you are feeling they can guide you in a much better direction. Good Luck and God Bless.

Other Answers:
I have had clients tell me that they've been woken from a sleep from anxiety attacks.

Yes..I think its because they are caused by hormonal imbalance more than any actual thought. I'm not expert, but I don't see why not. Your dreams are as real as reality to you while you sleep, your body reacts in the same way, and if your body's reaction to something is a panic attack, I don't see why it wouldn't happen in your sleep.

Of course, you can have some feelings both when you're asleep and when you're awake. I think that if your anxiety crosses the limit of your sleep, you can have physical reactions.

the exact same thing happens to me almost every night. i think you can have panic attacks in your sleep, im a very nervous, depressed person, and i have vivid weird dreams all the time with the same exact sensations you are describing.

I've had two in my life so far when I sleep, but I don't have them anymore. You may be panicing because your anticipating you will not sleep because you have'nt slept well for a few days, and your worried that you will not sleep at all. The best thing to do is sleep at the same time every night. For example always go to bed at 11:00, and always set your alarm for 8:00 everyday. You may not sleep at first, but evetually your body will set it's internal clock to sleep at that time.

Also try drinking camomile tea, warm milk, turning over your alarm clock, or ask your local health food store other remedies to help cure sleep anxiety.

As for your heart you might be anticipating a heart attack because our heart rate slows down as we enter sleep. Because you're afraid of heart attacks you may be anticipating the slowing beat as a heart attack. If, however, you feel incline to them see a doctor if you feel pain in your chest, indigestion, numbness in the left hand, and blured vision.

Yes, you can. I must say that it sounds like you have a great home support system for your panic attacks. You are truly blessed in that department. Now you just need to seek out the source of these attacks and try to get them treated. Remember to take deep breaths and try to take it easy. It will get better.

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Can you have a panic attack in your sleep?

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