I’ve been dealing with severe anxiety for over a decade, and it’s often affected my ability to fall or stay asleep.
But it wasn’t until a couple weeks ago after moving into my new apartment that I experienced a nighttime panic attack.
This is the most bizarre anxiety experience I’ve had to date:
Around 2am, my body started panicking in my sleep and I woke up feeling full blown panic symptoms:
- Unnatural hotness all over
- Profuse sweating
- The overwhelming feeling that I was about to die
- Trembling
- Numbness/hotness in my hands
- An uncontrollably fast beating heart.
It took me a second to realize what was happening and for a moment I thought about calling 911, but I told myself I could handle it.
***Note: If you experience an overwhelming nighttime panic attack, and you feel you need medical attention, CALL 911**
I sorted through my unorganized mess of newly moved things laid out on my kitchen island and found the medicine my doctor had prescribed me to stop panic attacks.
Hands shaking, I got a glass of water, took the pill, and stood still in the open refrigerator door (to combat the feelings of hotness).
Slowly, but surely, the symptoms subsided. But I just stood in the refrigerator for a while breathing slowly with my eyes closed, hands resting on the top of the produce bins.
Eventually I went back to bed and googled “nighttime panic attacks” and put all the pieces together.
Apparently it’s unknown why people have nighttime panic attacks, but for myself, I think a lot of things can explain why I had the initial experience.
- I had just moved and it was really stressful and physically taxing
- I had become inconsistent with taking my anti-depressant medicine in the previous 5 days- I skipped 2 or 3 days on accident.
- I overexerted myself on the day of by shopping and moving about without taking the time to eat or drink much water.
I’ve become a master of nipping anxiety attacks in the bud in my waking life. So I guess it decided to try a different route by attacking me in my sleep.
Admittedly, I was very anxious during that day, and there were moments I felt I was on the brink of an anxiety attack, but again….I’m a master of my waking anxiety.
It just reminded me of how physiological anxiety is. It’s not all in your head. It’s in your body…
I had fallen asleep completely. But whatever anxiety I had stored in my body seemed to need an outlet.
Within the past month, I’ve experienced a few more nights of being inexplicably jolted awake by panic, so at this moment in time, I’m still trying to pinpoint triggers and I’ve reached out to my doctor for guidance.
If you ever have nighttime panic attacks, know that you’re not alone. Please tell me about your experience(s) in the comments below. How do you manage the attacks? Were you able to find the cause(s)?
Sincerely,
Alexia
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