10 Tips to Get Rid of a Panic Attack in Bed
Are you tired of waking up in the middle of the night with a panic attack?
It can be difficult to know how to deal with it, especially if it’s disrupting your sleep.
In this article we share 10 tips to help you get rid of a panic attack in bed.
You will receive all the information you need to sleep peacefully again.
Read on to discover how you can overcome your anxiety and get a good night’s sleep again.
Table Of Contents
What is a panic attack in bed?
Why do you have a panic attack in bed?
How to deal with a panic attack in bed? 5 Tips
Preventing a panic attack in bed: 5 Tips
Purpose of this article: in this article you will find out what exactly a panic attack in bed is. You will receive some useful tips for recovering from a panic attack in bed and you will learn how to prevent these frightening moments.
It’s 3am and you wake up with a start.
You’re sweating, you’re shaking and your heart is racing.
You run to the window because you feel like you can’t breathe. You stand in front of the open window, panting.
You can’t shake off the panic and fear that overtakes you and you are wide awake.
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You immediately think of a heart attack or a stroke…
Recognizable?
Chances are you’re having a panic attack in bed.
What is a panic attack in bed?
A good night’s sleep is essential for your health and general well-being. Sleep promotes rest and relaxation. It gives you the opportunity to recover emotionally and physically from the past day and release all stress.
Unfortunately, chronic stress and a good night’s sleep rarely go together. Not being able to sleep due to stress is a common problem.
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), as many as a quarter of Dutch people over the age of 25 experience sleeping problems.
An excess of stress hormones ensures that your body remains in fight-or-flight mode, meaning you cannot relax, even if you are tired and feel exhausted. But worrying is also one of the reasons why stress makes it difficult for you to sleep.
If you do manage to fall asleep, you often sleep lightly and restlessly, which prevents your mind and body from relaxing.
Another phenomenon that can seriously disrupt your night’s sleep is a panic attack in bed.
A panic attack in bed is a sudden feeling of anxiety that wakes you from your sleep. You wake up in a state of panic and, just like a panic attack during the day, experience very intense physical symptoms such as a pounding heart, sweating and difficulty breathing.
Although daytime panic attacks and nighttime panic attacks have largely the same symptoms, studies show that the physical symptoms can be much more intense at night. This mainly concerns an increased heart rate, chest pain and a suffocating feeling.
You can imagine that these symptoms can be very frightening for someone. A panic attack in bed often leads to a vicious circle of anxiety.
Such a panic attack in bed usually occurs for no apparent reason. The attack itself usually only lasts a few minutes, but it is so frightening that it often takes a long time before you calm down and can continue sleeping.
The alarming signs and symptoms of a panic attack in bed may resemble those of a stress attack , heart attack, or other serious medical condition.
Night terrors are uncomfortable but fortunately not always dangerous. However, this does not mean that panic attacks in bed should be considered normal.
Why do you have a panic attack in bed?
People who suffer from certain phobias often experience a panic attack when confronted with the object of their phobia.
For example, someone who suffers from fear of heights or acrophobia may have a panic attack if they have a meeting on the top floor of an office building. Such a panic attack is not at all strange and people often expect it.
However, this does not mean that such a panic attack does not feel frightening and is not particularly confrontational for this person. If such a panic attack occurs at such a time, it is associated with a specific cause.
However, if you have a panic attack without any reason, the cause is deeper. Unexpected panic attacks can occur for no apparent reason. Just because this reason isn’t immediately obvious doesn’t mean there isn’t a reason for it.
Unfortunately, experts don’t know exactly why some people are more susceptible to a panic attack in bed than others. What is certain is that certain factors such as genetics, psychological disorders, chronic stress or predisposition to stress play an important role in unexpected panic attacks.
Now you’re probably thinking: if I sleep, my body and mind won’t be triggered, right? So how come I have a panic attack in bed?
If you are constantly in an anxious or stressed state when you are awake, the production of stress hormones goes into overdrive. This flow of stress hormones does not just stop because you go to sleep. Even during your sleep, these stress hormones still influence both your body and your mind, which can cause you to have a panic attack at night.
How to deal with a panic attack in bed? 5 Tips
Tip #1: Don’t fight a panic attack in bed
If you wake up at night due to a panic attack, it is important not to fight it and stay calm. By resisting it, you will breathe even more irregularly, which can cause you to hyperventilate . When that happens, the panic is of course complete, which means your panic attack will last longer.
Accept the panic attack for what it is and let the feelings wash over you. Remember that a panic attack in bed is only temporary and will eventually go away.
Tip #2: Try to relax
Try to get your body back into a relaxed state.
Breathe in and out slowly, focusing on abdominal breathing. Avoid breathing from your chest and gasping for air because this can also cause you to hyperventilate. Consciously relax your muscles and try to focus your mind on positive thoughts and images.
Tip #3: Get up and do something
It is unlikely that you will immediately fall back asleep peacefully after such a frightening experience.
That’s why it’s important to do something to take your mind off your panic attack in bed. To do this, get out of your bedroom and do something that you know relaxes you.
You can listen to calm music, make a cup of tea or hot milk, read something or even do a small job around the house.
Tip #4: Don’t go back to bed until you’re ready
Only go back to bed when you start to feel tired again and are ready to sleep.
When you lie in bed, keep yourself calm by breathing in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth. Avoid thinking about the panic attack you just went through. Also avoid worrying because this will certainly prevent you from falling asleep.