Can anxiety attacks wake you up at night or happen while you are sleeping?

Hi. It’s Jenny at AnxietyBoss.com. Our question today is from Michael in Fort Lauderdale. Can anxiety attacks wake you up at night or happen while you are sleeping?

A good night’s sleep is vital if we want to wake up refreshed and reenergized for a new day. If you are a worrier, you are possibly more prone to insomnia and a panic attack. Can anxiety attacks wake you up at night or happen while you are sleeping? Yes and worrying about your sleep deprivation can make the situation even worse.

A panic attack can strike without any warning and even happen when you are relaxed or asleep. Stress and anxiety may cause sleeping problems, which put us at risk for high blood pressure, heart failure, obesity, stroke and diabetes. Often people suffering with stress turn to nicotine, caffeine and alcohol, to comfort foods as well, to calm themselves down before going to sleep. But these are just quick fixes which may work in getting you to sleep, but your sleep pattern will be interrupted later on. Some comfort foods eaten too close to bedtime can also cause heartburn. These substances as well as sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs can be habit forming and they don’t promote normal sleep patterns.

Part of changing your sleep patterns is adjusting to change. Keep a regular bedtime to get your natural circadian rhythm in sync. Stimulus control therapy is worth investigating for patients with conditioned insomnia. Other treatments such as aromatherapy are wonderful and they require simply adding a few drops of chamomile to a nice warm bath.

For insomnia brought on by anxiety, St. John’s Wart may also be taken. You can also see a medical professional and learn techniques to manage stress such as cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a natural and effective way to treat insomnia and adjust your lifestyle so that your immune system is nourished and the body’s ability to heal itself is raised.