Panic attack in dreams then waking up to anxiety

[Iyllsa]

Lately I've been having dreams where I'll be in specific scenarios and something in the dream, whether it be someone reaching to touch my shoulder, someone offering a cup of coffee, or giving a weird look, etc., would make me feel like I couldn't breathe. It would skip the initial anxiety feeling and it would go straight to the feeling of being unable to breathe. Finally I'll wake up once I'm really gasping for air in my dream and I wake up gasping for air. Sometimes I'm lucky and I'll calm down right away, but other times I'll go into full on panic mode and I'm shaking or incoherent and/or unsure of my location.

Does this happen to anyone else and what are your suggestions?

The biggest one, I think, is that I'll be preparing for a sleep study soon. I obsessed over the process and what will happen. My friend is planning on joining me, but I'm still nervous. One of the dreams was that I was going through the whole process. I picked up my friend, drove us over, signed papers, got into the room, met the nurse, got set up, but then it got to the point where she was measuring the masks and it was like tunnel vision. I couldn't focus on anything but the nurse trying to put on the mask and how it appeared changed and that's when the feeling of being unable to breathe started.

 

[Deleted member 37474]

Sometimes I go on this site to chat because someone from the other side of the world can help
me ground. Or I lay there frozen for awhile and try to feel my cat or dog to pull myself out.

 

[candletea19]

I find this happens to me a lot. I have a lot of triggering dreams, as well as direct flashback dreams. I often either panic in my dream, leading to panic when I wake, or just wake up and panic right away.
Sometimes, if it's possible, I'll get a glass of water, drink it in sips. I'll breathe deep a few times, sip the water a few times (counting while I do) and then deep breathe again. It hasn't worked all the time, but I have noticed it has stopped my panic from getting worse a few times, so it's worth it to me to try whenever it happens. It does depend on how bad my panic is when I wake, of course. The higher it is, the less likely it works.
I haven't yet figured anything else out that works even in the slightest, unfortunately.

Hopefully you find something that works for you to at least help a bit!

 

[Melissaflasschoen80]

Lately I've been having dreams where I'll be in specific scenarios and something in the dream, whether i...

Almost sounds like sleep apnea

 

[Iyllsa]

Almost sounds like sleep apnea

You know what's funny is that my doctor actually thinks I might have sleep apnea and I'll be going to a sleep study in a couple days.. I'm nervous for it too.

Although I don't do it now, I used to be a really bad snorer, I'd wake myself up, and parents would wake me up to stop. I used to grind my teeth, move around a lot in my sleep.

I no longer snore loudly, it's more occasional and "soft" or "normal." I no longer grind my teeth, but I still move around.

There's other stuff along with that as to why my doctor believes I have sleep apnea.. despite the lack of snoring, he thinks that may mean it has gotten worse where I'm no longer taking in any air to cause the sound effect.. I don't know.

 

[Pjj]

Love over the counter sleeping tablets. Supposed to take one but I take 2. When in intensive care after an explosion I used rip out the tube due to my sleep apnea and send the emargency ward into a panic. Don't stress about the apnea just find out which type it is as there are 2 types. If you do it naturally there is no threat to life, if it is new, worry a little but not too much.

 

[Iyllsa]

Love over the counter sleeping tablets. Supposed to take one but I take 2. When in intensive care after an...

Over the counter sleeping pills either don't work or cause an opposite reaction, so far. I get restless legs or body sensations and it's one of the worse things to be so exhausted, but your body is moving so you blank out and find yourself in random areas of the house... once in a while finding a banana in your hand and you don't even like bananas haha.

 

[Pjj]

This disease sux what works for one doesn't work for another. When my late step daughter had cancer we used to do a med swap at 3.00 a.m in the morning lol. Have you thought about writing a diary? Listening to myself usually tires me out

 

[Iyllsa]

This disease sux what works for one doesn't work for another. When my late step daughter had cancer we used...

I have, but it just isn't my thing. I've tried it multiple times. I do have one I'm able to go back to after a long period of time, which is actually nice because I can see how my mental health and ideas change over time.

I also have an active mind.. I'm constantly thinking and I can't stop it. Recently, though, I've found that drinking coffee actually calms and slows me down. It's pretty cool haha. It's kind of like a little silencer or suppresser for my mind. I'm not a fan of coffee, but it seemed to have relaxed me. Which I was surprised by because I was worried it would make my symptoms worse. (I have OCD and Panic Disorder) I was pleasantly surprised.

I'm thinking I might try making coffee again and see if it would help me sleep. I'm not sure.

 

[Fadeaway]

I was thinking sleep apnea as well. I wake up with anxiety due to nightmares, but but I have only had the breathing thing happen to me on a rare occasion and most likely due to either a cold or the fact I sleep face down.

 

[Iyllsa]

I was sleeping on my back when it happened. I also get sleep paralysis, but it happens more when I'm stressed so I don't think that's a sign of sleep apnea.. if it even would have been.

 

[Pjj]

Coffee works for me too, alcohol keeps me awake ironically. OCD and panic I know. For me to sleep I have a routine Coffee 2 smokes, play computer games, 2 smokes, sleeping tablets and then if it doesn't put me to sleep or I wake up 2 smokes and another sleeping tablet. After that I give up or count vegetables in the supermarket in my head, if that doesn't work hell I just start working