It is not too unheard of for someone to have sleep panic attacks. There is likely to be some stress occurring in the day, which has manifested itself in the sleep panic attacks, even if it feels like they are occurring for no reason. Panic and anxiety is nearly always brought on by a root cause. This could be an impending event, like moving house, or a trauma in the past, or everyday stress. If these emotional challenges are not dealt with while awake, they can manifest themselves in the form of nightmares or sleep panic attacks.

A person can develop some other problems if sleep panic attacks start to become frequent. The person may develop insomnia because the fear going to bed and being asleep. It could be that the sleep panic attacks are disturbing their routine of sleep already. In turn, leading to more tiredness and stress and so increased chance of feeling anxious.

First, it is important to realize that you are in no physical danger. If you start to have a panic attack while asleep then wake up, it will feel strange. However, you need to remember it cannot hurt you. Next, calm down in the same way as if the attack had occurred during the day with deep breathing and relaxation exercises. The feeling of paralysis can sometimes occur in people as they are still half asleep but it is nothing to worry about. As your body goes into REM sleep, it is natural for your main muscle groups to become completely inactive, as the body repairs these muscles. It is abnormal for a person to ever notice this effect of paralysis but it is not a great concern.

To stop sleep panic attacks, the root cause of the anxiety needs to be addressed, just like with any other panic attacks. There are some steps you can take right away to reduce the chances of having these attacks. It is a good idea to take some light exercise in the evening, followed by stretching. Stretching out the legs before sleep is a good technique to relax the body and mind for a good sleep.

Similar effects to those described here are felt by those with sleep apnea and some other conditions. If the attacks only ever come about while sleeping then you need to think about whether it may not be panic attacks but one of the other sleep-related conditions. A doctor will be able to tell you more if you discuss it with them.