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Panic attacks and nightmares

Larissa

For the past two nights I think I've been experiencing panic/anxiety attacks, though I'm not sure. I've been having nightmares almost every night and I think that's the cause of these panic/anxiety attacks but I've been having nightmares more often for a while now. I don't know what's causing these nightmares, or how to reduce/get rid of them. Usually, I sleep well and at the same time each night but these nightmares have been causing me to wake up multiple times, and sleep in for longer/go to bed later as I'm not getting good quality sleep. I'm wondering if my recent diagnosis has anything to do with it, maybe subconsciously. Can someone let me know if they experienced something similar? It might not be related at all - I thought last night was a one off but it happened again tonight and I'm a bit unsettled.

Parents

  • Hi, that sounds really unsettling for you - sorry to hear you are having your sleep disturbed in that style.

    There is a thoughtful NHS overview and checklist to consider - which might help you gain some insight and signposting about whether it might be something to mention to your GP at some stage:

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/night-terrors/

    The National Autistic Society guidance about after an Autism diagnosis might provide some helpful context too:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/diagnosis/after-diagnosis

    If I find that I go through a phase of disturbed sleep this way, I keep a notebook and pencil by the bed and try to write a brief sentence / key word about it - as a way of "parking" the thoughts / nightmare experience - before I then try to re-settle to sleep. 

    Sometimes, later in the daytime (or even a few days later), it might become a bit more obvious "what was that all about?" / "what prompted that?" as I wonder about it when I review my overnight observation sentence / word.

    For me, if it is more of a sleep walking event - that can be because I hadn't realised quite how stressed I was about being earnest not to forget to do something sometime soon. 

    If I have awoken the household by saying something in pseudo sleep walking mode - that can be "on topic" but not perhaps completely accurately "on message".  Apparently, one night as a teenager I was clearly talking about stationery items ...which, loosely translated, I the next day realised was me just trying not to add my art kit to my bag for that day.

    It is odd how the brain can conduct it's autopilot overnight maintenance sometimes at busy stages in our lives.

    Our brains can be creative, running maintenance, or conduct gatekeeper protective measures if a noise we did not recognise out of context has intruded overnight.

    Tonight, I am probably just a bit too dehydrated - worth some sips of water and try return to at least accepting resting - even if not returning to actual sleep.

Reply

  • Hi, that sounds really unsettling for you - sorry to hear you are having your sleep disturbed in that style.

    There is a thoughtful NHS overview and checklist to consider - which might help you gain some insight and signposting about whether it might be something to mention to your GP at some stage:

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/night-terrors/

    The National Autistic Society guidance about after an Autism diagnosis might provide some helpful context too:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/diagnosis/after-diagnosis

    If I find that I go through a phase of disturbed sleep this way, I keep a notebook and pencil by the bed and try to write a brief sentence / key word about it - as a way of "parking" the thoughts / nightmare experience - before I then try to re-settle to sleep. 

    Sometimes, later in the daytime (or even a few days later), it might become a bit more obvious "what was that all about?" / "what prompted that?" as I wonder about it when I review my overnight observation sentence / word.

    For me, if it is more of a sleep walking event - that can be because I hadn't realised quite how stressed I was about being earnest not to forget to do something sometime soon. 

    If I have awoken the household by saying something in pseudo sleep walking mode - that can be "on topic" but not perhaps completely accurately "on message".  Apparently, one night as a teenager I was clearly talking about stationery items ...which, loosely translated, I the next day realised was me just trying not to add my art kit to my bag for that day.

    It is odd how the brain can conduct it's autopilot overnight maintenance sometimes at busy stages in our lives.

    Our brains can be creative, running maintenance, or conduct gatekeeper protective measures if a noise we did not recognise out of context has intruded overnight.

    Tonight, I am probably just a bit too dehydrated - worth some sips of water and try return to at least accepting resting - even if not returning to actual sleep.

Children
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