What to Do When Someone Asleep is Having a Panic Attack

danjo-xx

In this case it always involves a dream where 'Joe' is being chased or threatened in some way and cries out in his sleep, uh uh uh uh as if someone is about to attack him.

If I go in to calm him down he thinks I'm the person attacking him.

If I stand outside the room and try talking to him saying to him
Joe its ok it's Danjo here and repeating this several times, like last night for instance. I get no response.

He told me that he did hear me saying my name but only in the distance and he wanted to respond but couldn't say any words.


Any advice on how to handle these 'specific' incidents as such.

Would be much appreciated.

sam34

why do you call it a panic attack? sounds like a nightmare.

amdublin

The second option sounds like the best idea tbh

danjo-xx

sam34 wrote: »

why do you call it a panic attack? sounds like a nightmare.

Fair point but the reason why I related it to panic attacks is because he suffers from these for years. He was also physically assaulted many years ago which is still in his memory bank, so it's complicated.

Just looking for a way of waking him up gently when he gets one of these nightmares because his heart rate must nearly go off the richter scale.

mathepac

If it's as serious a problem as your posts suggest, could you not encourage him to seek medical / psychological help?

Roselm

What about just playing a song through your phone speakers? He might respond to it like an alarm clock?

danjo-xx

mathepac wrote: »

If it's as serious a problem as your posts suggest, could you not encourage him to seek medical / psychological help?

everything has been tried in that department, it's a long story and complicated and it's a shame as he is great at looking after other people but at the expense of himself.

All I'm concentrating on now is how best to stop these nightmares/attacks whenever they happen.

He doesn't have them all the time, sometimes has none for weeks.

I found the last one the other night very freightening as his heart must have been racing.

Dizzyblonde

I'm no expert, but they sound like night terrors rather than nightmares. If I were you I'd try to get him to see his GP about it - he or she will be able to refer your husband to someone who can help. There's a sleep clinic in Beaumont hospital but I'm not sure if that's just for snoring/sleep apnoea.

When he's having an episode, I'd steer clear unless he's at risk of hurting himself.

ANSI

This is not medical advice

Dr Claire Weekes used to say that the racing heart was harmless in someone who had a sound heart. So maybe if you got your friend's heart checked out by the doctor it would be of less concern when the heart is racing. More on Claire Weekes



This is not medical advice

Gingermagic

Hi,
I know this is a while after the original thread but I have only started to post on the boards......Night terrors are generally related to stress, many people use relaxation techniques, ie, yogic breathing and meditation to help with such things. It does take a commitment to do it daily but it will help, especially with anxiety that may go along with it.

I would advise that you ask you friend to go to his GP and ask to be referred to a sleep clinic too. Night terrors can involve something that is called sleep paralysis when this happens the person believe that they can't move, speak or even shout out, in some people it feels like they are being held down.

For the sake of his and your long term health he should get some treatment.

Sinall

These used to happen to me, although I think they were night terrors. I'd dream that someone/thing was about to attack me or that something horrible was about to happen. I'd feel totally paralysed in the dream but completely terrified and panicked. Apparently I used to start shrieking in my sleep (I didn't know that I was shrieking in the dream if that makes sense!) and I'd go "Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god" over and over again and would work up into one almighty scream. Great fun for my parents who used to burst in to check I was alright. My brother eventually out of laziness found a really good way of dealing with it. While I was doing the shrieking 'on my god' thing he'd roar "SINALL" (except my real name obviously) from his room which was next to mine and then shout "Wake up!" and I would. Sometimes after he'd call my name I'd respond with a panicked "Yes??" so it was getting through to me and when he told me to wake up I did.

lucernarian

Sinall, what do you think made the night terrors go away? I presume from your post that they stopped some time ago.

Sinall

Mine were definitely stress-related. For example, if I'd argued with someone during the day or was upset about something they'd be more likely to occur. Obviously I still get stressed about things, but mine were more likely to occur in the family home as that's where I was most stressed! Trying to relax before I went to sleep helped - eg a bath, reading etc.