I have been waking up with panic attacks and a strong claustrophobic feeling for a few months now - on random nights. I immediately need to open the door or turn on a fan. i feel either that i'm suffocating or closed in. it usually happens when I'm sleeping in the same room as my significant other. i'm a newlywed. I had a dream a few months ago of brick walls closing in on me and i stood up in bed and woke up midair. It is continuing and getting worse and I am curious if anyone else has had this happen to them too. Is there anything I can do to alleviate it besides for opening the door and keeping a fan nearby. help..
Responses (32)
The same thing happens to me. When in does, I sit bolt upright in bed, bound out of bed, usually experience the need to urinate--sometimes multiple times, often have the chills, and need to turn on all the bright lights I can find. I just want to escape, as the world seems to be closing in, especially in the dark. Some nights it happens over and over every few minutes, other weeks go by without any night time events. I feel panicky and claustrophobic. This never happens during the day. I do know that the events are preceeded by dreams of being closed in a tunnel, box, or other tight space. I suspect the dreams are a result of a drop in my oxygen level to the brain while sleeping, and then that triggers me to wake up, oxygen starved. Why this happens, I don't know. It happens more when I sleep on my left side, and it began when I was pregnant in my early 20s. (I'm now 50). It was worse when I weighed more. It is an AWFUL feeling, and the following day I am exhausted. At times it's bad enough I have fear just THINKING about going to bed. The two things I've found that help are getting up for an hour or so doing laundry, unloading the dishwasher, etc. and pharmaceutical intervention. I finally went to a psychiatrist and he perscribed Klonopin. I don't take it routinely, but if I wake up in such a state, I break a tablet in half and basically gnaw on it. That does provide relief, and if it continues, I eat the other half of the tablet. There is also a new product, Dream Water, available at Walgreens with sleep aids. It's like the opposite of an energy drink. Even half a bottle, on bad nights, helps. They have a web site. I am not married, so I am free to sleep with lights on. I have a very high intensity reading light on my bed, and often I turn this on and have learned to sleep right under it. I tell myself it's day time, and I'm lying on a beach under bright sunlight. Strange, but it helps me fall back asleep. Once this happened in a hotel room on vacation in Colorado (high altitudes are the worst!) and I didn't sleep for 4 nights. I was a basket case! Now, if I know I'm going to be in high altitudes, or other enclosed spaces to sleep (e.g. motel rooms, tents, boats), I knock myself out with Klonopin as a precaution. Not worth the risk. If you look around the web enough, you will see others experience the same thing. Doctors, however, have no idea what you're talking about. I would caution against reading things on line while you are experiencing one of the episodes. It feeds the feeling of claustrophobia and panic. You're not alone, tell yourself it will pass, and perhaps talk to a dr. about Klonopin. Keep the air circulating and temperature regulated in your room, elevate your head if your nose is stuffy, and go to sleep thinking of wide open spaces! Sometimes a cup of warm milk helps. Good luck--only those who experience this can appreciate how horrible the feeling is!
Wow ....exsperiance somewhat the same episode i woke up thank God..lol..with a stuffy nose you know try to get my bearings together looking around in the room my wife sleep with the feeling closed in..i immediatly went down stairs to have more space looking outside and after i sat down turned on the tv..for about an hour or so i was relaxed im glad that i was off the next day.other wise i would have been very sleepy at work..i hope i . Come across a remedy for this problem im thinking on a humidifier some air with fresh cool mist maybe would help...i will let you know..
I suffered a severe nervous breakdown in the RAAF and now on occasion I find myself dreaming I'm stuck in an enclosed small space, unable to move in any direction. One aspect of the dreams concerns lying on the ocean floor with the hull of a large ship only a couple of feet above me. Another concerns crawling in a narrow tunnel { I don't know how the Viet Cong did it } and finding the way blocked - again I cannot move in any direction. One night I woke and was yelling - it scared the heck out of my dear wife. The breakdown in the military may be only part of the problem and not the cause - I'm not sure. I cannot recall any situation in my childhood of being stuck in a confined space.
One thing I can rationalise is a fear of spiders. When I was about four or five I was at a friend's home, playing in the garden. I ran between two bushes, where some in-considerate Orb Weaver Spider had placed her web. She scuttled down my face and I 'freaked out' as the expression goes. I do not have a fear of animals per se and can quite comfortably handle lizards, frogs and even Pythons - spiders are a different matter.
I just wanted to comment on this site, I thought I was the only one that felt this way till I read these stories, man when I read what you have to say it's like your talking about me, it use to happen to me real bad even in the day like at lunch, I would put a lot on my plate and then look at all the food and start feeling like I couldn't eat it and had to get up, I just had to move around till I com down, matter fact I had one last night when I was sleeping, I normally dream of being in a tight spot then in wakes me up and I got to get out of bed and walk around, like you said turn on the bright lights that blind you at first till you get use to them, or get on the computer for awhile till I clam down and then try to go back to bed, but if I start thinking about it to hard I'll have to get out of bed again and do it all over again, there been times I was driving and all of a sudden I felt closed in and had to roll my windows down because I was starting to sweat, I had to get out of my truck one time and I just bought it, it was a medium size truck because I was use to having a full size one, I thought about trading my new truck in a get a bigger one like I use to have, that's how bad I had it, it's not as bad know more, but I still have them once in awhile, I've tried so many things to get rid of it, like drink but then I would wake up because my mouth was so dry and had to drink water that made me feel like I was drowning, one thing that I tried and it seems to help is Inositol Capsules 500 mg or you can use the power form to, not saying it will for you but it does for me and I've tried a lot of stuff, I hope this helps someone.
When I read your post, it sounded exactly like my situation. I have the exact same problem and to address the issue I do exactly what you do to relax. This issue is fairly new to me. I have been suffering from it for about 1 month now but its been steady. I had 3 or 4 days that were normal but then it returned. I, like you, have no idea how to fix it completely. I am suffering from one right now and that's why I am up this late writing this comment. It scares the living daylights out of me. I am 46 and have never had an issue sleeping and then one night I woke up suffocating due to a sinus infection which kept me from breathing adequately and now every time I lay down and even think about it then "poof" its back in my head and I have to get up and do the routine as you do. I am going to check out the relaxing water drink you tried. If it helps you and my issues are so similar to yours then I am sure it will work. What is so odd is that I have a CPAP now that I have been wearing for about 3 years. You would think it is supplying enough air but just by putting the full facemask on it gives me the thoughts of suffocation and from there I go into another attack. Thanks so much for posting your situation because it gave me some tactics to try out. I am so tired and it kills my performance at work but like you it doesn't happen during the day only night. I pray that the lord above will heal me or give me the patience to deal with this in hopes it will pass. Thanks again!
Sean
I have the exact same thing I find calm powder helps.. usually is you are deficient in calcium magnesium it can cause this. Oh I feel fir you it’s the worst feeling.
You could be having sleep apnea - a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep.
I have them myself too. These instances are usually preceded by a recurring dreams that put you in a claustrophobic spot. This is body way of responding to an apneic stress.
You may want to talk toy our doctor about it.
Best
Indigenome
I have been getting it recently. Waking up every hour almost on the hour. Feeling like I'm claustrophobic. Opening my blinds my door putting the lights on and running outside. I don't know why also. It is a very scary feeling. Mind over matter which is so hard to do when u feel this way. I also felt very scared to go to bed the next nights. ATM I have to take Valium to take away the anxiety feelings before bed and sleep with the lamp on and slept on two pillows to raise my head as I feel I breathe easier with a raised head and it has worked and I haven't had an episode for 2 days now. But I have to stop the Valium and go onto an anxiety drug. Not to sure about that either. But I am going to try it as I work full time and cannot stay up all night till its daylight anymore. It might also be sleep apnea so as soon as I can try one pillow again I will be taping myself asleep to see what's going on.
I created an account just to be able to reply to you. I have always struggled to describe what my anxiety feels like, and you have captured it brilliantly here. This is me, exactly! The feeling is horrible almost beyond words. What is so terrifying is that what is creating the claustrophobia, the feeling of being trapped, is not a room, or some space which you can eventually escape .... instead it is your very body, or maybe even more accurately, your head, or hell maybe even more accurate, your SELF... there is no escape, you can only hope that time is your friend and will set you free, hopefully soon. Know that you're not alone, as little consolation as that may be. I pray for your freedom from this, and freedom and peace for you.
I started with this on holiday about 7 weeks ago and i dont know why. I am managing much better since my gp started me on Propranolol (titrated up.to 120mg). This is a beta blocker and it works by suppressing the bodies production of adrenaline which stops the 'fight or flight' sensation that makes you want to get out. It doesnt stop the mental causes of anxiety but because the physical symptoms are so much better, i find i can control my mind more easily. When i read on here that others felt like they were dying or were trapped inside their own heads it literally made me sob. To know there are other's who know how this feels is such a relief. I have been feeling like i am losing my mind! I have been left with severe claustrophobia and am working hard to get some kind of control over this. I am unfortunately unable to go on a holiday to Mexico we had planned with friends but i can get through the day at work and go to the pub (if its not too busy) at the weekend. Am trying de-sensatisation techniques because i am determined to get my life back but its hard. Thank you for putting your thoughts on here beause it really is a comfort.
Hi, does anybody have any further information on this? This is the only information I can find on the whole internet...even after searching the relationship with sleep apnea, it still seems to be a very unknown phenomenom...?
I have been experiencing this for about 5 years now. It occurs at random occasions, there doesn't seem to be anything in particular that effects whether it will happen or not that particular night. On average it probably happens 10-15 times a year, sometimes close together, sometimes months apart.
There are a few different types of experience. At first woke up and find myself at the end of the bed, or on the floor, simply disorientated and very confused, to slowly wake up and pretty much just head back to sleep.
Over time they became more intense. Now they normally involve an extremely claustrophobic feeling and shear dread panic throughout my whole body. The claustrophobic feeling normally comes from a dream that involves being trapped alive/crushed. I slept on a very high bed close the ceiling and on one occasion actually kicked a small hole through said ceiling (I dream something was crushing me and I was holding it up, a feeling I've experienced a few times in the past when playfighting with a big group of friends and in mosh pits). I've also jumped out of said bed several times, once falling and really smashing my knee. I've also found myself in a ceiling fan when sleeping in another high bed in a hostel. During another episode I actually opened my eyes and saw the ground and for some reason it looked as if it was flooding. My most recent episode involved me feeling like the campervan I was sleeping in started to move, which resulted in me jumping out of bed and running for the door.
Occasionally I'll shout out "Help" or profanities, but not always. I will always wake up just after the initial panic, I won't make it very far, maybe 20 seconds of "panic sleep walking/jumping/kicking/.shouting" maximum.
Recently I was travelling around Central America, which involved a lot of sleeping in Hostels. I almost trained myself to control the panic as I awoke, stopping myself from screaming or doing something stupid. This didn't always work, but sometimes I really felt myself waking up more quickly and realising what was happening.
I am glad I found this. I have been having the same thing for around a year and I must say it is one of the worst feelings I have ever experienced. Even when I wake I feel like I cant breath. Even if I turn on the light the feeling can stay for a while. I thought it was just me but it is horrendous when it happens,
I think the feeling of claustrophobia is the nasty aspect of it. I also feel like my nose is blocking up and I cant breath although I am breathing normally.I hope you get past it like I hope to :-)
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Man! I am so relieved to read that other people have had these feelings/symptoms! This only happens to me at night, I bolt upright outta bed, run to the kitchen and turn on all the lights. Sometimes this makes me feel a little better, if its bad then i need to go outside and look at the sky and take lots of deep breaths. It sucks that other people feel this way also, but I'm happy I'm not the only one. I've never told anyone about this because I thought they'd think i was crazy. Sleep apnea? Oxygen deprivation. ... sounds about right.
I am going through this now. I have been with my husband for 4 1/2 years and just in the past few months i have been getting really bad panic attacks after he gets in bed with me. I have a feeling like I need to get up and run! One night i almost did. I laid on the floor and just meditated for a little bit. I ended up falling asleep. This is now causing issues with my marriage. My husband and I don't hardly sleep together now and when we do i get up and lay on the floor. He feels it is him but I keep trying to explain what is happening to me. Any suggestions?
Have u found anything on it? Wat is that? I experience something similar to this
Hi its hit me again. This went away for about two years after I first posted the comment but it has come back. Dreaming that I am trapped in a box or in a sleeping bag, waking again in panic feeling like I am going to die ( and still trapped although clearly not). I have to get up and turn the light on again and its hard to control the thoughts of being trapped and breathless even though you are up and moving around. I began to panic a bit thinking I would never be able to sleep again.Its like your brain is telling you that you are trapped but you are not. I did try something that worked to resolve it. Get back into bed and relax, imagine a light in the sky,( you can call it God) or if not religious think of it as a intelligent spiritual force. Imagine this light is looking at you, knows you very well and knows where you are and all you thoughts. Also this light is telling you clearly that all is well and they will stay with you and they care for you. I did this and it went, to be honest its the only thing that has worked and it seemed very powerful. :-)
I have been getting the exact thing for years, I have gone into periods of time where it doesn't happen for a couple of years and then all of a sudden out of the blue it starts up again.
Normally now when it happens I wake up and feel normal for only a brief moment and then the feelings all start to overtake me, fast like a switch going on.
I am not sure if I bring it on somehow by a thought in my head... It happens so fast. The feeling of impending doom, dread, fear and claustrophobic feelings, all in the dark of the room, the night, there is no relief, no matter if I turn on lights or not. I find I have to try my hardest to think cognitively and sometimes I start cleaning the house to distract myself. It's horrible as normally when this is happening I am very tired at the same time but to lay down again while this is happening is very difficult. I have managed to lay down and fall back to sleep again but it takes every bit of courage that I have to do this.
The worst thing to do is to think catastrophically as this makes everything so much worse. It's very hard not to think this way of course, trying to relax at this point is asking a lot.
It is obviously panic disorder and the symptoms are presenting as claustrophobic being the primary concern. My panic attacks have changed hats many times over the years but the underlaying issue is always the same, fear.
I would not wish this on my worst enemy and my heart goes out to anyone who suffers with this.
Benzo's help of course, but just be careful with them as the stronger ones like Xanax can and will cause rebound anxiety when your body gets dependent on them.
just recently ( two nights ago) I had this happen and of course it puts you into a thinking pattern of more fear, and fear of fear... fear of the dark, fear that you are going to wake up feeling this way the next night. Last night I did not go to bed, I have stayed up all night, stupid idea, can't stay awake forever obviously.
I just didn't want to get this engrained into my head again. I searched the net for answers when I felt ok and found this little thread, how odd that not more people experience this; if they do, they are not posting it here.
If I can help anyone I gladly offer my support, I have been dealing with panic disorder for over 30 years now.
Oh yes, this horrible night panic happens to me - drives my wife crazy that I don't stay on something for anxiety, but it is is inconsistent. I can go for months, or even years without an episode and feel just fine during normal waking hours and then suddenly have a string of episodes. I wake up with a start in a panic, have to have all the lights on, and cannot sit still. It feels like something I could not survive if it did not end, but I rarely remember claustrophobic or other bad dreams (once or twice). Funny though, the heart does not race as described by people with "traditional" panic attacks. Going outside helps a bit, but not very practical in the middle of the night. A flood of invasive negative thoughts can hit me, but the primary "feeling" is claustrophobia. For me, it did not start until my late 30's. Taking an anxiety pill is about the only thing to get a bad one to stop before daylight. Things that I think may lessen the frequency of episodes include: Having a full stomach and taking Benadryl at bedtime, exercising hard during the early part of the day, and avoiding certain types of stimulants late in the day including possibly carb rich food and beverages. Alcohol may make it more likely, though that is inconsistent as well. During stress it can happen more, but not always, it is indeed so hard to tie this to anything in particular. God help people if they feel even partially this way during the day.
This is just like me. The other symptom I haven't seen mentioned is when swimming laps for a long time I start feeling a disconnected feeling akin to loneliness with some claustrophobia, then have to get out of the water and put my glasses on, walk around a bit. Or running long with headphones, have to take them off sometimes to hear the world, also don't like to run on "boring" roads not seeing people or cars - but not lonely any other time for most part, have a fair number of friends and family. Also, used to get this more when I had been on a lot of allergy meds (except for Benedryll, which really helps at bedtime, regularly use now but off others since completed allergy shots - I think the others really did make this worse)
I was under a house when I had a panic attack.
I was navigating in and under a bunch of duct
work. I thought I was mentally strong but I broke
in two seconds. I immediately crawled back out
but I almost didn't make it out. It was 25 feet but
felt like 100. It affected me for days afterwards
I also do floor contracts and sometimes when I
underestimate a job, I start to panic. I want to
get out. Can you link your episodes to sharing
your bed with another person? You might have
anxiety that stems from a past incident. Soldiers
in Iraq were losing their minds because they were
stuck in a foreign country. No end in site. Some
committed suicide. So take comfort because
you're not alone. You may need counseling.
medication could alleviate some symptoms
I have been searching for some answers for months! This is the first time I've heard of anyone else suffering from this. I had my first attack about 1 year ago at age 48. I was sleeping and just woke up in a total claustrophobic state. Felt like I was in a tiny box. Just needed to get away from where I was - out of bedroom then out of bathroom, then out of whatever room I was in. I was so scared. I started to pray and eventually talked my way 'off the cliff'. Saying I KNEW I was fine even though I didn't FEEL like it. It happened a few more times since then but hasn't been as bad. Still the worst feeling ever. The first time it was more of What's happening to me! What is this! feeling. Now I immediately get up and since I know the feeling right away I turn on a light and/or open a door. That seems to help me. I don't seem to remember any bad dreams or anything that day that would trigger it. I know of people who have panic or anxiety attacks but no one has ever experienced this so I thought it was just me. My symptoms just weren't the same as theirs. I haven't had an episode in months and hope I don't ever again. I am sorry others suffer from this but now I know it is something that really happens to other people too. All the best to each of you.
I suffer from this too. The first time, I just couldn't lie down to go to sleep. I would feel like I can't breathe so I have to sit up, then I have to turn the lights on. I just wanted to run outside. I just sat in bed and tried to sleep sitting until I got really tired and finally fell asleep. It lasted about three days, where I always have a sense of dread when it gets dark. I was praying for the feelings to go away when a thought occurred to me to soak in epsom salt. So I did and it helped tremendously. It went away but I keep getting this feeling every now and then. I think it's magnesium deficiency so when I get this feeling, I would drink Natural Calm (raspberry flavor, plain flavor is awful), which is magnesium citrate. It's supposed to be ionic magnesium and so good absorption, but can cause loose stool if taken too much. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate and is absorbed through the skin with no gastrointestinal side effects.
I wonder if it's also because of vitamin D deficiency. My husband had this a few times and he had really low vitamin D levels. I was really low on my vitamin D levels too at one time, but now it's in the normal range. I'm not really good at taking my vitamins consistently, so I've been trying to take my vitamin D. Maybe this feeling is caused by lack of vitamin D because vitamin D is produced when you are in the sun, and when it's too low this feeling happens so you will run outside and wait for the sun to come up so your body can make some. I don't know. Just conjecture.
I also wondered if it's lack of melatonin, because I go to bed really late and I'm on the computer a lot at night. That can disrupt your melatonin production and disrupt the sleep/wake cycle. I sometimes take 1mg of sublingual melatonin to help me sleep. But strangely when I have this claustrophobic feeling, I'm very reluctant to take the melatonin. It's like I fear taking it, and it might make me sleep too much and I can't wake up.
I had recently started to experience similar dreams after I had became very stressed (between illnesses, work, and love life) maybe once twice a week, but it usually involves drowning and not quite making it up to the surface, and being stuck in claustrophobic areas to the point I can't breathe and waking up sweating, only to find the need to turn on my lamp and television. I can say the drowning can be related to an incident where I almost died as a child, but I don't understand how long it goes in between these kind of dreams. Last couple weeks was the first ones in two years and prior to that a year and a half so it would be silly to I see a doctor for something so inconsistent.
I have had similar experiences, always involving some sort of dream or nightmare, where I wake with an image of an enclosed space, in a different scenario each time I have the dream. I might be at a water park getting stuck headfirst in a long tube descending to a pool, or I might be in a very small high-ceilinged cell-like room, or I might be underwater and feeling like I'm somehow trapped below the surface.
Usually from such a dream I awake with a start, feeling as if the walls are closing in around me. I find it necessary to sit up in bed or get out of bed to stand up and walk around. I definitely feel agitated, experiencing panic and a sense of doom or dread. I cannot keep from making distressed sounds that sometimes wake my husband.
For what seems like 20 minutes or half an hour--but may not be this long--I find it impossible to trust lying down. Each time I try to, I feel as if I am in a severely limited space (like the closed trunk of a car or a coffin) and that if I try to sit up I will not be able to. It is the worst feeling.
Although I am not aware of any breathing difficulties or irregular heartbeats or other physical symptoms, I am 69 years old and possibly have some sleep apnea. I don't remember having such dreams when I was younger, although I have always been somewhat claustrophobic. When I was very young, my much older and stronger brother, when he was babysitting me, would pile pillows and blankets on top of me, hold me down, and try to smother me.
In the midst of an episode, I am likely to think of these past experiences, wonder if there were others I don't remember, or start to worry that I am experiencing a premonition of how my life will end.
Glad I actually searched for this and found this thread with so many replies to which I can relate.
It started when I was young, around 9 or 10 years old. I was waking up in the middle of the night and crying heavily. I couldn't remember much when I woke up in the next mornings, but I knew that it felt terrible while it lasted. I started going with fear to bed because I was expecting those few seconds or minutes of terrible felling. This didn't happen every night, but when it did it was at the same hour. I went to a doctor whom was getting graphs with my brain activity, can't remember exactly, he was sticking some wires on my head and was getting a piece of paper with graphs. It didn't really do much, then I went to a psychologist with whom I would discuss all kinds of things. That helped a bit I think. Anyway, it was terrible, I was dreaming about a stone giant who would crush a butterfly, then someone would scream and speak very loudly, dunno really, this is the only image I remember from those dreams.
All the doctors I went to said it's related with the full moon, and it really was somehow.
After grwoing up to 12 or 13, those dreams never happened again. Ever. Instead, now I occasionally get a feelling of claustrophobia when I lay in bed when I'm trying to fall asleep. Happens a few times a week. Notable, I normally sleep on the tummy and may start to happen. While it happens, if I switch to lay on the back in bed, that feeling goes away quite fast.
It started this year for me and I had three major episodes where I really felt the claustrophobia creeping in. There were other feelings, like dread, panic, anxiety, but claustrophobia was the main one. I was never sure it started with a dream. I just woke up short of breath and feeling awful. I thought that must be how one feels right before dying. I had to get out of bed and turn on the lights. Then I had to get myself together and search the web for similar experiences. I just had to see if there were other people somewhere in the world that felt the way I did and read what they felt and did. I could never find an exact match to my experience, but it did calm me down, and this thread is probably what I was looking for all along.
While it happened, it was the worst thing I had ever experienced, but the feeling almost vanished the next day. It was as if my mind had lessened the dread to protect me.
I had a drowning incident as a child and for a long time I have some sort of panic attacks when I'm in the water, especially if it's cold and I can't see the bottom, even if the water is low. I can't even explain what do I feel when it happens. It's not claustrophobia, but the shortness of breath is definitely there.
I moved to a tropical country a week ago (I come from a colder country) and at night I have a mix between the claustrophobia and the drowning. For example, I can't even drink water properly without feeling some panic and anguish and shortness of breath. I have to take one sip at a time. On the first day I must have had a reaction where my nose got blocked. This triggered that awful feeling and at night it's nearly impossible to stay in bed without the lights on and a near sitting position. The weather is very hot, but the main problem is that the air feels polluted and this house is old, without proper ventilation. The room feels hot and dreadful, trapped in the heat all day. I have been waking up in the middle of the night with my nose blocked and feeling claustrophobic or like drowning. Actually, in the dark, it feels like I'm buried.
I really have no idea about what can I do about all these things. I'm only 28 and I've never had major issues like these. Now, it seems I can't escape them whenever I go. I feel paranoid and even crazy when I explain these things to people in hopes I can find a glimpse of understanding. Thank you for starting this thread. I just registered so I could leave my own experience written here.
I suffer from this symptom also. It happened the first time a few years ago, I remember dreaming I was in a closed casket six feet under. I woke up gasping for air and felt my heart racing. I had to go outside and look at the sky to catch my breath. You really do feel like your dying. Just the thought of that dream makes me feel like its going to start again. The second time it happened I dreamed I was trapped in a car that was crushed under a fallen bridge I couldn’t move or breathe. Again to run outside and look at the sky to catch my breath. I just had my third attack last night, I dreamed I was stuck in a wood box curled up embryo position and couldn’t move while my lungs were depressed and I couldn’t inhale, I sat up in bed to catch my breath. When I was a kid my brother trapped me in a sleeping bag and I freaked out! I think it was because of that I developed a phobia. I don’t like to be in tight places I start out ok but when I start to think about it my breathing become harder. I think I have a classic case of Claustrophobia.