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)
Same problem for about 15 years. This thread is the first time I've found anyone talking about this. To me, the term 'panic attack' just doesn't cover this - it's a feeling of unbearable claustrophobia and hopelessness that is beyond all description. The panic is just a normal reaction to such an experience. When it happens I often feel a desperate, urgent need to leap out of bed and just run as fast and far as I can, I MUST have fresh air and open spaces. I feel like I've been emotionally scarred by experiencing something so horrible. I do think the cause has something to do with breathing, but it's beyond what CPAP can treat.
This thread has been super helpful. Like others, I wake up from a claustrophobic dream and seem to be having a panic attack. The dreams consist of being in a tight space, stuck crawling through a tight spot etc. I need fresh air, light and a bigger space to go to. For me going in the extra bedroom and turning on the light helps but I need to also move. I have found pacing helps (if its late at night) I also like getting outside and walking. Drinking a lot of water also helps calm me. Based on all the comments I think sleep apnea along with abnormal stress are the things triggering this. I am definitely going to try some of the remedies suggested. It is the worst feeling ever, it was comforting to see I am not the only one. I wish you all the best dealing with issue.
I just experienced this last night and went looking on the net to see if it happens to others. I’m lucky I found this discussion:) I have an early memory of getting stuck in a sewer grate trying to retrieve my skateboard. Ever since, I’ve been claustrophobic. Occasionally (usually when life is stressful) I get these dreams where I get stuck in a tight room that’s getting smaller. There’s a number of other scenarios- but I don’t want to trigger anybody here by going into detail.
Usually, I wake up with a start, sweating, unable to breathe. Last night when I awoke, I noticed it was hard to breathe through my nose - like the membranes has constricted a bit - so I had to breathe through my mouth. I used some nasal spray and took a clonopin. After about 1/2 hour, I’d calmed down enough to go back to sleep.
I wonder if I’m experiencing some kind of breathing apnea and my brain makes up a dream around it?
What do others do to help calm themselves back down?