Nocturnal panic attacks, or otherwise known as sleep panic attacks are often experienced by people with panic disorders.
The majority of people with such a disorder are going through a sleep panic attack at some point or another.
They are just as disturbing as normal attacks so something should be done in order to stop them.
They also occur without anything special to trigger them and they feel just like a regular attack.
Inform yourself on this matter so that you are prepared to handle it if you come across it.
Although they seem to come out of nowhere, there are some factors which increase the risk of suffering one.
Genetic factors can make you have a predisposition towards such nocturnal attacks.
Any physical condition you may have can play a role.
Hypoglycemia, problems with the thyroid gland or post-traumatic stress disorder puts you at risk.
Death of a friend or relative or any other emotional loss also increases the chances that such an attack occurs.
Some medication can have side effects that include sleep attacks and large amount of anxiety can lead to them.
Symptoms are not at all different from an attack that happens while the person is awake.
The sufferer sweats heavily, trembles, hyperventilates, has pain in the chest and feels like a heart attack is in progress and he or she is going to die because of it.
Since it happens during night, and the sufferer wakes up having these symptoms, the attacks can be more frightening than a regular one.
The direct consequence is that, somebody once experiencing this situation, will be afraid to sleep and will thus develop insomnia.
It is not compulsory that if you suffer of panic disorder you will also experience sleep panic attacks, but is probable.
As a curiosity, no connection seems to be between having a nightmare and having such an attack.