The cause of panic attacks while sleeping, much like the cause of those which occur at other times during the day, is a bit cloudy. There are, however, some possible culprits. Among them are:
Stress. Unusually high stress, such as pressure at work or in a relationship can lead to panic attacks symptoms while sleeping.
Change. Any sudden change in a person’s normal routine, such as a change in employment, graduation from high school or college or moving to a new residence can cause stress which my in turn lead to panic attacks.
Loss. The loss of a loved one can cause both grief and separation anxiety.
Heredity. Some people are genetically predisposed to panic attacks and other anxiety-related illnesses.
Fear Cycle. Stress which results from the fear of having another panic attack can actually cause an episode, especially when sleeping.
Apart from heredity, which is a powerful risk factor for anxiety, unusually high levels of stress, regardless of its source, seems to be the common denominator in panic attacks while sleeping.
Unfortunately, identifying that stress is not always easy. Many people who suffer from panic attacks believe they are handling the stress in their lives effectively. Therefore, when those first bouts of panic strike they are taken by surprise and the fear it produces can rapidly become overwhelming.
So overwhelming is this fear that it actually creates a cycle in which the dread of incurring another panic attack becomes the primary stressor. This “cycle of fear” is thought by many to be the number one cause of repeated panic attacks, both while sleeping and at other times throughout the day.