Panic attacks can surface anytime. It can attack at the middle of your office meeting, while you are driving, or even in the wee hours of the night. For me, night is the worst time to experience this condition. Night panic attacks are just plain dreadful. It can actually make the episode worse because there is the haunting thought of not being able to sleep well and having to deal with work tomorrow.

There are no stable warning signs that would tell when an attack would take place. The only thing we could depend on is the preventive measures we have, and the treatments that we could immediately apply to counter act panic attacks. Hence, you should be ready at all times because we can’t predict the schedule of your panic attack.

Despite the anonymous timetable of panic attacks, that does not mean that you no longer have control over your condition. You can always do preventive measures to help you cope with night panic attacks. Try to tweak your diet, and change your inactive life style. By doing this, you may lower down the factors that would lead to an episode.

If you are used to having cups of coffee every morning or anytime within the day, have an apple or decaffeinated coffee. Do drastic yet gradual changes as this would be good for your case. Also, if you are fond of having sugary treats, tone it down. Have nuts, fruits, or crackers instead when you feel hungry. Stress due to work can sometimes forces you to resort into unhealthy snacks. As I have mentioned, do prepare.

The next tip is what I usually do when I am bombarded with the stress from office. Sometimes, if I need to beat a deadline the next day, I can’t seem to get a good night sleep. Consequently, anxiety develops and a panic attack takes place. You can actually prevent this from happening. I take a relaxing bath and breathing exercises before I go to bed.

Also, I have to let go of negative thoughts. I try to convince myself that things will be alright the next day. I try not to get stress on things that I don’t have any control with. For me, this has been the most difficult part because I tend to have irrational fears. Letting go of control is one of the best learning I had during my journey to treating my panic disorder.

Now, this is what you should do at the time of the panic. Recognize your episode. That is how you can manage your attack and avoid being controlled by your condition. If you allow the symptoms to get the best of you, it would be much more difficult to fight off. By the time that I have recognized my panic, I already know the next best thing to do. It is to observe the effects on my body. I check my pulse, breathing, and if I am trembling.

The first thing that I should attend to is my breathing. By controlling my breathing, I can also manage my other symptoms. If I am hyperventilating, I also have problems with breathing. So, I do a breathing exercise that we usually see on television, the “brown paper bag technique”. I simply grab a bag and breathe. I use it to cover my mouth and nose and execute an inhale-exhale routine. My body’s carbon dioxide has extremely decreased that’s why I am having difficulty breathing. Hence, I have to regain what I have lost. By enclosing my breathing space, the carbon dioxide wouldn’t diffuse in the air.

Another breathing tactic that I have learned is the inhale-hold-exhale exercise. I inhale while silently counting 3 counts. I do mental counts here. I try to inhale air as much as I could, until I feel that my lungs are full. Then, I hold my breath for seven counts. After which, I exhale for 8 counts. I continually do this for six cycles. After a batch, I check my breathing and pulse. I repeat until I reach the desired result.

There, I hope the preventive tips and immediate measures can help you with the night panic attacks. Don’t be afraid, I too have undergone the same predicament and was able to overcome it.