It is not quite known what can cause or what are the causes of nocturnal panic attack and daytime panic attack. In fact, nocturnal panic attack can happen without any obvious triggering factors and can wake anyone up from their sleep. In nocturnal panic attack, the person can wake up from his or her sleep feeling extremely terrified, a sense of impending doom, increased heart rate, fast breathing, sweating, and flushing. In fact, a person who can experience nocturnal panic attack may sometimes think that he or she is having a heart attack, since nocturnal panic attack can mimic heart attack symptoms.

Partial Epilepsy and Nocturnal Panic Attack

There are diagnostic examinations that revealed possible connection of partial epilepsy and nocturnal panic attack. There was a case report about a boy with known partial epilepsy who experiences nocturnal panic attack every night, a few hours after falling asleep. In partial epilepsy, a seizure activity happens in a specific part or region in the brain.

Panic Disorder and Nocturnal Panic Attack

A person suffering from panic disorder, a psychological disorder, is more prone in experiencing nocturnal panic attack. People with panic disorder can also experience more respiratory distress in every nocturnal panic attack.

Sleep Paralysis and Nocturnal Panic Attack

Sleep paralysis is often associated with hypnagogic hallucinations. In sleep paralysis, the person experience unexpected and involuntary loss of muscle tone when sleeping. According to researches and studies, 1/3 of sleep paralysis episodes is associated with nocturnal panic attack. Sleep paralysis can also be caused by traumatic experiences, wherein previous trauma can be a triggering factor for both sleep paralysis and nocturnal panic attack.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Nocturnal Panic Attack

Post-traumatic stress disorder, as the name suggests, happens after an exposure to a traumatic situation which may include a threat of getting physically harmed. One symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder is nocturnal panic attack. There are a lot of case reports about people with post-traumatic stress disorder who also suffers from nocturnal panic attack. Aside from nocturnal panic attack, a person with post-traumatic stress disorder is more likely to develop sleep disorders, since he or she usually experience difficulty in falling asleep.

Caffeine and Nocturnal Panic Attack

Caffeine is a known stimulant, wherein it stimulates the nervous system to work faster. Stimulants, such as caffeine, can cause many symptoms of panic attacks, such as increased heart rate and increased breathing. Too much caffeine intake can worsen present panic attack and it can even trigger nocturnal panic attack.