Panic attack at night: what to do in bed, right now

Stay where you are, or sit up if lying down feels worse. Let your breath out a little slower than you breathe in. Then give your senses something gentle to hold: the sheet, the pillow, the sound outside. It will pass. Most panic attacks are over within 5 to 20 minutes.

The Settle · Updated 8 October 2026

Press play: five things in the dark

Five minutes, read slowly over the sound of the sea through an open window. Five things you can feel, four you can hear, three you can see, two slow breaths and one kind word. You don't have to get up.

An oil painting of a cosy seaside bedroom at night, seen from the bed: a knit blanket, a lamp on low, white flowers in a jug, and an open window onto the moonlit sea.

Five Things in the Dark · 5 minutes

Volume low. Eyes open or closed.

0:00 / –:––

Five to feel
1. The sheet
2. The pillow
3. The blanket
4. Your hands
5. The bed, holding you
Four to hear
1. The sea outside
2. The quiet of the house
3. Your own breathing
4. The space between the waves
Three to see
1. The shape of the window
2. A line of moonlight
3. A far lighthouse, turning
Two breaths, one kind word
1. A slow breath
2. And another
3. You're all right. This is passing.

Read the words

This is The Settle. A few minutes, for when you wake in a rush, or can't settle, and the dark feels too big. We'll find five things you can feel, four you can hear, three you can see, two slow breaths, and one kind word. If anything here doesn't feel right, just listen to the sea.

You don't have to get up. Stay just as you are.

First, five things you can feel.

The sheet against your skin. Is it cool, or warm?

The pillow under your head, taking its weight.

The weight of the blanket, resting on you.

Your hands. Where are they lying? Notice them there.

And the bed underneath you, holding all of you, from your shoulders to your heels.

Now, four things you can hear.

The sea, outside, coming in and going out.

Something in the house. A tick, a hum, the quiet of a room at night.

Your own breathing. You don't have to change it. Just hear it.

And the space between the waves, when everything is still for a moment.

Now, three things you can see. If it's too dark, picture them.

The shape of the window, a little lighter than the wall.

A line of moonlight, on the floor or on the blanket.

And far out, past the window, the lighthouse turning, slow and steady, every twelve seconds.

Now, two slow breaths. In, gently. And a long, slow breath out.

Once more. In. And all the way out.

And one kind word, for yourself. Something you'd say to a friend, awake in the night. Something like, you're all right. This is passing. You can rest now.

The room is quiet. The sea keeps going. You don't have to do anything else tonight.

Right now, in bed

Stay put, or sit up. If you stand, go slowly: getting up fast can make you dizzy.
A small light, if it helps. A lamp on low, not the phone screen.
Slow the out-breath. In gently, out a little longer. Not big breaths, just slow ones. Or try starfish breathing, tracing your own hand.
Find something solid. Your feet on the floor, your back against the headboard, your palms pressed together.
Name it. "This is panic. It rises, and it passes." You don't have to fight it.
Something cool can help. Cool water on your face or wrists for half a minute. (If you have a heart condition or a slow heart rate, check with your GP first.)

Why it happens at night

Night-time panic attacks often come within the first few hours of sleep and wake you with a racing heart and a rush of fear, often with no dream or worry to explain it. That can be the most frightening part. But you're far from alone: according to a clinical review, an estimated 44% to 71% of people with panic disorder wake with one at least once.

Afterwards

Once it has passed, don't make yourself lie there trying to sleep. Do something quiet for a while, then go back to bed when you feel sleepy. If you'd like a voice to lean on next time, Riding the Wave walks you through one, and the six-minute walks are there for after.

Questions

Why do I have panic attacks at night?

Night-time panic attacks often come within the first hours of sleep and wake you suddenly, with a racing heart and a rush of fear. They're more common than people think: an estimated 44% to 71% of people with panic disorder wake with one at least once.

What should I do if I wake up with a panic attack?

Stay where you are, or sit up if lying down feels worse. Let your breath out a little slower than you breathe in. Then give your senses something gentle: five things you can feel, four you can hear. Remind yourself it will pass. The NHS says most panic attacks last between 5 and 20 minutes.

Should I try to go back to sleep straight away?

Don't force it. Once the panic has passed, do something calm and quiet for a little while, then go back to bed when you feel sleepy. Trying hard to sleep tends to keep you awake.

Can a panic attack hurt me?

The NHS says a panic attack will not cause you any physical harm. But some of its signs, like chest pain, can look like other things. If you're ever unsure, call 999 or NHS 111 (in the US, 911).