It s also no coincidence that most people with anxiety or panic attacks can t sleep on their backs. Some of the symptoms of sleep apnea such as shortness of breath and feelings of suffocating overlap with that of nocturnal panic attacks. Rice Krispy Rudolph Treat Recipe What Causes Sleep Apnea It s no wonder that many people with obstructive apnea osa have daytime anxiety or panic attacks and nightmares during the night. Sleep apnea panic attack . Sleep apnea also known as obstructive sleep apnea is a common cause of sleeping panic attacks. If you have panic attacks at night you may also have them in the daytime or the attacks could be the result of another condition such as a seizure disorder or sleep apnea 1. Of course it s hard to say if he had sleep apnea at the time of his first panic attack. There are however few studies addressing the relationship between sleep apnea and panic disorder and most of these studies are small or lack an appropriate control group. Sleep a...