Sleep panic attacks: new clinical findings and theoretical implications.

Forty-five panic disorder patients and 26 normal control subjects were surveyed regarding their histories of sleep panic attacks, insomnia, and vulnerability to exogenous panic stimuli. Sixty-nine percent (N = 31) of the patients reported having experienced sleep panic at some time in their lives, and 33% (N = 15) of the patients experienced recurrent sleep panic. The implications of these findings for the management of panic disorder are discussed.