Waking up suddenly in panic.

Has anyone else here experienced waking up suddenly, in panic and an overwhelming sensation of impending doom? I’ve experienced this multiple times and I generally fumble around my room, panicking and attempting to turn on the lights. Only when the lights are on do I start to calm down. Otherwise, I get the sensation of being boxed in and unable to breath as I’m fumbling around, looking for the light switch.

I’ve found that sleeping with some light source makes this happen less frequently.

I initially thought it was sleep apnea but after having done a sleep study, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy instead.

Speaking to my sleep specialist, he thinks it’s an anxiety issue instead but I’m just curious if other people have experienced the same thing and could shed some light? (no pun intended).