My dad (87, we think stage 6 dementia) has started over the last month, waking up 2-3 times in the night, with a kind of panic attack. He sits up and his arms and legs go rigid, he breathes really rapidly and we have had to call the paramedics to check it out, as it's really difficult to get him calm. After help he eventually calms down. The other thing that happens is that he also rips or tears his night clothing - so he is very strong and this seems quite an aggressive form of behaviour. My question is whether other people have experience of this? And is there anything we can try to do in the lead up to him going to bed to maybe settle him down very deeply so that he sleeps through the night?