Hi, dabella, welcome to PsychCentral!

I don't think there's any way to tell what "happened" in the night like that, could be so many things. I get some of those symptoms just from sleeping wrong :-) You could have just put pressure on a nerve (which would cause the arm tingling and the numbness) and your anxiety could have caused a bad anxious dream that started the shortness of breath and woke you in a state of fear, etc.

It could have been a panic attack but I'd work on eating better and dealing with your stress in the daytime. Do you see a therapist or have you seen your doctor for a physical? Stress can cause "dominoes" to fall so it's almost impossible to tell what caused what/what came first, the chicken or the egg. You really need to eat properly and well as the nutrients protect your body from stress. Do you take a vitamin when you're feeling so stressed? Lack of B vitamins can cause all sorts of nerve problems, anxiety, etc. </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Severe deficiencies of several B vitamins have been shown to have profound effects on the brain, leading to abnormal brain waves, detectable as abnormalities on EEGs; impaired memory; and higher levels of anxiety, confusion, irritability, and depression. Even marginal deficiencies of B vitamins can cause EEG disturbances and inhibit mental performance.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> From: http://psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20040726-000014.html