Parasomnias are a group of illnesses that appear between arousals from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep or non-rapid eye movement NREM sleep. They can be very disruptive and are often times associated with a variety of abnormal behaviors and events.
Although people suffering from these illnesses appear fully awake and aware, they remain asleep and often times have no memory they can recall during the course of the attack.
These types can be classified into two factions: NREM Parasomnias and REM Parasomnias.
These classifications occur during the non-rapid eye movement state in a person’s sleep.
Sleep terrors are a type of arousal in which a person suddenly awakes from sleep to a frightened state. They are often associated with screaming, crying, heavy breathing and excessive sweating.
Confusional arousals are another type of disorder which happens when a person is awakened from a deep sleep at night. A person suffering from this disorder remains seated in bed and is confused with what’s happening around.
Sleepwalking is another type of sleep illness. This occurs when a person walks around, appearing to be fully awake with both eyes open but is actually in deep sleep.
REM Parasomnias, on the other hand, attack during rapid-eye-movement sleep.
Nightmares are intense dreams that can cause immense terror and anxiety to a person. A person can be abruptly awakened from a nightmare and is sometimes able to narrate every detail about his dream.
REM sleep behavior disorder is another type of disorder in which a person acts out violent and emotional dreams during his REM sleep. People with this illness move and twitch their limbs.
Sleep paralysis occurs when someone can’t move his body or limbs due to the muscles being paralyzed for a short period of time, even though he is fully awake.
The exact cause of parasomnias is unknown. However, it has been observed that parasomnias are usually passed by genetics. They could also be caused by an underlying sleep disorder or by other medications.
You should consult your doctor if episodes of parasomnia happen more than usual and if they start to give you injuries. A sleep problem should not last more than a week. This could cause severe abnormalities in sleeping schedules if left untreated.
Parasomnias are sleep disorders. They are abnormal movements that a person experiences while he sleeps. A person can also experience these in between sleep stages. Some experience them during arousal and they may involve abnormal behaviors and emotions. There are even some parasomnias that result in abnormal perceptions or dreams.… Read More »NREM Parasomnias
A night terror is a partial waking from sleep. Someone experiencing night terrors usually wakes up screaming, kicking, thrashing, or mumbling. There are also some instances of night terrors that end with the person sleepwalking. Night terrors are harmless. An episode often lasts from a few seconds to a few… Read More »Night Terrors
Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) or nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NSRED) is a sleep illness which belongs to the parasomnia family. It is distinguished by frequent and abnormal eating patterns during the night while in a sleep state. People with this condition usually start by getting out of bed, heading to… Read More »Sleep-related Eating Disorder
Somnambulism – most commonly known as sleepwalking – is a sleep disorder where someone walks and executes abnormal behaviors while he is still asleep. Sleepwalking belongs to a family of sleep disorders called parasomnia. This occurs on the cycles of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM sleep) during deep sleep. Although… Read More »Sleepwalking
Aside from the more common REM and Non-REM parasomnias there are several other parasomnias that can affect a person. Parasomnias are undesirable movements that occur while a person is sleeping. Some parasomnias are not serious and are more bothersome to the patient’s sleeping partner. There are some parasomnias though that… Read More »A List of Other Parasomnias
Somniloquy is the formal name for sleep talking. It is a sleep disorder where a person talks during sleep. The person affected is unaware that he or she is talking while asleep. Sleep talking may involve complicated dialogues or monologues. There are also times when a person talks in gibberish… Read More »Somniloquy
Hypnagogia or hypnogogic hallucinations are imaginary sensations. These sensations may seem very real to the person experiencing them. They often occur while a person is falling asleep. Another term for hypnagogia is sleep hallucinations. Hypnopompic is a word that describes the period when a person wakes up. Hypnagogic is a… Read More »Hypnagogia
Exploding Head Syndrome is a type of parasomnia. Parasomnias involve undesirable events that accompany sleep. The exploding head syndrome may sound painful and even gruesome, but it is not. This is a disorder where a person hears a loud noise right before they fall asleep. The noise that the patient… Read More »Exploding Head Syndrome
Nightmares are scary dreams. They often awaken children and can make them afraid to go back to sleep. There is no way to know when a nightmare may occur; although episodes of nightmares sometimes occur after a child sees or hears something upsetting. It may be something real or imaginary.… Read More »Nightmare Disorder
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is one of the stages of sleep. This is the stage of sleep where a person consolidates memories and a vital stage to learning. REM is also important in balancing an individual’s mood and it is when dreams occur. A dream is a mixture of… Read More »REM Behavior Disorder (RBD)
Parasomnia is a term that refers to an abnormal problem that can happen while a person sleeps. This does not include sleep apnea. Some examples of parasomnia include sleep-related sleeping disorders, sleepwalking, and sleep aggression. Nightmares and sleep paralysis are also examples of parasomnias. Parasomnias can affect a person’s sleep… Read More »REM Parasomnias
Sleep Enuresis is another term for bedwetting or urinary incontinence. This is a common condition in young children and is a sign of a developing bladder. According to estimates it affects 15 percent of children over the age of three. It also affects 10 percent of children over the age… Read More »Sleep Enuresis
Parasomnias are undesirable events that come along with sleep. A parasomnia can make sleeping uncomfortable and can result in unrefreshing sleep. Sleep paralysis is one example of a parasomnia. Sleep paralysis causes a patient to lose the ability to move his or her body while asleep. What is sleep paralysis?… Read More »Sleep Paralysis
When a person acts in a strange or confused way as they wake up or just after waking up, that person may have a condition known as confusional arousal. This is a sleep disorder wherein a person appears as if he or she doesn’t know what he or she is… Read More »Confusional Arousal
Sleep hallucinations belong to a classification of sleep disorders called parasomnias. They are vivid experiences, either sensory or visual, that occur between the state of waking up and falling asleep. These are imagined incidents that appear very realistic, causing immense fear and anxiety for the person experiencing them. Sleep hallucinations… Read More »Sleep Hallucinations