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Parasomnias: Types, Causes and Effects
What Are Parasomnias?
Parasomnias can occur during REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep or NREM (non rapid eye-movement) stages of sleep. A parasomnia is a partial arousal, meaning that the person exhibits symptoms of being both asleep and awake at the same time. Most parasomnias include physical or verbal behaviors that are considered undesirable and sometimes even dangerous. Learn more about parasomnias and other types of sleep disorders with this
Free Guide.
Causes of Parasomnias
Parasomnias can be caused by any number of factors. Biological factors, stress and depression are some of the most common factors that can cause parasomnias.
Parasomnias tend to be more common in children than adults, and in some cases, parasomnias run in families.
A parasomnia activates one or more physiological systems during the sleeping and waking cycle at an inappropriate time.
The causes of some types of parasomnias, such as teeth grinding, bedwetting or sleep talking, are fairly well-known, but others have no known cause.
Types of Parasomnias
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Confusional Arousals: This happens when a person is awakened from a period of deep sleep during the early part of the night. When the person is awakened, they are often confused, move and react very slowly and sometimes have problems with their short-term memory.
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Nightmares: These vivid events happen when a person is awakened suddenly from REM sleep by a dream that is causing fear or anxiety. A person who has had a nightmare often finds that it is hard to go back to sleep.
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Nocturnal Leg Cramps: This involves sudden, painful cramping of one or both calf muscles during sleep. The cramp can last for as many as 10 minutes, and the resulting pain from the cramp can last for much longer. This parasomnia tends to happen in adults.
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REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD): With this type of parasomnia, the person is in REM sleep and acts out violent dreams through body movements and sounds. This disorder generally occurs in older men, but can occur in others as well.
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Sleep Bruxism: Also known as teeth grinding during sleep, sleep bruxism is when a person involuntarily grinds or clenches their teeth while sleeping. This can lead to teeth wear and jaw discomfort. The method for treating teeth grinding is usually a mouth guard that is worn during sleep.
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Sleep Enuresis: Also known as bedwetting, this is when a person is unable to control their urinary functions while they are asleep.
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Sleep Paralysis: A person with this parasomnia experiences paralysis when going to sleep or waking up. They cannot move any part of their body, and this can be very frightening. Episodes of sleep paralysis usually last a very short time, and are often ended by a sound or the touch of someone else.
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Sleep Talking: This usually occurs during a sleep-wake transition of the sleep cycle. The person can utter sounds or even entire sentences. The sleeper generally does not remember doing this in the morning.
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Sleep Terrors: Also known as night terrors, this occurs when a person is suddenly awakened and feels terrified and confused. A sleep terror usually only lasts about 15 minutes, and the person then returns to sleep. Sleep terrors are most common in children. Most people who experience sleep terrors do not remember the incident the following morning.
- Sleepwalking: Also known as somnambulism, sleepwalking occurs when a person moves around while they are sleeping. This parasomnia tends to run in families, and it can be dangerous because a sleepwalker is unaware of their actual surroundings.
Effects of Parasomnias
Some types of parasomnias resolve themselves on their own after a period of time. However, if the parasomnia gets worse, or seems to interfere with getting enough sleep to perform normal daily activities, then a trip to the doctor is advised. A number of treatments are available to treat parasomnias. These include behavior modifications, lifestyle changes, exercise and medications. A doctor can diagnose and treat the condition appropriately.
Resources
The Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center. (n.d.). Parasomnias. Retrieved January 26, 2007, from the Cleveland Clinig Health Web site: http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/3700/3728.asp?index=12133.
WebMD (2005). Sleep Disorders: Parasomnias. Retrieved January 26, 2007, from WebMD Web site: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/105/107673.htm.
