“Types of Parasomnia”
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Powerful Sleep aid book: Parasomnia is a broad term used to describe various uncommon disruptive sleep-related disorders.
Parasomnias are disruptive sleep-related disorders that can occur during arousals from REM sleep or partial arousals from Non-REM sleep.
Parasomnias are intense, infrequent physical acts that occur during sleep.
Some common parasomnias include REM behavior disorder(RBD), sleepwalking, sleep talking, night terrors, nightmares, confusion arousals, teeth grinding, rhythmic movement disorders, sleep paralysis
Types of Parasomnia
REM Behavior Disorder (RBD):
Rapid eye movement behavior disorder, or RBD, is a serious REM sleep disorder that can cause injuries. The body usually experiences atonia, or a temporary paralysis, during dreaming.
This is a safety precaution that prevents us from physically acting out our dreams
The exact cause for the disorder is unknown. People can usually remember their dreams, but have no awareness of moving around while asleep. The condition can cause injuries to both the dreamer and family members.
RBD Treatment:
A polysomnography test is required to diagnosis RBD. If symptoms of RBD are severe enough, separate bedrooms may be required for the sufferer and their bed partner. Bedrooms should be on the ground floor to prevent the RBD sufferer from falling downstairs and dangerous objects in the bedroom should be removed.
Sleep Walking:
Sleepwalking, or somnambulism, is perhaps the best-known arousal disorder. Sleepwalking occurs when a person appears to be awake and moving around but is actually asleep.
Sleepwalkers have no memory of their actions. Sleepwalking most often occurs during deep non-REM sleep (stages 3 and 4 sleep) early in the night. It can occur during REM sleep in the early morning.
Sleepwalkers are usually children, although the disorder can occur in adults. Sleepwalking appears to run in families. The sleepwalker simply may be confused or disoriented for a short time upon awakening.
Although waking a sleepwalker is not dangerous, sleepwalking itself can be dangerous because the sleepwalker is unaware of his or her surroundings and can bump into objects or fall down.
Sleep Talking:
Sleep talking is a sleep-wake transition disorder. Sleep talking or somniloquy, is harmless and usually temporary. Although it usually is harmless, sleep talking can be disturbing to sleep partners or family members who witness it.
Talk that occurs during sleep can be brief and involve simple sounds, or it can involve long speeches by the sleeper. The sleeper usually has no memory of their action and it does not affect sleep. Sleep talking can be caused by external factors including fever, emotional stress or other sleep disorders.
Sleep Terrors / Night Terrors:
A person experiencing a night terror or sleep terror abruptly awakes from sleep in a terrified state. The person who has a sleep terror will have signs of intense fear, such as wide eyes with dilated pupils, racing heart, sweating, and rapid breathing.
Episodes usually occur during the first hour of falling asleep, the point at which deep sleep begins, and last about 15 minutes. After the episode, the person returns to sleep, unable to remember the incident in the morning because he or she was never fully awake.
Night terrors usually occur during stage 3 or stage 4 sleep, the deepest stages of sleep, and children have more deep sleep than adults. Night terrors are similar to nightmares, but night terrors usually occur during deep sleep.
People experiencing night terrors may pose dangers to themselves or others because of limb movements. Night terrors are fairly common in children aged three to five. Strong emotional tension and/or the use of alcohol can increase the incidence of night terrors among adults.
For children and adults, night terrors can be the result of stress, psychological disturbance or sleep deprivation. Sleeping in a different bed may also trigger episodes of night terrors.
Parasomnias
Nightmares:
Nightmares are vivid nocturnal events that can cause feelings of fear, terror, and/or anxiety. Sleep specialists term a "bad dream" a nightmare if the sleeper is aroused from REM sleep and can recall the dream, often in great detail.
A nightmare is composed of a very vivid and frightening dream. Usually, the person having a nightmare has difficulty returning to sleep. Nightmares can be caused by many factors including anxiety, illness, the loss of a loved one, or negative reactions to a medication
Common themes include another person assaulting, attacking, or chasing the person having the dream. Nightmares are normal in children and adults.
They are indicative of an unresolved issue or a psychological problem that still troubles the individual, such as what to do if attacked. When the problem is solved, the nightmare disappears.
Confusional Arousals:
Confusional arousals usually occur when a person is awakened from a deep sleep during the first part of the night. This disorder, which also is known as excessive sleep inertia or sleep drunkenness, involves an exaggerated slowness upon awakening.
Confusional arousal is more common in children than adults. People experiencing confusional arousals react slowly to commands and may have trouble understanding questions that they are asked. The affected person cries out and thrashes around.
Attempts to comfort the person are unsuccessful. After a period of time (possibly as long as half and hour), the person calms, wakes up briefly, and then falls back asleep. In addition, people with confusional arousal often have problems with short-term memory.
Sleep Bruxism (Teeth Grinding):
Grinding of teeth or bruxism, is a common nighttime occurrence. Sleep bruxism involves the involuntary, unconscious, and excessive grinding or clenching of teeth during sleep.
Most teeth grinders are unaware of their parasomnia. It may occur along with other sleep disorders. Sleep bruxism may lead to problems including abnormal wear of the teeth and jaw muscle discomfort.
The severity of bruxism can range from mild cases to severe cases that involve evidence of dental injury. Chronic teeth grinding can lead to dental damage or injury.
In some cases, bruxism can be prevented with the use of a mouth guard.
The mouth guard, supplied by a dentist, can fit over the teeth to prevent teeth from grinding against each other.
Rhythmic Movement Disorder:
Rhythmic movement disorder occurs mostly in children who are one year old or younger. The child may engage in head banging, head rolling, body rolling or body rocking just before falling asleep.
Over sixty percent of nine-month-old infants experience it to some degree. The disorder usually occurs just before a person falls asleep.
Sleep Paralysis:
During REM dreaming, the body experiences a temporary paralysis. People with sleep paralysis are not able to move their body or limbs when falling asleep or waking up. Brief episodes of partial or complete skeletal muscle paralysis can occur during sleep paralysis.
Being suddenly unable to move can be both frightening and discomforting. This disorder is not harmful, but people experiencing sleep paralysis often are fearful because they do not know what is happening. An episode of sleep paralysis often is terminated by sound or touch. Within minutes, the person with sleep paralysis is able to move again.
Causes of Arousal Disorders / Parasomnias
These disorders tend to run in families and are more common in children. The disorders may cause due to some medications. In some cases, these disorders are triggered by other conditions, such as sleep apnea, heartburn, or periodic limb movement during sleep. A sleep specialist should evaluate the person's behaviors and medical history.
Parasomnias Treatment
If it is a severe case that leads to injury or involves violence, excessive eating, or disturbs the bed partner or family, treatment by a sleep specialist may be necessary. Treatment might involve medical intervention with behavior modification or prescription drugs through hypnosis or relaxation/mental imagery.
Sleep Disorders Guide A comprehensive information guide about sleep disorders. Descriptions, symptoms, causes, treatments of various sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, snoring, restless legs and narcolepsy. http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/sleep-apnea.html
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