Psychology Facts

▼ Parasomnia ▼

》Parasomnias are a group of sleep disorders that involve unwanted events or experiences that occur while you are falling asleep, sleeping or waking up.

》Parasomnias may include abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions, perceptions or dreams.

》Parasomnias include:

Sleepwalking
Confusional Arousals
Sleep Terrors
Sleep Eating Disorder
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
Nightmare Disorder
Sleep Paralysis
Bedwetting (enuresis)
Sleep Hallucinations
Exploding Head Syndrome
Sleep Talking

》The following factors may increase the risk of parasomnias:

genetics and having a first-degree relative with a parasomnia

restless legs syndrome (RLS)

periodic limb movements

sleep apnea

insomnia

sleep deprivation

chronic pain conditions

mental health conditions

certain medications, such as sedatives

alcohol use disorder

substance abuse (addiction) or withdrawal

》Sleep terrors or night terrors are where the person abruptly wakes up in fear. Sleep terrors or night terrors may be accompanied by crying or screaming with an increased heart rate, breathing, or a flushed face. The person experiencing it may appear to be awake, but they actually have no memory of this.

》REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) occurs when a person physically acts out vivid dreams. Under normal circumstances, the body enters a temporary state of paralysis during REM sleep. However, people with RBD have incomplete or absent paralysis.

A person with RBD may exhibit the following symptoms while sleeping:

talking, shouting, or screaming

kicking, punching, or thrashing

waking up easily

clearly remembering dreams

》Sleep-related eating disorder is an extension of sleepwalking, where people experiencing it are involved in frequent episodes of binge eating and drinking. You may be partially or fully aware of it when you are preparing or eating food, but you remember nothing about these episodes the next morning.

》Nightmare disorders involve vivid dreams during sleep, evoking feelings of fear, stress, or anxiety. They happen during REM sleep when the brain is active, so the experiences feel almost real. The person experiencing nightmares tends to wake up abruptly due to extreme fear, stress, or anxiety.

》In sleep paralysis, you are not able to move your body or limbs while your brain is awake. It lasts for a brief period—a few seconds or minutes—but it can feel terrifying because of the paralysis sensation while awake. Sleep paralysis episodes last seconds or minutes. Episodes usually resolve spontaneously, but a person can end an episode if they force themselves to move.

》Confusional arousal happens when a person wakes up in a state of confusion. The individual may not know where they are or what they are doing.

》Other symptoms of confusional arousal include:

speaking slower than usual

slower reaction time

crying

shouting

poor memory

poor coordination

》Sleep Bruxism is the clenching or grinding of teeth during sleep and considered a sleep-related movement disorder.

》Exploding head syndrome is when you hear loud, imaginary sounds in your sleep. The cause for this is not known, but stress and sleep deprivation are known to trigger it.

》Restless Legs Syndrome is an uncomfortable sensation in the legs causing you to move or stretch your legs frequently while you sleep—you may feel itchy, crawly, or pins and needles sensations.