Sleepdisordersareacommonproblemfacedbymanypeopleacrosstheworld.Amongthedifferenttypesofsleepdisorders,parasomniasareoneofthemostintriguing.Thissleepdisorder,whichcausesabnormalbehaviorsandmovementsduringsleep,affectsmillionsofpeopleworldwide.Inthisarticle,wewilldelvedeeperintoparasomniasanduncoverthemysteriessurroundingthisdisorder.
WhatareParasomnias?
Parasomniasencompassawiderangeofsleepdisordersthatoccurduringdifferentstagesofsleep.Theterm'parasomnia'referstoanyabnormalbehaviorormovementthatoccursduringsleep,suchassleepwalking,nightterrors,andsleeptalking.Thesebehaviorsarenotvoluntaryandareusuallyhardtowakeupfrom.Parasomniascanrangefrommildtosevere,andcanoccurinbothadultsandchildren.
SymptomsofParasomnias
Thesymptomsofparasomniasvarybasedonthetypeofdisorderthatthepersonisexperiencing.Somecommonsymptomsofthisdisorderinclude:
- Sleepwalking
- Nightterrors
- Sleeptalking
- Bedwetting
- Nightmares
- Sleepeating
- Unusualmovementsduringsleep
Individualsexperiencingparasomniasmaynotrememberwhattheydidduringsleeporhaveadistortedperceptionofreality.Somemayevenwakeupindifferentlocationswithoutanyrecollectionofhowtheygotthere.
TreatmentforParasomnias
Thetreatmentforparasomniasdependsontheseverityofthedisorder.Forthosewithmildsymptoms,cognitivebehavioraltherapy(CBT)maybesufficientinmanagingthedisorder.CBThelpsthepersongainabetterunderstandingoftheirsleeppatternsandbehaviors,andprovidesthemwithtechniquestocopewiththeirsymptoms.
Forthosewithseveresymptoms,medicationmaybeprescribedbyadoctor.Benzodiazepines,suchaslorazepamandclonazepam,arecommonlyprescribedtotreatparasomnias.Thesemedicationshelprelaxthemusclesandhelpthepersonstaycalmduringsleep.However,itisimportanttonotethatmedicationshouldnotbethefirstlineoftreatmentastherearerisksassociatedwithit,suchasaddictionandwithdrawal.
Conclusion
Parasomniascanbeafrustratingandperplexingdisordertodealwith.However,byunderstandingthesymptomsandcausesofthisdisorder,thoseaffectedcanlearntomanagetheirsymptomseffectively.Ifyoususpectthatyouorsomeoneyouknowmaybeexperiencingparasomnias,itisimportanttoseekmedicalattentionandgetaproperdiagnosis.Withtherighttreatmentandmanagement,agoodnight'ssleepcanbewithinreach.
