Parasomnia: Everything You Need To Know
Have you seen movie ‘’Om shanti Om’’, where character of Sandy; (played by Dipika Padukon) was yelling, talking in sleep and kicking actor Shahrukh Khan; during sleep.
Do you know, what type of disease was she suffering?
This is called ‘Parasomnia’.
Parasomnia is a sleep disorder; in which person may talk violently, walk, cry, fear or kick during sleep. People may think you are awake during such episodes, but you will be fast asleep. You have no memory of such incidences.
This behaviour can occur at any stage of sleep.
It is problematic, because due to lack of sleep; you may feel drowsy during day time and may feel lack of energy as well.
But don’t worry! It is treatable.
Types
Parasomnia may occur during early sleep stages or during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.
The types include:
Sleep walking; sleep related groaning, sleep talking, night terrors, frequent nightmares, sleep-related eating disorder etc.
Cause
Parasomnia can occurs due to several causes; such as in increased stress, in depression, in anxiety, PTSD (Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder), sleep deprivation, irregular sleep schedules, insomnia, due to Parkinson’s, consumption of harmful substances like alcohol or due to effect of certain medications.
Diagnosis
Parasomnia should be diagnosed with the sleep specialist.
Sleep specialist diagnose you on the basis of your medical history, recent sleep history and by polysomnograph.
Polysomnograph is a sleep monitoring test, in which you are admitted for a night in hospital to check your sleep pattern. Your heart and brain activities are also monitored during the test.
This helps to analyse your sleep pattern and rule out other sleep related disorders.
Treatments
Treatment of parasomnia depends on the type and severity of disease.
You may be prescribed for some medications such as, antidepressants, melatonin and dopamine agonists. Medications may help to manage symptoms of Parasomnia.
You may be advised to take Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for dealing with any mental health disorder, any behavioural disorder like hyperactivity disorder or to deal with substance use disorder (SUD).
Home remedies such as a good sleeping environment can also help to sleep better.
How do you know if you have Parasomnia?
MBH/PS