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People who jump up in bed at night after waking up from a nightmare, or walk around the apartment without waking up, often become the butt of jokes. However, there is nothing funny about what happens to them. Where do sleep disorders come from and what to do about them?
Parasomnia is a term that refers to a wide range of sleep disorders, from textbook sleepwalking to the mysterious exploding head syndrome.
We talk about these disorders and share tips that will help mitigate their manifestations.
1. Somnambulism
Have you ever woken up not in bed, but on the street, in the corridor or even on the roof, and had no idea how you got there? If so, then most likely you suffer from somnambulism or, as sleepwalking is commonly called, sleepwalking.
The danger of this disorder is that you do something without being completely aware of it. In fact, more than half of adults diagnosed with somnambulism sometimes behave aggressively during attacks. Some even get serious injuries that require medical attention. It is especially dangerous that most sleepwalkers do not feel pain while they sleep, even if they have already harmed themselves.
What can be done?
If you see your loved one sleepwalking, gently guide them to bed. If you are a sleepwalker, talk to your doctor to review your treatment, prescribe medication, or conduct a sleep study. When you go to bed, lock your front door, hide your keys, and put away anything that might be dangerous to you or those around you.
Surprisingly, sometimes positive emotions can be the cause of sleepwalking. This does not mean that you should avoid everything that makes you happy. Just think of calming rituals that you will observe before going to bed.
2. Sleep eating disorder
This disorder is very similar to somnambulism. Its peculiarity is that a person not only walks, but also eats in a dream. Such people often suffer from insomnia and sleep during the day.
What is the danger? Overeating in a dream can lead to unreasonable weight gain, because during sleep a person does not control his eating behavior.
What can be done?
Give up alcohol, look for ways to deal with stress and keep a regular sleep schedule.
3. Behavioral disorder during sleep with rapid eye movements
This disorder is often confused with sleepwalking. The fundamental difference between them is that the person suffering from a behavioral disorder makes the movements that he sees in a dream. This occurs during REM sleep, in the second half of the night, while somnambulism occurs more often during deep sleep, which occurs in the first half of the night.
Usually sleepwalkers behave calmly or neutrally, while those who are diagnosed with RBD (rapid eye movement behavior disorder) may fight or run away, pretend to play the piano or draw.
Our brains turn off muscles in our sleep, and you can’t do what you “do” in your own sleep. But with RBD, the guard mechanisms do not work, and sleep affects the movements of the body, playing with it like a doll on strings.
What can be done?
Safety is the first thing to be taken care of in this state. This is not an easy task, as many patients have no idea what they are doing in their sleep until their partner is injured. If you have been told that you behave aggressively in your sleep, contact a sleep specialist. He will help solve the problem.
4. Terrible dreams and nightmares
Sometimes they terrify us. You toss and turn on the bed, scream, cry. Some of the dreams are so frightening that we can’t come to our senses all day later.
However, one must distinguish between terrible dreams and nightmares. The first ones usually come in the second half of the night, because we dream in REM sleep. Night terrors, on the contrary, visit us in the phase of deep sleep, in the first half of the night, and during this time we do not dream anything. Sometimes a nightmare does not wake up, but disorientates and frightens, and when we wake up, we cannot even explain what happened. As a result, in the morning we remember absolutely nothing.
What can be done?
In childhood, nightmares are usually harmless and frighten parents more than children who do not remember anything the next day. Parents should not wake the child when he has a nightmare, it is better to follow him in the process and later, during the day. If you have nightmares at the same time, wake your child up half an hour before them. This will help him avoid a frightening dream.
5. Sleep paralysis and hypnotic trance
Do you wake up and realize that you cannot move or breathe, feel heaviness in your chest and horror? So you’ve had an attack of sleep paralysis. At such moments, people sometimes hear, see or feel things that are not really there. This is called a hypnotic trance.
Usually it seems to the awakened person that he notices shadows or dark figures in the room, and sometimes right at the head of the bed. Such cases are sometimes cited as evidence of the existence of the other world or aliens. However, UFOs and spirits have nothing to do with it.
Sleep paralysis usually occurs when a person sleeps on their back. An attack can be provoked by excessive tension, overexcitation, jet lag after a long flight, a change in sleep patterns, and concomitant panic disorders. Sleep paralysis can be a symptom of other conditions, including depression, migraine, narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and anxiety disorders.
What can be done?
Here are some tips to avoid sleep paralysis:
- even on weekends and holidays, do not violate the “sleep-wake” mode;
- try not to nap during the day;
- do not eat 2 hours before bedtime;
- go in for sports;
- give up alcohol;
- sleep in complete darkness;
- pick up a comfortable mattress, cozy pajamas, bedding, ventilate the bedroom;
- follow the rituals before going to bed: a book, meditation, calm music;
- Don’t read email or browse social media an hour before bed.
If you have experienced sleep paralysis, don’t hide it – share your experience with your friends to get support.
6. Exploding Head Syndrome
This is an unusual and frightening phenomenon in which we are awakened by a sudden intense noise and the sensation of an explosion in our head. These sounds can also be similar to a blow, thunder or electric discharge. But there is no pain itself. Usually the syndrome manifests itself when we just fall asleep or, conversely, wake up.
What can be done?
The science of sleep still does not understand what is the cause of this syndrome. But it is exacerbated by stress and anxiety. Give a name to what is happening to you and seek help. The mere possibility of recognizing this pathology and freeing oneself from the fear of inexplicable sensations contributes to a significant improvement in the patient’s condition.
General Tips for Parasomnia
Here are some tips to help you manage your sleep problems.
- Provide security. Lock doors and hide keys, keep sharp objects out of the area, and if necessary, sleep separately from your partner.
- Stick to the routine. By going to bed and waking up at the same time, you help your brain draw the line between sleep and wakefulness.
- Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep is the main cause of parasomnias, and especially sleep paralysis.
- Avoid alcohol and psychotropic drugs. Things that fog the brain can interfere with restful sleep.
- Seek help from a doctor. Sometimes medications for depression, insomnia, or other psychiatric disorders can cause parasomnia as a side effect.
- See your doctor for a sleep study. Symptoms such as sleep paralysis and hallucinations can be signs of narcolepsy. In addition, nightmares and sleep activity sometimes indicate the presence of neurological or psychiatric diseases that require special treatment. A sleep study will help determine the causes of the disease and get the right treatment.