Journal of Sleep Disorders & Therapy
Open Access

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Behavior Disorder and its Effects on Sleep due to Parasomnia

Steven Rian^{* *}Correspondence: Steven Rian, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Email:

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Description

A parasomnia is a sleep condition that involves uncommon and unfavorable physical occurrences or experiences that disrupt with sleep. A parasomnia can occur before, during, or right after waking up from sleep. If person suffers from parasomnia, they might act strangely, move abnormally, talk abnormally, or express their emotions in odd ways. The brain is only half awake; therefore a person with parasomnias may appear alert while engaging in tasks like eating, talking, or walking. Another type of parasomnia may cause a person to have sleep paralysis or sleep terrors.

Six types of parasomnia

• Sleepwalking: More commonly seen in children, sleepwalking (also called somnambulism) affects about 4% of American adults

• Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder

• Nightmares

• Night terrors

• Nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder

• Teeth grinding

Parasomnia symptoms

• Wake up confused or disoriented

• Wake up wondering

• Not remember doing certain activities

• Find unfamiliar cuts on your body

• Have difficulty sleeping throughout the night

• Feel daytime sleepiness or fatigue

Most people between the ages of 5 and 25 experience non-REM parasomnias. People with a family history of non-Rapid Eye Movement (REM) parasomnias tend to experience them more frequently.

By merely altering their sleeping patterns, many parasomniacs experience a reduction in their symptoms. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule, controlling stress, having a relaxing nighttime routine, and getting enough sleep are examples of good sleep habits. Drug therapy is another method for controlling symptoms.

Your primary care physician can assist with the initial diagnosis of parasomnia but will probably recommend you to a sleep specialist to further investigate your sleep patterns. A review of your medical history, sleep history, or a sleep study are frequently included in the diagnosis. 10% of Americans suffer from insomnia. All ages can have them, although kids are more likely to get them. Children are more vulnerable because of their developing brains. The good news is that they typically have no negative health effects and go away when a child gets older. Additionally, excessive daytime sleepiness or feeling unrested when you get up in the morning are typical signs of dyssomnia. Depending on the sort of sleep disturbance you are suffering, there are several more detailed symptoms. In contrast to parasomnias, dyssomnias typically do not entail abnormal movements while you are asleep.

When sleep disorders seriously impair a person ability to go about their everyday lives and their mental, physical, and emotional health, they are classified as disabilities. Sleep disorders can be classified into four categories: insomnia, hypersomnia, parasomnia and Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder (CRSD)

There may be a hereditary component to insomnia because it frequently runs in families. Some parasomnias, including some types of REM sleep behavior disorder, may potentially be caused by brain problems. Other sleep problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea and other drugs, can also cause insomnias. Episodes of parasomnia typically occur in the first third to first half of the night because there is slower wave sleep earlier in the night. Although they are frequently brief, the episodes can last up to 30 to 40 minutes. Additionally, they will breathe more quickly and notice rises in their blood pressure and pulse rate. The following parasomnias are frequently linked to REM sleep: Unusual vocalisations or movements during sleep are symptoms of this disease, also known as RSBD.