Parasomnias or arousal disorders have few medical implications. They
are, in fact, rarely medically treated unless they become so disruptive
to sleep that they cause prolonged daytime drowsiness or stress to the
care givers. These arousal disorders include sleepwalking, sleep related
eating, and night terrors.
Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder
which most frequently occurs in young children though there are adults
who also sleepwalk. Once asleep, it is thought that the part of the brain
which controls muscle function is aroused and the "sleepwalker" begins
to move though he is still asleep. Episodes of sleepwalking can last from
thirty seconds to thirty minutes and may only consist of moving around
in bed and making repetitive motions to actually getting out of bed and
walking around the house or even yard. A sleepwalker may be capable of
even the most complicated tasks while still in a state of sleep.
Some adults have even been known to drive a car while in the sleepwalking
state.
Researchers have determined that sleepwalking, along with the other arousal disorders, occurs during the third or fourth stages of sleep which are nonREM stages. These episodes, therefore, are not generally linked to dreams. Usually after a sleepwalking experience, the victim returns to bed and has no recollection of the incident in the morning. If a parent or spouse tries to intervene during an episode of sleepwalking and talk to or awaken the sleepwalker, he usually becomes confused and even agitated. The best advise for the caregiver of a sleepwalker is to not awaken the victim but rather to just keep them safe throughout the episode. Some safety tips include:
-having a sleepwalkers bedroom on the first floor
-bed rails for smaller children
-blocked off staircases to prevent falls
-locked exterior doors so that the sleepwalker can not get outside
-alarms on doors and windows for sleepwalkers who have a history
of leaving the house during an episode (especially adult sleepwalkers)
It is important to note that sleepwalking occurs in children and adults
who are psychologically normal. Sleepwalking along with other arousal disorders
can be triggered by being overly tired, taking certain medications and
when fever is present. The most dangerous aspect of sleepwalking
is the possibility of injury during an episode.
Not quite
as common as sleepwalking, sleep related eating is a disorder which can
occur during sleepwalking. This disorder includes the preparation and eating
of food while sleepwalking. Both males and females can have this disorder
though it is seen more in women. If sleep related eating occurs often enough,
the victim can have some weight gain. The only dangerous aspect of sleep
related eating can be consumption of raw foods or non edible objects.
Night
terrors continue to be somewhat of a mystery to scientists. They occur
during the 4th stage of sleep prior to REM sleep or dream sleep. Because
of this, researches have been able to differentiate between nightmares
which occur during REM sleep and night terrors. Often, in fact, when people
have night terrors they do not recall any dream or nightmare leading up
to their terrified feeling. Rather, they wake in a panic, screaming and
in a confused state with little to no idea what caused their fearful emotions.
Victims of night terrors wake suddenly with a very rapid heart rate, sweating
and at times even violent. The amazing thing is that there is usually no
recollection of the night terror the next morning. In rare
cases, some people who do have recall of images during their night terrors,
however, say they saw spiders, snakes, and other scary images. Generally,
night terrors are more upsetting to those who witness them happening to
others. As with sleepwalking, parents are encouraged to resist
consoling their child during a night terror. Because the child is
really still asleep, it is best to allow him to calm down on his own and
return to a peaceful sleep state.
