What is parasomnia?

Parasomnia refers to a class of sleep disorders that involve abnormal behaviors, movements, emotions, perceptions, or dreams occurring while falling asleep, during sleep, or during the transition to waking. The hallmark of parasomnia is the occurrence of partial arousal, which can manifest in various forms such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, night terrors, or REM sleep behavior disorder. These disturbances happen during sleep stages, often when the individual is not fully awake, and can lead to confusion and amnesia regarding the events once the person awakens.

Understanding that parasomnia encompasses a range of abnormal activities during sleep distinguishes it from other conditions like insomnia or specific sleep cycle disruptions. For instance, while insomnia pertains to difficulties in falling asleep or maintaining sleep leading to daytime impairment, parasomnia focuses on unexpected behaviors that happen during sleep itself. Likewise, while sleep cycle disruptions may lead to altered timelines of sleep stages, they do not necessarily involve the dramatic behaviors or experiences associated with parasomnia. Thus, recognizing that parasomnia is primarily characterized by these partial arousals during sleep allows for an accurate understanding of this unique category of sleep disorders.