DSM Criteria

NREM parasomnias include confusional arousals, somnambulism, and night terrors. Confusional arousal is a condition when an individual awakens from sleep and remains in a confused state. It is characterized by the individual's partial awakening and sitting up to look around. They usually remain in bed and then return to sleep. Somnambulism is another word for , which is diagnosed as recurrent incomplete awakenings from sleep, usually occuring within the first hours of sleep. Most individuals have little or no recall of dream imagery or from the sleepwalking episode. Night terrors are characterized by a sense of during NREM sleep, often accompanied by screams and confusion.

Etiology

NREM parasomnias can be triggered in certain individuals, by alcohol, sleep deprivation, physical activity, emotional stress, depression, medications, or a fevered illness.

Treatment

Children with parasomnias do not undergo medical intervention, because they tend to recover and grow out of the NREM-related disorder. In those cases, the parents receive education on sleep hygiene to reduce and eventually eliminate precipitating factors.

In adults, psychoeducation about proper sleep hygiene can reduce the risk to develop parasomnia. Case studies have shown that pharmacological interventions can improve symptoms of parasomnia, however mostly they are accompanied by side-effects. Behavioral treatments, i.e., relaxation therapy, biofeedback, hypnosis, and stress reduction, may also be helpful, but are not considered as universally effective.