The 10 most bizarre sleep disorders
Sleeping is an act that we do every day with total naturalness . But for some people, sleep becomes a difficult situation, because, during the night, their disorders arise, some of them extremely serious.
The strangest sleep disorders
In previous articles we talked about the 7 psychological signals that show that you should sleep more and about a general introduction of sleep disorders.
Today we deal with sleep pathologies that, either because of their frequency or symptomatology, are more strange.
1. Sexomnia (sexual somnambulism)
The sexomnia is a sleep disorder that causes people to experience sexual arousal and even orgasms while they sleep . Some experts consider it a variant of classical somnambulism. In some cases, those who suffer from it are aware of their behavior before they seek help, but do nothing about it for fear of what they think of them.
This pathology has been confirmed by researchers who have come to make videos of patients with this disorder, and unusual brain activity has been observed while the events occurred. Sexomnia is a serious pathology for those who suffer it and for their partners.
2. REM sleep behavior disorder
The REM sleep behavior disorder or fast sleep eye movement behavior disorder It is characterized by the fact that the person loses the habitual paralysis during the REM sleep phase, causing him to act freely while dreaming.
The person who suffers from this disorder can behave very violently and in some cases can get hurt both himself and the person with whom he shares the bed. To treat this disorder, anticonvulsant or antiepileptic drugs are usually administered. Although clonazepam is usually prescribed, despite being an anxiolytic, it has anticonvulsant effects.
3. Bruxism of sleep
The bruxism of sleep is a disorder that is characterized by the presence of involuntary movements of rhythmic chewing muscle activity (such as clenching or grinding teeth) and micro-awakening phenomena.
This disorder can cause serious dental problems, facial pain or headache, in addition to serious chronic problems. Many individuals who suffer from this disorder are not aware of it and only 5-10% develop symptoms of jaw or head pain.
4. Periodic movement disorder of a limb
The Periodic movement disorder of a limb (PLMD) is similar to restless legs syndrome, characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when resting. People often describe strange sensations, such as limbs burning or crawling insects inside their legs.
80 percent of people who suffer from restless legs syndrome suffer from this disorder. PLMD can present symptoms in any of the four extremities. The treatment includes anticonvulsant drugs and benzodiazepines.
5. Night terrors
The night terror is a parasomnia of awakening characterized by a extreme terror and a temporary disqualification to recover consciousness . Many may think that night terrors are the same as nightmares, but the latter occur entirely within the REM sleep phase and produce a complete awakening. On the other hand, during night terrors, it is almost impossible to awaken the subject.
In fact, when you wake up, you can continue to experience sleep for 10 or 20 minutes. This disorder can be very harmful to the subject, who can be traumatized or can get to injure himself or others in a very severe way.
If you want to go deeper into this topic, in our article "Night terrors: panic during sleep" we explain this sleep disorder in detail.
6. Sleep-wake cycle disorder different from 24 hours
This strange disorder consists of a circadian rhythm pathology in which the person's biological clock is not synchronized with the 24-hour daily cycle , that is, that the body of the individual does not recognize the sleep-wake cycle and. therefore, the person can not adapt to a regular sleep pattern.
If this disorder is not treated, it causes the person's sleep and wake cycle to change each day, causing serious health problems. Research suggests that most blind people, who do not perceive light, may suffer from this disorder, in addition to presenting the sleep problems that characterize it.
7. Sleep apnea
The Sleep apnea it is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep . The pause does not last long, and the individual regains normal breathing with a loud snore. It happens in the REM phase and you go to a light sleep causing the person not to rest properly.
People who suffer from this disorder are not aware of having breathing problems during sleep, which is why they are usually discovered by people close to them. It can be years and even decades before it is diagnosed.
8. Kleine-Lane syndrome
The Kleine-Lane syndrome or ssleeping beauty syndrome is a strange neurological syndrome characterized by the need for excess sleep, sometimes up to 20 hours a day . These symptoms are often accompanied by an excess of food intake and excessive sexual desire (hypersexuality), compulsive behaviors and negligence in personal hygiene.
There is no specific treatment for this disorder, but stimulant drugs such as amphetamines or methylphenidate are often used to treat excess sleep. Sometimes, due to the similarity of this disorder with other mood disorders, lithium and carbamazepine can be used.
9. Somniloquia
The somniloquy , noctilalia is a disorder that is characterized because the person who suffers speaks when he is asleep . He can speak very loudly, from saying words to saying long sentences, and the people who listen may not be able to understand what the person is saying.
Although talking asleep is very common, chronic somnilochia in adults is considered a sleep disorder and is believed to be a product of prolonged exposure to stress, physical and mental fatigue or high levels of stress.
10. Narcolepsy
The narcolepsy it is a disorder that is characterized because the person suffering from this psychopathology has sudden sleep episodes during waking hours , and can fall asleep for 2-5 minutes anywhere.
The narcoleptics wake up feeling clear. It can happen anywhere: the tail of the cinema, talking with oo while on a walk. These individuals lack the sleep of slow waves and go directly to the REM phase. A medication called Xyrem, which is better known as liquid ecstasy or GHB, is usually given for treatment.
