DEFINITION

• Parasomnias are defined as disorders that involve undesirable motor, verbal, or experiential phenomena that occur during sleep or with sleep onset/arousals[1].
• Parasomnias occur due to abnormal transitions from non-rapid eye movement (NREM), rapid eye movement (REM), and wakefulness[2].
  • Often with periods of dissociation or overlap among these
• Parasomnias are divided into NREM sleep disorders, REM sleep disorders, and "other parasomnias".
  • NREM sleep disorders include confusional arousals, sleepwalking, and sleep terrors.
  • REM sleep disorders include nightmare disorder, REM sleep behavior disorder, and isolated sleep paralysis.
  • Other parasomnias include exploding head syndrome, sleep enuresis, sleep-related groaning (catathrenia), sleep-related hallucinations, and sleep-related eating syndrome.
• Parasomnias are classified under the Sleep-Wake Disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5).[3]