The 10 strangest sleep disorders

Sexomnia, bruxism, Kleine-Lane syndrome? we review the strangest sleep disorders.

Sleeping is an act that we do every day as a matter of course.. But for some people, sleeping becomes a difficult situation because, during the night, their disorders emerge, some of them extremely serious.

The strangest sleep disorders

In previous articles we have already talked about the 7 psychological signs that you should sleep more and about a general introduction to sleep disorders.

Today we look at the sleep disorders that, either because of their frequency or because of their symptoms, are the most bizarre.

1. Sexomnia (sexual sleepwalking)

The sexomnia is a sleep disorder that causes individuals to experience sexual experience sexual arousal and even orgasms in their sleep.. Some experts consider it a variant of classic sleepwalking. In some cases, sufferers are aware of their behavior before they seek help, but do nothing about it for fear of what people will think of them.

This pathology has been confirmed by researchers who have even made videos of patients with this disorder, and unusual brain activity has been observed while the acts were taking place. Sexomnia is a serious pathology for sufferers and their partners.

2. REM sleep behavior disorder

The REM sleep behavior disorder o rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is characterized by the person losing the usual paralysis during the REM phase of sleep, causing him/her to act freely while dreaming.

The person suffering from this disorder may behave in a very violent manner and in some cases may injure 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 often prescribed, which, despite being an anxiolytic, has anticonvulsant effects.

3. Sleep bruxism

Sleep bruxism is a disorder characterized by the presence of involuntary characterized by the presence of involuntary movements of rhythmic chewing muscle activity (such as clenching or grinding of the teeth). (such as clenching or grinding of teeth) and micro-awakening phenomena.

This disorder can cause serious dental problems, facial pain or headache, in addition to serious chronic problems. Many individuals suffering from this disorder are not aware of it and only 5-10% develop symptoms of jaw or head pain.

4. Periodic limb movement disorder

The periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) (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 the strange sensations, such as the limbs burning or insects crawling up the inside of their legs.

Eighty percent of people with restless legs syndrome suffer from this disorder. PLMD can present symptoms in any of the four limbs. Treatment includes anticonvulsant drugs and benzodiazepines.

5. Night terrors

The night terror is a parasomnia of awakening characterized by extreme terror and a temporary terror and a temporary inability to regain 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. In contrast, during night terrors, it is almost impossible to awaken the subject.

In fact, when awakened, he or she may continue to experience sleep for 10 to 20 minutes. This disorder can be very detrimental to the subject, who may be traumatized or may even injure themselves or others very severely.

If you want to go deeper into this subject, in our article "Night terrors: panic during sleep" we explain this sleep disorder in detail.

6. Disorder by wake-sleep cycle different from 24 hours

This strange disorder consists of a circadian rhythm pathology in which the biological clock of the person is not synchronized with the daily cycle of 24 hours.This means that the individual's body does not recognize the sleep-wake cycle and, therefore, the person fails to adapt to a regular sleep pattern.

If left untreated, this disorder causes the person's sleep-wake cycle to change every day, leading to serious health problems. Research suggests that most blind people, who do not perceive light, may suffer from this disorder, in addition to having the sleep problems that characterize it.

7. Sleep apnea

The sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. The pause does not last long, and the individual recovers normal breathing with a loud snore. It occurs in the REM phase and passes into a light sleep causing the person not to rest properly.

People suffering from this disorder are not aware of having breathing problems during sleep, so it is often discovered by people close to them. It can take years or even decades before it is diagnosed.

8. Kleine-Lane syndrome

The Kleine-Lane syndrome or ssleeping beauty syndrome is a rare neurological syndrome characterized by the need for excessive sleep the need for excessive sleep, sometimes up to 20 hours a day.. These symptoms are often accompanied by excessive food intake and excessive sexual desire (hypersexuality), compulsive behaviors and neglect of personal hygiene.

There is no specific treatment for this disorder, but stimulant drugs such as amphetamines or methylphenidate are often used to treat excessive sleep. Occasionally, because of the similarity of this disorder to other mood disorders, lithium and carbamazepine may be used.

9. Somniloquia

The somniloquy, noctilalia is a disorder characterized characterized by the sufferer speaking while asleep.. He or she may speak very loudly, from saying words to saying long sentences, and listeners may not be able to understand what the person is saying.

Although sleep talking is very common, chronic somniloquy in adults is considered a sleep disorder and is believed to be the result of prolonged exposure to stress, physical and mental fatigue or high levels of stress.

10. Narcolepsy

The narcolepsy is a disorder characterized by the fact that the person suffering from this psychopathology has sudden episodes of sleep during waking hours, and may fall asleep for 2-5 minutes anywhere.and may fall asleep for 2-5 minutes anywhere.

Narcoleptics wake up feeling clear-headed. It can occur anywhere: in line at the movie theater, talking to or while walking. These individuals lack slow wave sleep and go directly into REM sleep. A drug called Xyrem, which is better known as liquid ecstasy or GHB, is usually given for treatment.