Parasomnias Sleep Disorder Specialist in Colorado

Walking or performing complex actions while asleep, often with no memory of the event. The patient appears to be awake but is still sleeping. Can occur at any age but is most common in children and tends to run in families. Sleepwalking often disappears when children grow older.

When an individual talks during sleep, anything from a few words to entire conversations. The sleeper typically does not recall the event.

Episodes characterized by intense fear, screaming, sweating and confusion. There is no response to soothing from others. The person is often difficult to wake and may not recall the episode. The patient is not fully awake, and once the episode passes, often returns to normal sleep without ever fully waking up. More common in children, but can occur at any age.

Episodes of disoriented behavior upon waking, often occurring in children. These typically occur in the first two hours of sleep when transitioning from a deep stage of sleep to a lighter stage of sleep. There is usually little to no recall of the event the following morning. More common in children although it can occur at any age.

Eating food unconsciously while asleep, sometimes consuming unusual or harmful substances.

Acting out vivid dreams, which may involve talking, shouting, punching or kicking. This can lead to injury to oneself or a partner. At the end of an episode, an individual may awaken and become quickly alert; they may even be able to recall a dream story. This disorder increases with age.

Intense, frightening dreams that cause awakenings and distress. If awakened during a nightmare, the sleeper can usually recount a detailed story of the dream. It often takes time to recover from the distress of nightmares and the person may have difficulty falling back to sleep. Nightmares are distinguished from sleep terrors based upon timing during the night and whether dream content can be recalled. PTSD can trigger frequent nightmares.

Temporary inability to move or speak upon waking up or falling asleep, often associated with hallucinations. Sleep paralysis is normal during REM sleep however is considered to be a disorder when it occurs outside of REM sleep. Sleep paralysis can last for several seconds to minutes. Episodes that last longer tend to cause a panic response. Sleep paralysis can occur in normal sleepers and is a surprisingly common occurrence.