Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by a history of recurrent nocturnal dream enactment behavior and loss of skeletal muscle atonia and increased phasic muscle activity during REM sleep: REM sleep without atonia. RBD and associated comorbidities have recently been identified as one of the most specific and potentially sensitive risk factors for l...

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by excessive muscle activity and undesirable motor events during REM sleep. RBD occurs in approximately 0.5% of the general population, with a higher prevalence in older men. RBD is a frequent feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), but is only rarely reported in Alzheimer's disease. RBD is also a risk fact...

This paper reports on a study of the prevalence and social correlates of dyssomnias, features associated with obstructive sleep apnoea, and parasomnias in primary school children aged 4-12. Head teachers of schools selected randomly from lists of local primary and special schools were contacted by telephone and asked to distribute a questionnaire package to the parents of all pupils aged 4-12 y...

Bizarre behaviours and movements during sleep are common in children and early adolescence and are frequently reported by anxious parents. However, children are often unaware of these undesirable phenomena. These unusual behaviours and movements are often a result of abnormal arousals and occur in different sleep stages. Collectively they are termed parasomnias. Besides insomnia and frequent no...

BACKGROUND Sleep disturbances are frequently associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) though they are not included in the current classification systems such as the DSM-IV and ICD-10. These problems may complicate the course of the illness as they may be associated with the treatment given AIM To evaluate children with ADHD for sleep-related problems. METHODS The stud...

OBJECTIVE The authors aimed to examine the prevalence and factors associated with night sweats (NS) in primary school children. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional design. RESULTS Among 6381 children (median age 9.2 (7.7-10.7) years) with complete information on NS, 3225 were boys (50.5%). 747 children (11.7%) were reported to have weekly NS in the past 12 months. Boys were more likely than girls ...

Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, is a parasomnia of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep where movement behaviours usually confined to wakefulness are displayed during sleep. Generally, if sleepwalking is causing distress or danger in spite of safety measures, medical or psychological treatment is indicated. Clinicians will need to assess the evidence for treatment options. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycIN...

There exists a varying level of evidence linking the use of antidepressant medication to the parasomnias, ranging from larger, more comprehensive studies in the area of REM sleep behavior disorder to primarily case reports in the NREM parasomnias. As such, practice guidelines are lacking regarding specific direction to the clinician who may be faced with a patient who has developed a parasomnia...

Background REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by suppression of muscular atonia and abnormal, often violent, motor behaviours during REM sleep. RBD can be either idiopathic or associated with degenerative disorders, such as dementia with Lewy bodies (LBD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive sopranuclear paralysis (PSP) or Parkinson’s disease (PD). Myocardia...

Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, is a parasomnia occurring during Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. It is defined as complex behaviors during slow-wave (or deep) sleep, with the person often having no recollection of these events upon waking.1 It is associated with several medications, including sedative-hypnotics, antipsychotics, antidepressants, lithium, stimulants, antihistamines, and antic...