We’ve all heard of sleep disorders, but not many realize that there are literally hundreds of types of sleep disorder that can affect people’s rest.
Sleep is one of the most essential human activities and is vital if we are to get enough energy to get through the day. In addition, sleeping is seen as one of the greatest pleasures in life and eagerly looked forward too after a particularly troublesome day. Unfortunately though, there are some people who don’t take much pleasure from sleeping. What follows is a list of rather unusual sleeping disorders that affect thousands of people today.
-Sexsomnia – this is an extremely rare sleep malady that compels an individual to carry out sexual acts while they are sleeping. It is considered to be a variant of the common sleep disorder known as sleep walking. The problem with sexsomnia is that many who suffer from it fail to seek medical advice as they have limited knowledge of this sleeping disorder.
-Narcolepsy – one of the most horrific of sleeping disorders around, narcolepsy is actually fairly common. It’s actually a neurological disorder, and it causes people to suddenly fall asleep without warning in the most unlikely situations and at completely random moments. Narcolepsy sufferers will fall immediately into REM sleep the moment they fall asleep, and only rarely go into the non-REM stage, which is thought to be when we get the most rest.
-Somniloquy – this sleeping disorder results in people talking out loudly whilst they are sleeping. Some patients have even been reported to launch into lengthy speeches lasting several minutes at a time. Sleep talking, as this sleep disorder is more commonly known, usually takes place during the transition of non-REM sleep to REM sleep.
-Kleine-Levin Syndrome – an extremely rare sleep disorder, Kleine-Levin Syndrome is a condition in which the patient requires abnormally lengthy periods of sleep, with the most extreme cases requiring as much as 20 hours of sleep per day.
-Restless Leg Syndrome – one of the most annoying sleeping disorders for anyone unlucky enough to be sharing a bed with someone who has it is restless leg syndrome, which is characterized by the patient feeling a constant compulsion to move their legs around while sleeping. It’s thought that sufferers subconsciously feel they are in discomfort while sleeping and so they can never keep still.
-Parasomnia – also known as night terrors, this is one of the more frightening sleep disorders people can suffer from Parasomnia is characterized by temporarily failing to regain consciousness, then suddenly jumping up wide awake in a highly panicked state, often accompanied by screaming or moaning.
-REM Disorder – Anyone who suffers from this sleeping disorder will know about it. The condition is characterized by paralysis and sudden fits along with sometimes violent movements. There have been extreme cases where sufferers have caused serious injury to their bed partner.
Josh Tal is the Operations and Public Relations Manager for www.CityofSleep.com, an online sleep resource center. Josh is a boarded sleep technician (RPSGT) by trade. In addition, he is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University with a focus on Women's Health and Neuroscience through Stanford University. He works as a research assistant at Stanford University's Late-Life and Lifespan Approach to Neuropsychiatric Disorders Lab.