RBD Question of the Week❓💤💡 What is a parasomnia?

RBD Question of the Week❓💤💡

This week, we have Dr. Carlos Schenck, a physician who first described RBD and a member of the NAPS Scientific Advisory Board, to answer one of our most pressing RBD questions.

Q: What is a parasomnia?

A: A parasomnia is a sleep disorder consisting of abnormal and/or undesirable behaviors during sleep. Parasomnias can occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep or non-REM sleep. About 75% to 80% of typical sleep is non-REM sleep, and 20% to 25% REM sleep, which is the primary sleep stage for dreaming.

Non-REM parasomnias usually occur during the first half of the night, and REM parasomnias usually (but not always) occur later during the night. Non-REM parasomnias include sleepwalking, night terrors, and other conditions These are more common in childhood, but can occur in adults, and there is often a family history of non-REM parasomnias.

REM parasomnias include Nightmare Disorder, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and other less common conditions. Nightmare Disorder involves unpleasant dreams that may or may not awaken the person. In RBD, dreams may be “acted out,” where movements and talking correspond to dream content.