Healthcare: Sleep Medicine

Parasomnias

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Parasomnias are undesirable physical activities that occur during sleep. They involve skeletal muscle activity, nervous system changes, or both. Night terrors and sleepwalking are two types. Sleep can be hard for people who have parasomnias. While "asleep," the person may walk, scream, rearrange furniture, eat odd foods, or pick up a weapon. Parasomnia can cause odd, distressing, and sometimes dangerous nighttime activities. These disorders have medically explainable causes. They usually can be treated.

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