A Guide to Strange Sleep Disorders

It was a relief to finally get a name for the cause of the dark circles and yawning: parasomnia. This umbrella term includes a number of strange sleep disorders and undesired events that accompany sleep.

Here are five of the most bizarre:

Sleeping Beauty Syndrome

Although 70 percent of patients are male, a young British female who slept for 13 days pulled this disorder into the public eye. The condition is officially called Kleine-Levin syndrome. Individuals with it suffer from recurring but reversible periods of way too much sleep, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Episodes last from a few days to several weeks.

Some patients report recent flu-like symptoms, act normal between episodes and have no recollection of what occurred during an event. There is no definitive treatment, though doctors sometimes prescribe lithium and carbamazepine. A typical course for this syndrome is 8 to 12 years, during which symptoms decrease.

Night eating

It's also known as sleep-related eating disorder (SRED). According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, this condition involves repeated episodes of binge eating and drinking after an individual awakens in the night. In every instance, the patient exhibits out-of-control behavior. Most episodes occur when the individual is only partially awake. Patients typically have either no memory or limited recollection of the event later.

It's very difficult to interrupt someone during night eating. The episodes occur even though hunger and thirst are absent. Most patients experience an event nearly every night and sometimes more than once per night. Thick and sugary foods such as syrup or peanut butter are favorites. The average age of onset is between 22 and 29, and more women that men have this sleep disorder.

Night terrors

This bizarre condition affects males and females in equal proportion and tends to occur in children between the ages of 4 and 12. In rare cases, patients develop night terrors as adults, though very few people older than 65 experience them.

Patients usually sit up in bed and let out a blood-curdling scream or shout. They might also kick, thrash around and utter things nobody else can understand. Physical symptoms include a fearful expression, eyes wide open, a racing heart, sweating, general tension and heavy breathing. Individuals might jump out of bed and run around the house, sometimes committing violent actions. In most cases, when awake later, they have no memory or what happened but sometimes recall a dream involving danger or fear.

Exploding head syndrome

Unlike a headache, exploding head syndrome is normally painless. The average age of onset is 58, and it's more common in women than in men. Patients suddenly imagine a loud noise either just as they're falling asleep or as they awaken during the night. It can resemble a loud bang, cymbals clashing or a bomb exploding.

Some individuals with this disorder believe they're experiencing a stroke and are quite fearful. While attacks occur rarely for some, they can also happen repeatedly in a single night. Sometimes a flash of light accompanies the noise.

Sexsomnia

It's one of the most recently named strange sleep disorders. Sexsomnia includes at least 11 different disorders known as sleep sex, Fox News reports. Patients engage in various sexual activities while they're asleep and have no memory of them later. Those with a history of bedwetting, seizures disorders or sleep apnea appear to be at elevated risk for suffering for this type of disorder.

Having this condition creates problems for sufferers and their spouses or partners, especially if there are any issues related to forced sex. Courts across the United States are trying to grapple with the idea of responsibility for acts committed as the result of sleep disorders.

Sources:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke site

American Academy of Sleep Medicine site

Fox News site