Sleep is critical for our mind and body to function optimally. However, certain people might have trouble getting quite the rest their body needs due to a condition known as parasomnia. The comprehensive term encompasses a group of sleep disorders that involve unwanted experiences or events occurring during or when trying to fall asleep or wake up.

These typically include abnormal behaviors, movements, dreams, sensitivities, and emotions. Often the people suffering from parasomnia have no memory that any such thing occurred. Sometimes lucid dreaming, nightmares, and other general dreams may also be a sign of parasomnia.  

Read on to understand why some people have difficulty sleeping through the night, followed by what parasomnias is and how hypnosis may help.

Parasomnias: Common Symptoms

While symptoms for parasomnia may vary, the following are some of the more common ones that occur in people of all ages but more particularly in children.

REM Parasomnias

• Sleep paralysis
• Nightmare disorder
• REM sleep behavior disorder

N-REM (Non-Rem) Parasomnias

• Night terrors
• Confusional arousals
• Sleepwalking

Other Parasomnias

• Bedwetting
• Eating disorder (sleep-related)
• Exploding head syndrome
• Sleep talking
• Groaning (sleep-related)

Now that we know some of the more common parasomnia symptoms let’s look at some risk factors attributed to parasomnias.

Parasomnias: Risk Factors

• Age: During childhood, parasomnias typically consist of symptoms such as sleepwalking or bedwetting, and most children outgrow these problems as they age.
• Genetic or Environmental: Night terrors and sleepwalking can sometimes run in the family genes.
• Stress: Those under immense stress often show signs of parasomnia, such as sleepwalking. Once they overcome stress, the parasomnia ceases itself.
• PTSD: Trauma-related nightmares are typically more prone to getting nightmare disorders within a few months of their trauma.
• Medications: Some nightmares result from particular medicines you might be consuming, and sometimes they can also lead to parasomnias.
• Substance Abuse: People who suffer from drug or alcohol addictions are also more prone to getting night terror or suffer from sleepwalking, among other types of parasomnias.
• Other Disorders: Sometimes bedwetting in adults can be linked to congestive heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea, whereas at other times, REM sleep behavior disorder can be a side symptom of Parkinson’s disease.

Parasomnia: How Does Hypnosis Help?

Hypnosis works by inducing a calm, ‘trance-like’ state of mind that enables us to tap into a person’s subconscious mind to figure out the root cause of an underlying issue while making positive suggestions to enhance conscious behavior. So, how does it affect those who supper from parasomnia?

A study conducted over the span of a few decades revealed that hypnosis successfully treated certain symptoms in patients with parasomnias, especially sleepwalking. The study, conducted over individuals who had some signs of parasomnia for over 25 years, with early-onset, reported less or no episodes while others said they feel they feel a positive change as their overall health improved significantly.

If you or a close loved one suffers from parasomnia, you can get the proper care you need at Cognitive Healing’s comfortable and safe environment. Book a free consultation session with Rekha Shrivastava, who offers exceptional  Blossom Hypnosis at Cognitive Healing, and has an extensive experience of over two decades of tapping into the power of the unconscious mind.

She uses hypnosis to help patients overcome a wide array of illnesses by treating anxiety, teaching them how to express emotions, weight loss, recovery codependency, ADHD hypnosis, and subconscious mind healing techniques, among other comprehensive services in Rochester and Pittsford, NY.

You can also schedule a virtual hypnosis session that’s equally effective, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic if you’re looking to improve mental health through cognitive healing.