Hypersomnia, Insomnia, and Parasomnia, what are the differences between these sleep disorders and what do you need to know?

You are said to have a sleep disorder when you have trouble sleeping for an extended period and the lack of sleep affects your daily life. The problems occur at least three times a week and last for at least three months.

The most common problems are:

• Sleeping too little, sleeping poorly, or not being able to fall asleep (insomnia)
• Being very tired and sleepy during the day (hypersomnia)
• Restlessness during your sleep (parasomnia)

Further in this article, you will read that there are several other sleep disorders, but first we will give you more information about the three most well-known; insomnia, hypersomnia, and parasomnia.

Insomnia or sleeplessness is a frequently occurring sleep disorder. Insomnia refers to difficulty falling and staying asleep, waking up too early, and/or non-refreshing or poor sleep. This causes you to feel tired and irritable during the day.

There are various factors that negatively affect sleep when you suffer from insomnia. As a result, the specific cause is often unclear.

Sometimes insomnia can be learned. In these cases, it is a learned behavior from a bad experience with sleeping. In these cases, it is referred to as 'psychophysiological insomnia'. The more effort one makes to fall asleep, the more alert the mind becomes, and the harder it is to fall asleep.

The most common other causes of insomnia are:

• Stress or tension: insomnia often arises during a stressful period or after an emotional event
• Disturbed wake and sleep cycle: for example, when you sleep poorly after shift work or due to jet lag
• Environmental factors: think of noise or light disturbances, a poorly adjusted sleep system, or an old mattress
• Medication use
• Smoking, use of alcohol or caffeine
• Medical underlying problems such as:
• Neurological conditions
• Itching
• Pain complaints such as back and neck pain
• Psychological problems such as anxiety disorders and mood disorders

When you don't get a good night's sleep due to insomnia, it is often the case that your brain is still too active and cannot relax. Additionally, caffeine or alcohol can cause worrying in bed. This can be remedied by relaxing before going to sleep and avoiding coffee, heavy meals, or alcohol a few hours before bedtime. A good bed also provides a more comfortable way to sleep. With chronic insomnia, it is difficult to achieve a better sleep/wake rhythm on your own. In that case, we recommend visiting a doctor.

When you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep due to insomnia, a weighted blanket can help reduce these symptoms. The weight of the blanket can help relax the body and reduce feelings of anxiety. Additionally, the weight of the blankets can contribute to deeper sleep.

Do you often feel sleepy during the day and suddenly fall asleep? Then you may suffer from hypersomnia. Hypersomnia is a medical condition characterized by daily recurring and multiple periods of sleepiness. This sleepiness can negatively affect your daily life. When you have hypersomnia, you are often tired, depressed, and suffer from frequent headaches. Additionally, you may experience hallucinations and attacks of cataplexy (muscle weakness without loss of consciousness).

Hypersomnia can be a result of a sleep disorder, but it doesn't have to be. Sleep deprivation is also a possible cause. Other possible causes of hypersomnia include:

• Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy
• Depression
• Side effect of medications
• Head injury, for example after a concussion
• Meningitis
• Epstein Barr (mononucleosis)
• Fibromyalgia
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Hypersomnia can be dangerous for those who suffer from it. Think, for example, of attending meetings, driving a vehicle, or working with machines or tools in a factory. Dangerous situations can arise in these cases.

By addressing underlying causes, such as stress, you can treat hypersomnia. Additionally, changing your lifestyle can also help. To improve symptoms, it is wise to avoid certain activities or to stick to a regular sleep pattern.

People suffering from hypersomnia should avoid alcohol or caffeine and drug use. Following a healthy diet rich in nutrients can help maintain energy levels. This reduces feelings of drowsiness and fatigue.

There is no scientific evidence that a weighted blanket can improve the symptoms of hypersomnia. Nevertheless, we hear many positive stories, and a weighted blanket may help improve sleep by providing a sense of comfort and security.

When you exhibit unwanted behavior during your sleep, you can speak of parasomnia. You do something unexpected in your sleep, and it seems as if you are awake. Think of teeth grinding, talking in your sleep, bedwetting, or sleepwalking.

Parasomnia is a collective term for various behaviors. This means that there is no general solution. Some parasomnias disappear spontaneously, without the need for treatment. Others, such as talking in your sleep or sleep myoclonus, are relatively harmless and rarely require further investigation. For some other parasomnias, there are specific solutions:

• Teeth grinding: It can help to do relaxation exercises before sleeping. If this is insufficient, you may consider using special mouthguards. For this, it is best to consult a dentist or orthodontist.
• In REM-related behavioral disorder, specific medication can usually partially solve the problem.

Further research is needed for the other parasomnias.

Parasomnias are abnormal behaviors, sensations, or experiences during sleep. This can include nightmares, sleepwalking, talking in your sleep, or teeth grinding. People with this disorder often do not feel rested and have difficulty functioning. The use of a weighted blanket can help reduce parasomnias. This is because the blanket provides a feeling of pressure and security, which calms the nervous system and promotes sleep.

Narcolepsy

If you have narcolepsy, you may suddenly fall asleep during the day. You sleep briefly, 10 to 30 minutes at most. During the day, you almost always feel sleepy, even if you have had enough sleep.

With narcolepsy, it can happen that you experience loss of muscle tone. This means that your muscles suddenly become limp, which can cause you to fall, for example. It can be triggered by emotions, such as laughing, being startled, or anger. It often occurs when you are doing something calm, like waiting or watching television. But it can also happen during an active activity, such as exercising.

If you suspect that you have narcolepsy, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

Restless legs (restless legs syndrome)

Another sleep disorder is a restless feeling in your legs. You feel that your legs are tingling, itching, or crawling. To counteract this feeling, you want to keep moving your legs. You may also experience jolts in your arms or legs during sleep. As a result, you do not rest well. In this article, you can read more about sleeping with restless legs.

We hope that after reading this article you have learned more about the various sleep disorders that exist. Do you want to know if a weighted blanket can help with your conditions? Then read our article: ‘Does a weighted blanket work for me?’.