Hypersomnia, insomnia, and parasomnia, what are the differences between these sleep disorders and what should you know?

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

The most common problems are:

• Sleeping too little, poor sleep, or difficulty falling asleep (insomnia)
• 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 provide more information about the three most well-known; insomnia, hypersomnia, and parasomnia.

Insomnia or sleeplessness is a frequently occurring sleep disorder. Insomnia means difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, early awakening, 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 unclear in most cases.

Sometimes insomnia can be learned. In these cases, it is a learned behavior from a bad experience with sleeping. This is called ‘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• Environmental factors: think of noise or light disturbance, a poorly adjusted sleep system, or an outdated mattress
• Medication use
• Smoking, use of alcohol or caffeine
• Underlying medical problems such as:
• Neurological disorders
• Itching
• Pain complaints such as back and neck pain
• Psychological problems such as anxiety disorders and mood disorders

When you do not have a good night's rest due to insomnia, it is often the case that your brain is still too active and cannot calm down. Additionally, caffeine or alcohol can cause worrying in bed. This can be remedied by relaxing before bedtime and avoiding coffee, heavy meals, or alcohol a few hours before going to sleep. 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.

If 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.

Are you very often sleepy during the day and can 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 the result of a sleep disorder, but it does not have to be. Sleep deprivation is also a possible cause. Other possible causes of hypersomnia are:

• Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy
• Depression
• Side effect of medication
• Head injury, for example after a concussion
• Meningitis
• Epstein Barr (Pfeiffer's disease)
• 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 advisable to avoid certain activities or stick to a regular sleep pattern.

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

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

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

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

• Teeth grinding: It can help to do relaxation exercises before sleeping. If this is insufficient, you might 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 resolve the problem.

Further research is needed for 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. Using a weighted blanket can help reduce parasomnias. This is because the blanket provides a feeling of pressure and security, calming the nervous system and promoting sleep.

Narcolepsy

If you have narcolepsy, you can suddenly fall asleep during the day. You then 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, you may experience loss of muscle tone. This means your muscles suddenly go limp, which can cause you to fall, for example. It can be triggered by emotions such as laughing, being startled, or anger. It often happens when you are doing something calm, like waiting or watching TV. But it can also occur during an active activity, such as sports.

If you think you might have narcolepsy, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

Restless legs syndrome (restless legs syndrome)

Another sleep disorder is a restless feeling in your legs. This is when you feel your legs tingling, crawling, or itching. To counter the feeling, you want to keep moving your legs. Sometimes you also experience jerks in your arms or legs during sleep. This causes you to rest less 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. Want to know if a weighted blanket can help with your conditions? Then read our article: ‘Does a weighted blanket work for me?’.