The key difference between parasomnia and dyssomnia is that parasomnia is a type of primary sleep disorder that causes abnormal activities during sleep, including sleep terrors or sleepwalking, while dyssomnia is a type of primary sleep disorder that causes trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
Sleep disorders can be broken into two main types: primary and secondary. Primary sleep disorder is not caused by another medical or psychological condition. On the other hand, secondary sleep disorder is a result of other medical problems such as depression, thyroid problems, stroke, arthritis, or asthma. Moreover, primary sleep disorder is further divided into subtypes such as parasomnia and dyssomnia.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Parasomnia
3. What is Dyssomnia
4. Similarities – Parasomnia and Dyssomnia
5. Parasomnia vs Dyssomnia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Parasomnia vs Dyssomnia
What is Parasomnia?
Parasomnia is a type of primary sleep disorder that involves unusual and undesirable physical events that disrupt sleep. A primary sleep disorder can occur before or during sleep or during arousal from sleep. Parasomnia is further classified into non-rapid eye movement sleep (Non-REM) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM). The symptoms of parasomnia include difficulty sleeping through the night, walking up disoriented, being tired during the day, finding cuts and bruises after sleep, and displaying movements, expressions, or activities that people do not remember. Moreover, parasomnia often runs in families. Therefore, there may be an associated genetic factor.
Parasomnia is diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, a sleep study (polysomnogram), video electroencephalogram (EEG) or sleep EEG, neurologic exam, CT, or MRI. Furthermore, the treatment options for parasomnia are following good sleep hygiene habits, maintaining a regular sleep-wake schedule, limiting alcohol, and recreational drugs, taking prescribed drugs (benzodiazepines, clonazepam, and melatonin), and cognitive behavioural therapy.
What is Dyssomnia?
Dyssomnia is a type of primary sleep disorder that is characterized by falling asleep or staying asleep. Dyssomnia can be further classified into three types as intrinsic sleep disorder (caused by internal dysfunction), external sleep disorder (caused by external factors such as environment or health habits), and circadian rhythm sleep disorder (irregular timings or schedules that interfere with the body’s internal clock).
The common symptoms of this condition include difficulty falling asleep, regularly taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, difficulty waking up in the morning, waking up multiple times every night, waking up too early in the morning, and inability to go back to sleep again, feeling tired after waking up, feeling extremely sleepy during the day, snoring loudly in the sleep, pausing breathing for a short period during the sleep, uncomfortable tingling, creeping, or crawling sensations in the limbs during the night, jerking or twitching in the arms or legs during the sleep, irregular sleep control, stress or depression, irritability, anxious or impatient, headache, brain fog, and difficulties in the relationships (work, school, and society).
Dyssomnia is diagnosed through family history, physical examination, and sleep study. Furthermore, treatment options for dyssomnia include cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation exercises, bright light therapy, use of continuous positive airway pressure, medications (sleep pills), supplements like melatonin, good sleep habits, and balanced nutritious diet, and an active lifestyle.
What are the Similarities Between Parasomnia and Dyssomnia?
- Parasomnia and dyssomnia are two different types of primary sleep disorders.
- Both conditions are not caused due to other medical problems.
- They are characterized by sleep disturbances.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and sleep study.
- They are treated through specific medications and therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy.
What is the Difference Between Parasomnia and Dyssomnia?
Parasomnia is a type of primary sleep disorder that causes abnormal activities during sleep, like sleep terrors or sleepwalking, while dyssomnia is a type of primary sleep disorder that causes trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Thus, this is the key difference between parasomnia and dyssomnia. Furthermore, parasomnia is a result of a genetic factor, while dyssomnia is a result of internal dysfunction, external factors such as environment or health habits, and irregular timings or schedules that interfere with the body’s internal clock.
The following table summarizes the difference between parasomnia and dyssomnia.
Summary – Parasomnia vs Dyssomnia
Sleep disorders are broadly classified as primary or secondary. Primary sleep disorder is not caused by another underline medical or psychological condition. It is further divided into parasomnia and dyssomnia. Parasomnia is a type of primary sleep disorder that causes abnormal activities during sleep, like sleep terrors or sleepwalking, while dyssomnia is a type of primary sleep disorder that causes trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. So, this summarizes the difference between parasomnia and dyssomnia.
Reference:
1. “Parasomnias: Causes, Symptoms, Types & Management.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. Gupta, Sanjana. “What Is a Dyssomnia?” Verywell Mind.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Woman lying awake.” (CC0) via Pixabay