Author
Home > Health > What is the Difference Between Insomnia and Parasomnia?

Guilherme Mazui

•4 minutes to read

What is the Difference Between Insomnia and Parasomnia?

🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚

Insomnia and parasomnia are two different types of sleep disorders that can affect an individual's quality of sleep. The key differences between them include:

Insomnia:

  • Involves difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good quality sleep.
  • Often a symptom of another problem, such as stress, anxiety, depression, or an underlying health condition.
  • Can be caused by lifestyle choices, including medications, lack of exercise, jet lag, or amount of coffee consumed.
  • Common symptoms include difficulty getting to sleep, waking up throughout the night and lying awake, waking too early and not getting back to sleep, and not feeling refreshed or having problems functioning during the daytime.

Parasomnia:

  • Involves unusual or unwanted behavior while sleeping, such as sleepwalking, nightmares, night terrors, and bedwetting.
  • Abnormal events or experiences disrupt sleep.
  • Parasomnias can be classified into two main categories: disorders of arousal (confusional arousals and sleepwalking) and parasomnias occurring during REM sleep (nightmare disorder and REM sleep behavior disorder).
  • Symptoms of parasomnia include unusual or unwanted behavior while sleeping and confusion when woken from sleep.

In summary, insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, while parasomnia involves unusual behaviors or experiences that disrupt sleep. Both sleep disorders can have similar symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping throughout the night, feeling daytime sleepiness, and fatigue.

On this page
  • What is the Difference Between Insomnia and Parasomnia?
  • Comparative Table: Insomnia vs Parasomnia

    • Comparative Table: Insomnia vs Parasomnia

    Here is a table that highlights the differences between insomnia and parasomnia:

    Feature Insomnia Parasomnia
    Definition Involves trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good quality sleep. Involves unusual physical events or experiences disrupting sleep.
    Symptoms Difficulty in sleeping throughout the night, feeling daytime sleepiness, and fatigue. Unusual behaviors, perceptions, and dreams during sleep.
    Types Primary insomnia, adjustment insomnia, paradoxical insomnia, psychophysiologic insomnia, insomnia due to other mental disorders, and various others. NREM-related parasomnias, REM-related parasomnias, and other parasomnias.
    Causes Stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and certain medications can trigger insomnia. Stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and certain medications can trigger parasomnias.
    Treatment Treatment approaches vary depending on the specific insomnia and its severity. Can include benzodiazepines, cognitive behavioral therapy, scheduled awakenings, and a safer sleep environment. Treatment approaches vary depending on the specific parasomnia and its severity.

    Both insomnia and parasomnia are common sleep disorders that can have similar symptoms, such as difficulty in sleeping throughout the night, feeling daytime sleepiness, and fatigue. However, insomnia specifically involves trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good quality sleep, while parasomnia involves unusual physical events or experiences disrupting sleep.

    Read more:

    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.