Five Scary Sleep Disorders Featured in Latest BedEd Article
Kansas City, KS (PRWEB) October 23, 2013 -- Sleep for most is an uneventful aspect of life that is often taken for granted. For some however, an array of frightening sleep disorders can make scary movies look like child’s play. BedEd blogs about some of the scariest just in time for Halloween in their latest article, “5 Sleep Disorders That Rival Any Scary Movie”.
The article describes five interesting disorders, called parasomnias, and offers theorized causes, as well as tips for maintaining healthy sleep hygiene. The sleep disorders Bed Ed covers include sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, sleep hallucinations, night terrors and exploding head syndrome.
Sleepwalking is fairly well known, being the subject of several pop-culture books, but this disorder, called somnambulance, can have a very real dark side. Sleepwalkers may endanger themselves trying to navigate their houses, cook food, or by wandering outside, and some people have even driven vehicles while not consciously awake. Other terrifying reports in popular media have seen sleepwalking blamed for murders, as in the case of Kenneth James Parks who murdered his in-laws.
Sleep paralysis engenders a less dangerous but no less frightening fear, that of being conscious and unable to move or defend oneself. This condition is well-represented in the folklore of several cultures, with the phenomena having been blamed on forms of demons, witches, ghosts, or incubi. Those who have sleep paralysis awake mentally but are unable to move their bodies. During their paralysis, the may also have hallucinations. Up to half of people will experience this at some time in their life, and scientists believe it is due to a malfunction with internal systems which paralyze muscles while we sleep (to prevent sleep walking).
Sleep hallucinations can occur upon waking or when falling asleep, and may or may not accompany paralysis. Hallucinations may include shadows or figures, voices or sounds, or the feeling of being touched or sat on. Night terrors and Exploding Head Syndrome, two of the less benign but still scary disorders, are also covered briefly in the article.
Many of the parasomnias are not entirely understood by the scientific community, but links to a sleep deprivation and stress have been uncovered for several disorders, signifying the importance of healthy sleep. Bed Ed includes a short checklist of healthy sleep habits, which include sticking to a schedule, managing stress, exercise, and maintaining a room conducive to sleep. Bed Ed also invites readers to pick the scariest parasomnia in a poll featured after the article.
BedEd.org is a mattress education blog dedicated to providing informational resources to shoppers. The blog features impartial assessments of mattress types, brands, and other sleep related products, developed via first party research, third party reviews, and expert research and opinion. In addition, readers receive useful sleep quality tips and news on the latest mattress developments.
Bed Ed, BedEd.org, http://www.beded.org, 480 264 0725, [email protected]
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