Disease or Syndrome
parasomnia Audio
par·a·som·ni·a [ payr-uh-som-nee-uh ]
Subclass of:
Sleep Wake Disorders
Definitions related to parasomnia:
  • A group of sleep disorders causing disruption of sleep. Representative examples include nightmare disorders, sleep terror disorders, sleepwalking, and restless leg syndrome.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Abnormal behavior or movements during sleep.
    NICHD Pediatric Terminology
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • An abnormal disruption of sleep, such as sleep walking, sleep talking, nightmares, bedwetting, sleep apnea (problems with breathing that cause loud snoring), or nighttime seizures.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • An undesirable physical event or experience that occurs during the process of falling asleep, while asleep, or when waking up from sleep.
    Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
    The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
  • Movements or behaviors associated with sleep, sleep stages, or partial arousals from sleep that may impair sleep maintenance. Parasomnias are generally divided into four groups: arousal disorders, sleep-wake transition disorders, parasomnias of REM sleep, and nonspecific parasomnias. (From Thorpy, Sleep Disorders Medicine, 1994, p191)
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Sleep disorders, such as night terrors or sleep walking, that periodically interfere with sleep.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • Parasomnias are undesirable behaviors that occur during entry into sleep, during sleep, or during arousal from sleep. Diagnosis is clinical. Treatment may include drugs and psychotherapy. For many of these disorders, history and physical examination can confirm the diagnosis.
    Merck Manuals
    Merck & Co., Inc., 2025
  • Parasomnias are undesirable sleep-related events that may occur during sleep or during the transition into sleep or out of sleep. They include abnormal behaviors (e.g., sleepwalking) and dreams (e.g., nightmares). Parasomnias may be transient and have no significant consequences on the patient's sleep health. However, in some cases they...
    Epocrates
    Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
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