ANCSLEEP BLOG

Have you ever woken up and had a text on your phone that you swear you didn't send? This is called sleep texting, and most of the time it's harmless. However, there are other times when you might have sent something that you absolutely didn't mean to!

Sleep texting is often a situation where the text is prompted. This means that you received a message, and in your sleep, responded to it. It's almost automatic as your brain responds to an incoming notification while you're asleep in the same way that you would when you're awake.

Although you can absolutely send a message in your subconscious, more than likely, it's not going to be very intelligible. Sleep texting is most likely to affect those who sleep within close proximity to their phones. Continue reading to learn more about sleep texting and what you can do to avoid it if it's creating trouble in your life.  

What are Parasomnias?

A parasomnia is an abnormal (“para”) sleep (“somnia”) or sleep cycle (circadian rhythm). Parasomnias are considered disruptive sleep disorders that occur during sleep. The most common parasomnias are:

• Nightmares
• Night terrors
• Sleep walking
• Sleep talking
• Sleep paralysis

Parasomnias such as these can cause minor to severe sleep disruption. Let’s look at each of these parasomnias in more detail.

What are Parasomnias

Parasomnias are not a single sleep disorder, but rather a collection of sleep disorders that disrupt your circadian rhythm and impact sleep quality. Some parasomnias are nothing more than a nuisance to your bed partner or others in your household.

People often need others to inform them of their parasomnia, as parasomnias may not be remembered in the morning, such as sleepwalking, night terrors, sleep talking, etc.

Most Common Parasomnias

Parasomnias relate to several different sleep disorders. They affect the ability to sleep, disrupt your circadian rhythm, and lead to sleep deprivation. Some parasomnias will be obvious and easy to identify, others will require a bed partner to identify.

The most common parasomnias are:

• Sleep terrors
• Sleep talking
• Sleepwalking
• Sleep paralysis
• REM sleep behavior disorder
• Catathrenia

As we explore this list, take note of any of these parasomnias that resonate with you.