Dear Patients and Referrers,
COVID-19 has significantly impacted the way which CVS/CRS operates, both in WA and VIC. We strictly follow all local and national health guidelines and our services and internal procedures have been reviewed to minimise virus transmission risk to both our patients and our staff.
We are committed to continuing to provide high quality patient care and delivering an excellent patient experience during this time, therefore we want to assure all of our patients of a safe environment and encourage our patients to continue to attend their required appointments. It is important that you do not delay your cardiac, respiratory or sleep testing during this time.
We encourage our patients and referrers to email us at adminteam@cvs.net.au to ensure an efficiently and timely handling of your request, and ask that our patients follow relevant COVID-Safe guidelines when attending our clinics.
CVS and CRS are doing everything we can to continue to deliver, when you need us most. Our thoughts are with you as we work through this together.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Philip Currie
CEO, Cardiologist
Parasomnias are a group of unusual behaviours of the nervous system during sleep. They can occur in different ways, such as sleep walking, sleep talking and sleep paralysis.
Parasomnia symptoms are like other sleep disorders and can include excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue and an inability to stay awake.
Parasomnias are not more easily diangosed and treated following a comprehensive sleep study.
Parasomnias are not related to sleep breathing disorders.
Parasomnias can be diagnosed by undertaking an in-lab sleep study, which uses video tracking and other tools to identify issues.
In-lab sleep studies provide a comprehensive sleep analysis for patients with parasomnias.
If the underlying cause of parasomnia is thought to be narcolepsy (a neurological condition which impacts sleep) then a Multi Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) may also be recommended.
A MSLT occurs during the day and measures your level of daytime sleepiness by monitoring how long it takes to fall asleep in a quiet environment.
The MSLT is a day-long test and normally follows on from an in-lab sleep study. It consists of five scheduled naps separated by two-hour intervals. During these nap tests, lights are dimmed and the time taken to fall asleep is recorded. A series of sensors is placed on your head during the test to measure sleepiness and wakefulness.
Parasomnias can be better treated once any underlying causes have been identified. The most common treatments are medications, behaviour therapies and lifestyle changes.
Managing lifestyle changes can be an effective way of treating parasomnias. If your parasomnia involves sleep walking for example, then locking doors and windows, clearing the room in case of falls, sleeping on the ground floor and setting alarms can all be important actions to take.
Sleep specialists can help to diagnose and devise a plan to treat the specific nature of parasomnias after an in-depth sleep study.
Sleep walking is a well-documented form of parasomnia which is more common in children and those who suffer from disordered breathing during sleep. It’s still uncommon by most standards but can be effectively treated.
No. Individuals who sleep walk are not aware they are sleep walking. Sleep walkers who are woken up will often be surprised and may only have a limited awareness or memory of dreaming.
Like other sleep disorders, parasomnias such as sleep walking can disturb normal sleep patterns and result in excessive daytime sleepiness.
Parasomnias can be caused by a variety of different sleep disorders and are often aggravated by conditions which disrupt normal sleep, such as obstructed sleep apnoea. Substance abuse and certain medications can also encourage parasomnias by negatively affecting mental health conditions.
Fact: Sleep walking can be dangerous and lead to physical injuries, as the sleep walker will not be fully conscious. It’s important to wake someone if they are sleep walking, but this can be difficult as they are often in a state of deep sleep. If they can’t be woken gently you can also try to guide them back to bed.
Fact: Sleeping while under the effect of alcohol can often lead to sleep fragmentation, where people shift in and out of sleeping and waking cycles. Therefore, alcohol may increase the likelihood of parasomnias.
Fact: Sleep paralysis, while uncomfortable and frightening, is not inherently harmful. Sleep paralysis is normally experienced if a person wakes during REM sleep, before the sleep cycle has properly finished. This can occur more frequently if a person is abusing substances such as amphetamines, are sleep deprived or are sleeping on their back.
Sleep paralysis can be a symptom of other more serious sleep conditions such as narcolepsy. If you commonly experience sleep paralysis, excessive daytime sleepiness or an inability to stay awake during the day, make sure to contact your doctor.
If a parasomnia is interfering with your nights, a qualified sleep specialist can organise a sleep study to diagnose your condition.
Book online today to organise a CRS sleep study or consultation with a Sleep Physician to seek help to diagnose and manage parasomnias.