These episoides are more common with children.
Fortunately, most causes can be treated or prevented.
This article covers the causes and symptoms of confusional arousals along with how they are diagnosed and treated.
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What Causes Confusional Arousals?
Research suggests that confusional arousal happens when different regions of the brain fail to fully communicate with each other.
As a result, some parts of the sleeper’s brain stay asleep while others suddenly awake.
By contrast, they occur in only 3% to 4% of adults.
Adults who have confusional arousals sometimes come across as hostile or aggressive.
Confusional arousals are characterized by amnesia and are not typically remembered the next day.
During confusional arousal, a person’s behavior may seem a lot like that of someone who’s intoxicated.
In fact, a nickname for confusional arousal is “sleep drunkenness.”
In that case, you may want to see a sleep specialist.
For adults, it also might be beneficial to cut back or quit drinking alcohol.
If all else fails, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication such as an antidepressant or a sleeping pill.
These medications may disrupt sleep depth, reducing the likelihood of waking from a prolonged period of slow-wave sleep.
In addition, there are devices such as the Lully Sleep Guardian that can prompt awakenings in children.
It may be possible to identify techniques or treatments to reduce their frequency.
Sleep Foundation.What are confusional arousals and sleep drunkenness.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Confusional arousals.
Durmer JS, Chervin RD.Pediatric sleep medicine.CONTINUUM: Lifelong Learning in Neurology.
