Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various sleep dysfunctions, such as sleepwalking, night terrors, enuresis, or nocturnal seizures.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun medicine Any of several sleep disorders

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably para– + (in)somnia.]

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Examples

  • The most common type of parasomnia is the "disorder of arousal," which includes confusional arousals, sleepwalking (somnambulism), and sleep terrors.

    Parasomnias 2010

  • A parasomnia is a classification of sleep disorder where people can do some pretty complicated behaviors in their sleep.

    Dr. Michael J. Breus: Sleep Tips: Is Sexsomnia Real? 2010

  • A parasomnia is a classification of sleep disorder where people can do some pretty complicated behaviors in their sleep.

    Sleep Tips: Is Sexsomnia Real? 2010

  • In other words, a parasomnia is a condition where someone is acting out his or her dreams.

    Sleepless Thomas Fahy 2009

  • These people are actually asleep, but they suffer conditions called parasomnia, disorders that frequently interfere with sleep, like sleepwalking or night terror.

    CNN Transcript Mar 23, 2006 2006

  • It's something called parasomnia, and we'll tell you all about it when 360 continues, live in New Orleans with these great volunteers from all around the country.

    CNN Transcript Mar 23, 2006 2006

  • GUPTA: Sexsomnia is one of a host of sleep disorders called parasomnia, waking behaviors like eating, acting out violence, even driving, that all happen while still in a deep slumber.

    CNN Transcript Mar 24, 2006 2006

  • In rare cases, such deaths could be caused by something called parasomnia pseudo-suicide, experts say.

    msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines 2010

  • Sexsomnia is a form of a sleep disorder called parasomnia, or unwanted behavior that occurs during sleep.

    Medlogs - Recent stories 2010

  • The term "parasomnia" refers to a wide variety of behaviors that occur during sleep.

    Parasomnias 2010

Comments

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  • An event happening during sleep, or induced or exacerbated by sleep, such as sleepwalking or asthma; not a dyssomnia.

    May 13, 2008