Sleep is something we all do – mostly every day (except on all nighters reading Listverse or studying) and for most people it is one of the great pleasures in life. But sadly, for many people, with sleep comes problems – some of which can be extremely serious. This is a list of the 10 weirdest sleep disorders
10
Rapid eye movement behavior disorder
In this disorder, a person loses paralysis which is normal for the Rapid Eye Movement period, causing their body to freely act out their dreams. These behaviours can be violent in nature and in some cases will result in injury to either the patient or their bed partner. RBD is a treatable condition. The standard therapy is the anti-convulsant drug clonazepam, and this is generally received very well. The reason for its effectiveness is unknown, but it restores the natural paralyzed state of a person in the REM stage of sleep.
9
Night Terrors
A night terror is a parasomnia sleep disorder characterized by extreme terror and a temporary inability to regain full consciousness. The subject wakes abruptly from slow-wave sleep, with waking usually accompanied by gasping, moaning, or screaming. It is often impossible to fully awaken the person, and after the episode the subject normally settles back to sleep without waking. A night terror can rarely be recalled by the subject. Night terrors are distinct from nightmares in several key ways. First, the subject is not fully awake when roused, and even when efforts are made to awaken the sleeper, he/she may continue to experience the night terror for ten to twenty minutes. Often times it’s extremely dangerous for the person, for it can cause trauma, and even hurting someone (e.g. trying to kill “the murderer” and in fact injuring someone else).
8
Bruxism
Bruxism is the disorder in which a person grinds or clenches their jaw during sleep. It is one of the most common sleep disorders with up to 40 million Americans suffering from it. This disorder can result in serious damage to the teeth so treatment is well advised. It can lead to facial pain and headaches, and in severe, chronic cases, it can lead to arthritis of the temporomandibular joints. Most bruxers are not aware of their bruxism and only 5-10% go on to develop symptoms such as jaw pain and headache. While there is no cure for this disorder, doctors either recommend mouthguards or botox injections.
7
Restless Legs Syndrome
While this disorder can effect a person who is awake, it is at its worst during sleep or periods of non-movemement.

Restless Legs Syndrome is a condition that is characterized by an irresistible urge to move one’s body to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations. It most commonly affects the legs, but can also be in the arms and torso. Moving the affected body part modulates the sensations, providing temporary relief. For relief of this disorder, some doctors prescribe anticonvulsants, opioids (such as methadone), or Benzodiazepines. Medicating a person with Restless Legs Syndrome is currently a controversial practice.
6
Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome
This odd (and extremely rare) disorder consists of a person’s body not recognizing the 24 hour sleep cycle. Consequently, the body will not allow itself to sleep in a regular day/night pattern. Left untreated, non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome causes a person’s sleep-wake cycle to change every day, the degree determined by how much over 24 hours the cycle lasts. The cycle may go around the clock, eventually returning to “normal” for one or two days before going “off” again. In many cases it can take up to a week for the body to complete one cycle of its disturbed pattern. To add even further weirdness, this disorder takes place almost exclusively in blind people (though there have been one or two accounts of a sighted person suffering from it).
5
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and occurs repeatedly throughout sleep. Clinically significant levels of sleep apnea are defined as five or more episodes per hour. Individuals suffering from this sleep disorder are rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening. It is usually recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body. Symptoms may be present for years, even decades without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance. The most common treatment treatment for sleep apnea is the use of a positive airway pressure (PAP) device.

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