Shedding new light on a sleep disorder known as sleep drunkenness disorder, a new study finds that one in seven people are affected by this condition.
Sleep drunkenness disorder is a sleep disorder that involves confusion and unsuitable behavior such as answering the phone when the alarm rings. This usually follows arising from sleep, either during the first part of the night or in the morning.
"These episodes of waking up confused have received considerably less attention than sleepwalking even though the consequences can be just as serious," said study author Maurice M Ohayon in a press statement.
The study was conducted on 19,136 people aged 18 and older from the general U.S. population. They were interviewed about their sleep habits and whether they had experienced any symptoms of the disorder. Participants were also asked about mental illness diagnoses and any medications they took.
Researchers found that 15 percent of the group had experienced an episode in the last year, with more than half reporting more than one episode per week. A whopping 84 percent of people with sleep drunkenness also had a sleep disorder, a mental health disorder or were taking psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants.
Among those that experienced an episode, 37.4 percent also had a mental disorder and 31 percent of them were taking psychotropic medications such as antidepressants. Researchers also noted that 20 percent of those getting less than six hours of sleep per night and 15 percent of those getting at least nine hours experienced sleep drunkenness. People with sleep apnea also were more likely to have the disorder.
"These episodes of confused awakening have not gotten much attention, but given that they occur at a high rate in the general population, more research should be done on when they occur and whether they can be treated," said Ohayon. "People with sleep disorders or mental health issues should also be aware that they may be at greater risk of these episodes."
According to researchers, even though sleep-related problems like sleep drunkenness get less attention compared to behaviors like sleep walking, they can be just as dangerous. The researchers say that more research is needed to determine the best ways to treat sleep drunkenness.
The study was published in the journal Neurology. The project was supported by the Arrillaga Foundation.
