Sleep Violence
What is Sleep Violence?
It is a sleep induced dysfunctionalstate of aggression or violence that results in violent behavior towardsobjects or persons around.
When you sleep your body goes through 2 basic sleepcycles, rapid eye movement (REM) and non rapid eye movement (NON-REM) states.The condition can occur in any state.
Sleep Statistics by DrFenwick, from London’s Institute of Psychiatryshows that 4 in 10 men suffering from sleep disorders are often violent and that1 in 7 can be seriously violent.
A person with this condition canbe very dangerous and can commit acts like self-mutilation, sexual assault,murder attempt and even suicide. Other minor S.V behaviors arejumping out of bed, kicking and screaming.
It should be noted thatduring the violent episodes the individual is not at all aware of what he orshe is doing, they are always in a dream state and in most cases the individualis having a nightmare or a bad dream.
Before now, doctors like ProfessorJohn Stradling, of the Oxford Centre for Sleep Medicine perceived this illness to be a very rare occurrence but now sleep doctors are reporting moreand more cases.
SV dates wayback. I heard of a story where a knight in 1600, stabbed his friend to death atnight.
Another case happenedwhere a man left his room naked, got into another couples room, got into bedwith them and put his hand on the woman’s genitals.
There is also the case ofan ex Japanese POW, who still dreams every night that he is still in jail, somuch so that he attacks his wife thinking she is a Japanese guard. She now hasto sleep in a different room.
Types of S.V
Recently scientists have beguna series of studies to classify the types of sleep violence. It has beencategorized into the following,
- Night terrorsand sleepwalking
- Nocturnalseizures
- Sleepdrunkenness
- Psychogenicdissociative states
- REMsleep-behavior disorder
- REM sleep-behaviordisorder (RBD)
Of the 6, RBD is the onlyone that the individual may manifest S.V during REM sleep and it is usuallyactivated when one is dreaming.
Causes of S.V
So many factors couldcause SV. They range from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to Parkinson’s diseaseto even Late Night Shift Work. Research is still being done to determine ifthere are particular factors that trigger SV in people.
Treatment for S.V
If you or anyone you knowis sleep violent, the solution is to see a sleep doctor. The most probablecause is physiological and only a professional sleep doctor will be able toassess your condition and give you the proper treatment.
Don’t be scared itprobably just a phase in your life and you will be ok in no time.
