Confusional Arousals – What is it?

Confusional arousal is a parasomnia that causes you to wake up feeling very confused and may even cause you to act very unusual and out of the norm for yourself as you are waking up or just after you wake up. You may not know where you are or what is going on around you and you could be experiencing:

  • Slowed or confused speech
  • Clouded thinking
  • Memory loss
  • Blunt responses to questions or requests

Many people appear to be awake when a confusional arousal occurs and seem like they are in that morning foggy state of mind, but they are acting strange, and almost always do not remember the incident. Usually, an episode will begin with the need to be physically woken up by someone else. Behaviors like sleepwalking, shouting, and aggressive behavior are common during a confusional arousal.

What causes it?

You are more likely to experience confusional arousals if you have a relative with this sleep disorder. Other factors that can increase your risk for confusion arousals include:

  • Changing shift work
  • Night shift work
  • Other sleep disorders (hypersomnia, insomnia, circadian rhythm sleep disorders)
  • Deprived or disturbed sleep
  • Stress
  • Bipolar and depressive disorders

Potential causes of this disorder include the following:

  • Recovery from sleep deprivation
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
  • Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD)
  • Psychotropic medication use
  • Drug abuse

Possible Solutions

Cutting back on alcohol or eliminating its consumption may help lessen the severity of confusional arousals and even erase them. Also, it is very important that you get a full night of rest every night.

Some medications also help in treating confusional arousals. The most effective are antidepressants and sleeping pills.

Why get treatment?

If you discover that you suffer from these episodes, consulting a doctor about the best course of action for treatment is the next step. If medication is needed, then your doctor can discuss with you the most effective treatment plan and prescribe you the medication needed to combat this parasomnia.

Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice; the Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.