Sleep Drunkenness Associated With Sleep, Mental Health Disorders
Some 15% of U.S. adults in a general population sample reported experiencing a confusional arousal, also known as “sleep drunkenness,” in the past year. More than half reported multiple episodes per week.
Researchers published their findings in the August 26 issue of Neurology.
Sleep drunkenness is characterized by confusion or inappropriate behavior—picking up the phone instead of turning off the alarm clock, for example—upon waking. People experiencing sleep drunkenness may become violent or not remember the episode, which is usually triggered by a forced arousal from sleep.
"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 study author Maurice M. Ohayon, MD, DSc, PhD, of Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California.
For their investigation into the extent of the disorder, researchers interviewed 19,136 individuals 18 and older about their sleeping habits as well as sleep, mental health, and medical conditions. Nearly 1 in every 7 people polled said he or she had experienced sleep drunkenness in the past year, researchers found.
Of those who reported sleep drunkenness:
- 71% had a sleep disorder;
- 37.4% had a mental disorder; and
- 31% were taking psychotropic drugs, mainly antidepressants, according to study findings.
Less than 1% reported sleep drunkenness with no known cause, researchers reported.
People with bipolar disorders or a panic disorder were at highest risk of experiencing sleep drunkenness, researchers added. Sleep apnea, too, increased the likelihood of confusional arousals.
"People with sleep disorders or mental health issues should also be aware that they may be at greater risk of these episodes,” Dr. Ohayon advised.
—Jolynn Tumolo
References
1. Ohayon MM, Mahowald MW, Leger D. Are confusional arousals pathological? Neurology. 2014; 83:834-841.
