Parasomnias: Psychiatric Considerations

Parasomnias represent undesirable experiences or behavior that arise from sleep but are not fully under voluntary control. As a group of disorders, they challenge the arbitrary separation between disciplines, and reflect the interdisciplinary nature of sleep medicine. Appreciation of the psychiatric aspects of parasomnias is necessary by those who manage these disorders because they are often comorbid with mental illness, may present with psychiatric complaints, may be induced by psychotropic medications, and are often effectively managed with psychopharmocologic and/or psychotherapeutic interventions.