Arousal Disorders: Lack of Consensus Treatment Guidelines and Promising Behavioral Treatments Revealed in New Study

Arousal disorders, including sexsomnia, sleepwalking, and sleep terrors, are largely misunderstood and lack established treatment guidelines, according to a new study by Jennifer Mundt, assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Mundt conducted a systematic review of 72 publications on non-rapid eye movement (NREM) parasomnias and found that most were mere case reports or uncontrolled trials. However, preliminary findings suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis, sleep hygiene, and scheduled awakenings may be effective treatments for arousal disorders. Patients with arousal disorders often engage in dangerous behaviors during sleep, such as driving cars or engaging in sexual activity, and often have no memory of these episodes. The study emphasizes the need for randomized, controlled trials to determine the efficacy of behavioral treatments for arousal disorders.