somni-, somno-, somn-, -somnia, -somniac
(Latin: sleep, sleeping; dreams, dreaming)
1. Any kind of malfunction or disorder of sleep rhythm which is caused by a disease of the central nervous system: It was very dangerous for Grace to spend the night alone in her two-story house because when she had attacks of parasomnia, she would get up and walk around in her sleep!
2. Etymology: from Greek para, "irregular, abnormal" or "faulty" + Latin somnia, "sleep".
2. Etymology: from Greek para, "irregular, abnormal" or "faulty" + Latin somnia, "sleep".
1. A procedure or method of recording movements of a person while he or she is asleep: Because Susan had serious problems sleeping through the night, the doctor decided to check up on her body motions during the night, so he arranged to have a polycinematosomnography performed.
2. Etymology: from Greek polys, "many, much" + Greek cinema, "move, motion" + Latin som, "sleep" + Greek graphein, "record, written description".
2. Etymology: from Greek polys, "many, much" + Greek cinema, "move, motion" + Latin som, "sleep" + Greek graphein, "record, written description".
1. The written results monitored by equipment that tests the physiological activity of a person while sleeping: "Dr. Black looked at the polysomnogram which showed the results of Sally's body functions while she was sleeping and told her to stay home and to take her medicine and rest."
2. Etymology: from Greek poly-, "much, many" + Latin somnus, "sleep" + Greek gram, "written, recorded".
2. Etymology: from Greek poly-, "much, many" + Latin somnus, "sleep" + Greek gram, "written, recorded".
The recorded results of recordings during sleep of multiple physiological variables: Polysomnography is a comprehensive recording of the physiological changes that take place with a person during his or her sleep.
polysomnographic (adjective), more polysomnographic, most polysomnographic
Descriptive of a technique to diagnose, or to rule out, many types of sleep disorders: The polysomnographic examination involves a technician who observes a patient's sleep activity by looking at a video monitor and the computer screen that displays all the data second by second.
A sleep specialist who monitors sleep studies and records the relevant physiologic variables: After a test is completed, a polysomnographic technologist analyzes the recorded data by checking for breathing irregularities, sudden changes in brain-wave activity, cardiac rhythm abnormalities, leg movements, body positions, and oxygen saturation during the patient's sleep.
Continuous measurement and recording of relevant normal and abnormal physiological activities during sleep: A recording of polysomnography has several physiological variables, both directly and indirectly related to the state and stages of sleep, to determine all possible biological causes of sleep disorders.
Usually, respiration, oxygen saturation, body position, and other factors are also measured during the polysomnography; including, the brain, eye movements, muscle or skeletal muscle motions, and heart rhythms.
Sleeplessness that occurs as a result of old age: Mary's grandmother was getting quite old and noticed that she was suffering from presbyasomnia and couldn't get much rest at night.
Sleep-walking or a condition in which a person is walking while asleep or in a hypnotic trance.
somnambulant (adjective), more somnambulant, most somnambulant
A reference to walking, or tending to walk, when one is sleeping: Hector's somnambulant behavior usually occurred after he had been asleep for about two hours.
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somnambular (adjective), more somnambular, most somnambular
A reference to walking or doing something else while asleep or in a sleep-like situation.
somnambulate (s) (verb), somnambulates; somnambulated; somnambulating
To walk or to perform another act while asleep.
The action or fact of walking while asleep or in a sleep-like condition.
A person who walks while he or she is asleep.
Getting up out of bed and walking around while in a state of sleep which usually takes place in the first third of the night and lasting a few minutes or up to a half hour.