Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Confusional arousals are at the time not considered as a disorder in the current 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). This absence may be explained by the fact that confusional arousals have been understudied by the scientific community. Diagnosis
The evaluation "should include a comprehensive medical history, a physical, neurological, and developmental examination, and a detailed description of the nocturnal events, sleep-wake schedules, and daytime behaviour”. However, the episodes have a long duration and a low rate of same-night recurrence. Even if amnesia usually follows episodes of confusional arousal, it is not a distinct trait related to severity.A video-polysomnography (see polysomnography) might be required if life history is untypical. In case of suspicion parents are encouraged to use infrared camera to record the behaviour of their child during sleep. Association of video recordings of nocturnal episodes with historical features is an important tool for both understanding and correctly diagnosing the disorder differently from other episodes of parasomnia. Confusional arousals as well as arousal parasomnias in general must be distinguished from epileptic seizure on the basis of clinical and electroencephalographic features (see electroencephalography). Management
Children mostly outgrow the condition by late adolescence if not sooner. Management includes mainly non-pharmacological treatments and daily behaviours guidelines, but may include safety measures and/or medications if the patient is in danger from his or her behaviour:

Ensure regular and adequate sleep routines in order to prevent sleep-wake cycle to be disrupted.
Use of safety measures for the patient and family by clearing the bedroom from obstacles, securing the windows, or installing locks or alarms. Medications are necessary if the patient is in danger from his or her behaviour. In this case, Imipramine or low-dose Clonazepam is beneficial. Epidemiology
The current prevalence of confusional arousals varies according to the year and the sample population and is approximately 4% (4.2% in 1999 in UK sample population, 6.1% (15–24 years old), 3.3% (25–34 y.o.) and 2% (35+ y.o.) in 2000 in UK, Germany and Italy sample population, 6.9% in 2010 in Norway sample population with a lifetime prevalence of 18.5%). The current prevalence of confusional arousals in children (3–13 y.o.) is higher and around 17.3%. Confusional arousals without a known cause or associated condition is uncommon (for about 1% of cases ).The contribution of genetics and family link is strong and episodes of confusional arousals can occur in several members of the same family. Risk factors
Some independent risk factors associated with confusional arousals have been identified. According to studies, they are shift work, hypnagogic hallucinations (also known as hypnagogia), excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia and hypersomnia disorder, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, restless legs syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), bipolar disorder, daily smoking, and age of 15–24 years. These risk factors of confusional arousals are somehow related to mental disorders and medical conditions and affecting mostly younger subjects regardless of gender.