Sleepwalking: Causes, Prevention and Treatment

Sleepwalking (Somnambulism) is a disorder in which a person walks or engages in other activities while still asleep. Sleepwalking usually occurs during deep non-REM sleep (stage 3 or 4 sleep), but can also occur during light sleep. Sleepwalking is more common in children and teenagers than it does in adults. Most children usually outgrow sleepwalking after some time, but may continue to experience sleepwalking episodes into adulthood. About 18% of the population sleepwalks. Also boys are prone to sleepwalk more than girls. 

The prevalence of sleepwalking is much higher for children, especially those between the ages of three and seven, and occurs more often in children with obstructive sleep apnea. There is also a higher instance of sleepwalking among children who wet the bed. Sleep terrors are a related disorder and both tend to run in families. The main concern with sleepwalking is injury during an episode either to the sleepwalker or in unusual case to someone else. There have been many sleepwalking episodes where the person not only does physical damage to themselves but also damage to property. The sleepwalker experiences a great deal of strength breaking doors off the hinges, jumping through windows, and showing an enormous amount of strength when being restrained. 

Other unusual sleepwalking episodes include cleaning up, cooking and eating, running or some other activity. Depending on the sleepwalker sleepwalking episodes can happen infrequently or in more severe cases daily. Sleepwalking involves more than just walking while asleep. Some sleepwalkers may get dressed, drive, sleeptalk, scream (if accompanied by a sleep terror) or in a worse case attack the person trying to wake the sleepwalker. The sleepwalker may also be difficult to arouse during an episode, have eyes open during sleep, have blank facial expression, or sit up and appear awake while asleep. A sleepwalker may be confused, disoriented or have amnesia of the sleepwalking episode upon awakening. 

Causes