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
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
Comments
sachin
(Guest)
(Guest)
03/07/2008
Can I cure the sleepwalking?
sheila
(Guest)
(Guest)
02/25/2008
What can i do to stop this ever happening again, am mother and i need to know how to protect my daughter and myself. Can my daughter also be checked if she has the condition and how is this done, The only signs i have seen in her, is always came to my bed at around 4:37am and six am and the one occassion she was talking and crying while sleeping but i was told it was most likely a night mere thats when she was about 2 years.
sheila
(Guest)
(Guest)
02/25/2008
am in my 30s..Early Last year can't remember calling the police saying i couldn't look after my baby or something like that. Next i hear the bell ringing, opening the door i saw two offices tellinng me they where going to take my baby as she was in danger. fought hard to keep her as i couldn't believe i called them because they woke me and my baby. Any way i lost her in the end. the problem is i used to sleep walk as child severely and once on two occassion as an adult i have been told iwas sleep walking. i dismissed the comment as it's a very annoying thing in my life. since i was a child, that evenning i had one beer and later a shot of vodka, could be the cause but what about when i was child or when i didn't drink but still slept walked. About nine years for the first time went to bed early at ten. i can't remember making that call, i have suffered from depression in the past, how do i treat something out of my control, and how i can help myself remember making that call. please he
culo mojado
(Guest)
(Guest)
01/09/2008
you might be a fuking lier but you suck
T.O.N.Y.
(Guest)
(Guest)
10/20/2007
Let's just call myself Tony. I'm a 29 year old SGT in the US Army stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. To make a long story short, my job is to recover IED damaged trucks. On more than one occasion, I reached the truck before the medics could, and have more than once put friends and parts of friends into body bags. Soon after, I began sleepwalking; at first it was harmless. I'd be walking down the hallway of my barracks half naked. I went to mental health for help, and they put me on various drugs; one was Ambien, (which I later found out makes some people hallucinate, and makes others sleepwalk.) After seeing the devil in my laptop, they switched me to Trazadone, then to Kolonopin. I am a very easy-going person, I'm physically intimidating to some, (I bench 400+lbs) but Kolonopin made me irritable during the day, and apparently a beast at night. I attacked my roommate one night, and tore through our barracks door, just to go walking half naked to the motor pool.
Currently, I'm waiting t
T.O.N.Y.
(Guest)
(Guest)
10/20/2007
Let's just call myself Tony. I'm a 29 year old SGT in the US Army stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. To make a long story short, my job is to recover IED damaged trucks. On more than one occasion, I reached the truck before the medics could, and have more than once put friends and parts of friends into body bags. Soon after, I began sleepwalking; at first it was harmless. I'd be walking down the hallway of my barracks half naked. I went to mental health for help, and they put me on various drugs; one was Ambien, (which I later found out makes some people hallucinate, and makes others sleepwalk.) After seeing the devil in my laptop, they switched me to Trazadone, then to Kolonopin. I am a very easy-going person, I'm physically intimidating to some, (I bench 400+lbs) but Kolonopin made me irritable during the day, and apparently a beast at night. I attacked my roommate one night, and tore through our barracks door, just to go walking half naked to the motor pool.
Currently, I'm waiting t
Ashley Alstead
(Guest)
(Guest)
10/01/2007
I'm currently 16 years old and have been sleeping for a few years now. My earliest memory of it was attending this event called MUUUCE and waking up to random people I didn't know. My friend also had found me in the bathroom and looking out a window. I've been told by my siblings and mother that I sleep walk and talk quite frequently. Just last night I went to bed 1:30-2 am. And woke up taking a shower. I also vaguely remember picking up a towel, and than dropping it before entering the bathroom. When I had awoken myself I assumed I had just gotten up to get ready for school thinking it was 6:30. When I got out of the bathroom I realized it was merely 2:30 am. I couldn't believe it. My dad was in the other room and I was convinced he set the clocks back to mess with my mind, but I had started to sleep walk within half an hour of falling asleep. To be honest this all scares me for how frequently it happens. How long will I be doing this? Will I hurt somebody or myself? I know I do it a
andy part 2
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/18/2007
by the way im 25
andy
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/18/2007
i had my first ever sleppwalking experience last night after having a couple of beers i liad my son down to sleep round my muns and went to sleep next thing i know is getting shouted at by my sister as i was in her bedroom havinbg a pee in her waste paper basket lol it was a scary experience.... everyone keeps suggesting i was drunk but the amount of alcohol i consumed was no where near enough(i got in big trouble lol)
Dianne Dixon
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/09/2007
I've been sleep walking since I was a teenager. I am now 47 years old. It is really disturbing. I mainly get up during the night and eat but recently I have started sleeping in other beds in the house. My husband used to think I didn't like sleeping in the same bed with him. He took it real personal. One night in the last two weeks I kept waking up in a different bed until I had slept in all the beds in the house. Everyone in my family are afraid I may get into my car and start driving. This morning I woke up on the love seat in my living room and my left hand and my back have been hurting like I injured myself but I don't remember a thing except for waking up in the living room that is the only way I know I have been sleep walking.
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