Sleep Walking

Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder in which people walk or engage in tasks while they are still asleep. While the usual image of a sleepwalker is someone staggering down a hallway with his or her arms outstretched in front of them, sleepwalkers usually move with their eyes open so that they can see. They are actually conscious of their actions, but not on a level that will cause them to remember what happened when they wake up. People do not remember sleepwalking episodes so it may take some time for a person to realize it’s happening.

About Sleep Walking

Some of the potential causes are genetics, stress, and a variety of physiological factors. Sleepwalking seems to occur during the slow wave phase of sleep. It is more common in children, with the elderly being least likely to sleepwalk. In a sleepwalking episode, someone may engage in a variety of activities from walking around the house to driving a car.

The sleep walking disorder can be very dangerous, because sleepwalkers are not fully alert, and they can injure themselves while performing simple tasks. Driving while in slow wave sleep, for example, can result in an accident, and a sleepwalker may also eat or drink something inappropriate, or become injured with a knife or other sharp instrument.

It is usually easy to tell when someone is sleepwalking. Sleepwalkers often have eyes with a glazed appearance, and they are slow to respond when asked questions. They may also behave erratically or nonsensically, and some sleepwalkers have been known to act violent during an episode. A sleepwalker will also not have any memory of the incident the next morning.
It is perfectly safe to wake sleepwalkers up and it is recommended to reduce the risk of injury. It may be hard to wake a sleepwalker, and sleepwalkers may be disorientated, confused, or upset when they finally do wake up because they have no memories of their activities. After being woken, a sleepwalker can be put back to bed.

Repeated episodes of sleepwalking can indicate the need for a trip to a doctor or to a sleep lab. A doctor can discuss the patient's history to determine why he or she is sleepwalking, and make recommendations which may reduce the incidence of sleepwalking, or bring it to a stop altogether.

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