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OVERVIEW

What is sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking is just as it sounds. It involves walking around, sitting up, or doing other activities while asleep. The person’s eyes are open. They look like they are awake. Sleepwalking occurs during deep sleep. It happens early in the night during non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Usually, a person has no memory of it. Sleepwalking is more common in children and young adults. This is because older people don’t experience deep sleep as often. Some of the things people do while sleepwalking, include:

• Talking or mumbling, incoherently.
• Getting dressed.
• Preparing food.
• Moving furniture.
• Going to the bathroom.
• Driving a car (this is rare).

Sleepwalking can last a few seconds to 30 minutes. It could last longer. The average sleepwalking episode lasts 10 minutes. While sleepwalking, a person may look confused or dazed. If you talk to the person during the episode, they will not respond.

Path to improved well being

Sleepwalking isn’t as worrisome as you may think. A person’s safety is the biggest concern. And sleepwalking rarely involves unsafe behavior.

Contact a healthcare provider if sleepwalking is chronic. Tell your healthcare provider if it causes fatigue during the day or attention problems. Typically, there are no exams or tests for sleepwalking. If your healthcare provider is concerned, they may look into other medical causes. This might include seizures. They may also look at a person’s emotional history.

If the problem is chronic, your healthcare provider may discuss medicines to treat it. They may also recommend keeping a sleep diary. This would be helpful in tracking episodes.

It is a myth that you should not wake a sleepwalker. It is okay to do so. The person will seem confused and will not recall what just happened.

Frequent sleepwalking can be reduced by:

• Avoiding alcohol or anti-depressant medicine. Talk to your doctor about alternatives.
• Keeping your sleep routine. Go to bed at the same time every night. Don’t skimp on sleep. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. If you suffer from insomnia (difficulty sleeping), this effects your sleep quality. Talk to your doctor about insomnia.
• Reducing stress, anxiety, and conflict. These things can worsen the condition.

Things to consider

Safety is the biggest concern for sleepwalkers. Doing these things may help keep a sleepwalker safe.

• Keep a sleepwalker’s environment free from clutter. Move furniture and electrical cords out of the way. This will reduce trips and falls.
• Keep doors and windows locked.
• Consider moving a sleepwalker to a safer bedroom if necessary.
• While it’s okay to wake a sleepwalker, don’t startle them by yelling. Don’t shake a sleepwalker. Guide them safely back to bed.
• Put a gate across stairways.