Sleepwalking

Is Sleepwalking a sign of something else, and how can you stop it?

Sleepwalking, also known as Somnambulism, is one of the more common sleep disorders, affecting as much as 7% of the population during their lifetimes. Children are around three times more likely to suffer from sleepwalking than adults, but it can affect people at any age.

What is Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking is a sleeping disorder referred to as a parasomnia. It results in behaviour where the sufferer walks around or performs other complex tasks while ostensibly asleep. As a parasomnia, sleepwalkers are not fully asleep but are not awake either; instead, they operate within a state that is between the two.

The dangers of this are obvious, as the sufferer can wander into danger and injure themselves without knowing what is happening. While it is called sleepwalking, with the most common symptom being walking without waking, sufferers can often try and do complex tasks, including recorded cases of a sufferer trying to drive a car.

The risk of injury is high, and because it is most prevalent in children, sleepwalking causes extreme stress for families dealing with the problem.

Photo by cottonbro studio

How does Sleepwalking develop?

 As with all sleep disorders, the underlying causes are not completely clear, with many factors appearing to contribute to sleepwalking causes. Like all types of parasomnias, it is related to issues with NREM sleep, and it is thought that these can be triggered by one or more of the following:

·      Family History

While there are a number of sleep disorders and lifestyle factors that are considered influential in the development of sleepwalking with some sufferers, by far the most common attribute that sleepwalkers have is that at least one of their parents also sleepwalked.

In fact, 47% of children with one sleepwalking parent also sleepwalked, while that rose to 61% if both parents were sleepwalkers. That is at least double the rate of sleepwalking among children with no sleepwalking history in their families.

·      Sleep Disorders

Sleepwalking can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders, including Sleep Apnoea (OSA), Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and any type of sleep deprivation.

Not all sleep disorders result in somnambulism though, again highlighting the challenges of identifying the underlying causes.

·      Medicines

Some medicines, especially sedatives, can be a cause of sleepwalking for some people.

·      Drugs or Alcohol

Taking these substances to excess can trigger bouts of sleepwalking.

·      Stress and Anxiety

High levels of stress and anxiety can disrupt natural sleep patterns and as a result, lead to sleepwalking.

What are some of the symptoms?

Symptoms of sleepwalking include unusual activity while sleeping. Sleepwalking causes an interruption in NREM sleep, which can result in a variety of behaviours. The sufferer may simply sit up in bed, look around, and then lie down and continue sleeping. Others may walk or run around their home, shout or start moving furniture, attempt to cook a meal, or even get in a car and drive off.

The symptoms can be as varied as we are as individuals, but while what they do can vary considerably, how they do it is what identifies sleepwalking as the cause. While sufferers are unaware of their surroundings and, in many ways, asleep, they will have their eyes open during an episode, although they may not even see or recognise someone standing in front of them.

If you talk to them, they may respond with nonsense, and once they are awake, they will not remember any of the episodes.

After diagnosis, are there any treatments for Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking does not have any fixed, formal treatment, and children suffering from this sleep disorder usually simply grow out of it. Instead of a cure, there are a number of things that can be done to ease the symptoms, and which works will depend on the sufferer and the severity of the episodes they experience.

In general, the best remedy for somnambulism is more, better quality sleep. Create a sleep routine that ensures the sufferer goes to bed at the same time each night and avoids drinking close to bedtime. Try some relaxation before bed too, as this can lower stress levels that are thought to be one sleepwalking cause.

For those still struggling with somnambulism even after taking these measures, medication to assist sleeping can be an option, and increasingly, patients are looking to CBT as an alternative approach to dealing with the condition.

If your family member is having sleepwalking episodes, take the time to minimise the risks to them should they get up in the night. Keep floors free of clutter, and for children, a camera or motion detection alarm can alert you to a problem quickly.

Is it OK to wake a Sleepwalker?

Perhaps the biggest myth surrounding sleepwalking is that you should never wake a person who is sleepwalking. The stories tell of causing hard attacks and all kinds of other issues, but the reality is that this is simply not true. If someone is sleepwalking in a dangerous environment or trying to do something that could harm them or others, you should wake them up to prevent injuries.

However, it is very hard to wake a sleepwalker. After all, getting up and wandering about hasn’t woken them at this point! Suddenly waking up somewhere other than the bed they were expecting to still be in can be confusing, too, leaving them disoriented.

So, while you can wake someone up to prevent injury, it is often much easier to carefully lead them back to bed, and in most cases, they will not even remember any of it when they wake up in the morning.

Featured post image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay