sleepwalking : Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

What is Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking is when someone walks or carries out complex activities while not fully awake. It usually occurs during a period of deep sleep. This is at its height during the early part of the night, so it tends to occur in the first few hours after falling asleep.

What are the symptoms of Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking is most often initiated during deep sleep but may occur in the lighter sleep stages of NREM, usually within a few hours of falling asleep, and the sleepwalker may be partially aroused during the episode. In addition to walking during deep sleep, other symptoms of sleepwalking include:

• Sleeptalking
• Little or no memory of the event
• Difficulty arousing the sleepwalker during an episode
• Inappropriate behavior such as urinating in closets (more common in children)
• Screaming (when sleepwalking occurs in conjunction with sleep terrors)
• Violent

What are the causes of Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking can by triggered by underlying conditions that interfere with sleep, such as:

• Sleep-disordered breathing — a group of disorders featuring abnormal breathing patterns during sleep (for example, obstructive sleep apnea)
• Taking certain medications, such as hypnotics, sedatives or certain medications used for psychiatric disorders
• Substance use, such as alcohol
• Restless legs syndrome
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

What are the risk factors of Sleepwalking?

Factors that may increase the risk of sleepwalking include:

• Genetics. Sleepwalking appears to run in families. It's more common if you have one parent who has a history of sleepwalking, and much more common if both parents have a history of the disorder.
• Age. Sleepwalking occurs more often in children than adults, and onset in adulthood is more likely related to other underlying conditions.

How is Sleepwalking diagnosed?

To diagnose sleepwalking, your doctor reviews your medical history and your symptoms. Your evaluation may include:-

• Physical exam
• Discussion of your symptoms
• Nocturnal sleep study (polysomnography)

What are the treatments of Sleepwalking?

Treatment may include:

• Treating any underlying condition, if the sleepwalking is associated with sleep deprivation or an underlying sleep disorder or medical condition
• Adjusting medication, if it's thought that the sleepwalking results from a drug
• Anticipatory awakenings — waking the person who is sleepwalking about 15 minutes before he or she usually sleepwalks, then staying awake for a few minutes before falling asleep again
• Medication — such as benzodiazepines or certain antidepressants
• Learning self-hypnosis — when done by a trained professional who is familiar with parasomnias, people who are receptive to suggestions during hypnosis may benefit by achieving a deep state of relaxation through which a change in unwanted activities during sleep is promoted
• Therapy or counseling — a mental health professional can help with suggestions for improving sleep, stress-reduction techniques, self-hypnosis and relaxation