Sleepwalking

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night in a place different from the one you laid your head down in at the beginning? Or have you ever heard stories like these, about sleepwalking, from relatives or friends? Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, is a disorder that can be classified under the overarching term ‘parasomnia’, which encompasses a variety of sleep disorders and abnormalities. 

There are 2 types of sleep; REM sleep, where the eyes move rapidly and a person experiences vivid dreams, and non-REM (NREM) sleep. Every night, people undergo several cycles of both REM and NREM sleep. One complete NREM cycle has 3 main stages - the stage of falling asleep and drowsiness, the stage of light sleep, and the stage of deep sleep. This is directly followed by REM sleep, the stage in which dreaming occurs. 

In the final stage of the NREM cycle, that of deep sleep, the body undergoes self-repair and the brain is particularly averse to waking up. Sleepwalkers tend to enter a state of partial awakening at this point in their sleep cycles, meaning they are in a state of transience between wakefulness and sleep. While this is happening, the individual’s motor system is activated, causing them to move around and carry out certain functions. However, the consciousness remains cloudy, as the person is not fully awake, and this causes sleepwalkers to have little to no recollection of their previous actions. 

Dreaming only occurs in the REM cycle, which takes place once the NREM stages are complete. Hence, in contrast to popular opinion, sleepwalkers are not acting out their dreams, as sleepwalking occurs during the final stage of the NREM cycle - before dreams are even produced. Thus, while scientists have yet to understand the exact reason behind sleepwalkers’ actions during their episodes, we can now state with full certainty that they have no correlation to the dreams of the individual.

Sleepwalkers often bear glassy-eyed expressions, and empty, blank stares. Lacking any awareness of their surroundings, they don’t actually process or take in the layout of the environment around them, making them liable to fall or injure themselves on surrounding objects. Moreover, sleepwalking episodes can last anywhere from a few seconds to 30 minutes, and can differ every time. While some individuals are capable of getting back to bed and going back to sleep by themselves, others wake up midway through the episode, and are often confused about what had happened. 

Especially common in kids ranging from ages 5-12, somnambulism can be a dangerous condition and has multiple different explanations. Some of these arguments include a family history of sleepwalking, stress, sleep deprivation, or excessive exposure to drugs or stimulants. However, most people tend to grow out of this phase, and doctors even recommend certain lifestyle changes that can positively affect sleep habits. Examples of these range from sticking to a fixed sleep schedule, to creating a relaxing bedtime routine, improving overall sleep hygiene, and potentially even cognitive behavior therapy. Down the line, if this continues to persist as an issue, medicines can be prescribed to the patient.

By Asha

Works Cited

HowStuffWorks, BrainStuff . “How Does Sleepwalking Work?” YouTube, 5 May 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0pCLU72Bc0. Accessed 18 Oct. 2019.

Mayo Clinic. “Sleepwalking - Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleepwalking/symptoms-causes/syc-20353506.

“Sleep Walking - Symptoms and Causes.” Www.pennmedicine.org, www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/sleep-walking#:~:text=Sleepwalking%20(somnambulism)%20most%20often%20occurs.

“Sleepwalking: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” Medlineplus.gov, medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000808.htm#:~:text=Sleepwalking%20(somnambulism)%20most%20often%20occurs.

“Why Do We Sleepwalk? | How Does Sleepwalking Work?” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFPTrAHs3A0. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.