Why people sleepwalk and talk

Sleepwalking — also known as somnambulism — involves getting up and walking around while in a state of sleep. More common in children than adults, sleepwalking is usually outgrown by the teen years. Isolated incidents of sleepwalking often don't signal any serious problems or require treatment. However, recurrent sleepwalking may suggest an underlying sleep disorder. Sleepwalking in adults has a higher chance of being confused with or coexisting with other sleep disorders as well as medical conditions.

If anyone in your household sleepwalks, it's important to protect him or her from potential injuries related to sleepwalking. Sleepwalking care at Mayo Clinic. Sleepwalking usually occurs early in the night — often one to two hours after falling asleep. It's unlikely to occur during naps. A sleepwalking episode can occur rarely or often, and an episode generally lasts several minutes, but can last longer.

Occasional episodes of sleepwalking aren't usually a cause for concern and typically resolve on their own. You can simply mention the sleepwalking at a routine physical or well-child exam.

However, consult your doctor if the sleepwalking episodes:. Sleepwalking is classified as a parasomnia — an undesirable behavior or experience during sleep. Sleepwalking is a disorder of arousal, meaning it occurs during N3 sleep, the deepest stage of non-rapid eye movement NREM sleep. Among other things, severe sleep apnea can lead to daytime fatigue, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.

If you have severe obstructive sleep apnea, your likelihood of sleepwalking is higher than people with mild sleep apnea. There have also been reports of sleepwalking among children who have asthma. Asthma can lead to sleep deprivation, and the medication montelukast has triggered sleepwalking in some children. If you have GERD , the contents of your stomach can come back up through your esophagus, causing uncomfortable burning sensations.

For many people, symptoms are worse at night. People with GERD and other gastric disorders are more prone to many kinds of sleep disorders, including sleepwalking. Because GERD interferes with sleep, it can cause long-term exhaustion, which also makes you more vulnerable to sleepwalking episodes.

As the disease progresses, it can affect parts of the brain stem that control movement as well as parts of the brain that control sleep. Normally, when you dream during REM sleep, your brain temporarily paralyzes some muscles to keep you from acting on your dreams and hurting yourself or others in the process. This, in turn, may lead to sleepwalking and other sleep disturbances.

Some studies indicate that people with RLS are no more likely to sleepwalk than other people. Other studies point to a connection between sleepwalking and the medications used to treat restless leg syndrome. Some sleep medications have caused people to sleepwalk, including the sleep-inducing drug zolpidem , which is also sold under the names Ambien and Edluar.

Other medications linked to sleepwalking include:. People who are sleepwalking usually do not respond when you try to get their attention. They may have a glazed or distant look in their eyes. Most of the time, people do not remember an episode of sleepwalking when they wake up. Although most episodes of sleepwalking end without injury, sleepwalking can be quite dangerous. In one study involving patients with a history of repeated sleepwalking, Injuries were the result of accidents like falling down the stairs, or bumping into objects like walls or furniture.

Just do it gently, because a sleepwalking person may be startled by being awakened. Most children grow out of sleepwalking by the time they reach their teenage years, without ever needing treatment. The most common way for sleepwalking to be diagnosed is when someone else sees it firsthand.

Since most sleepwalking occurs during childhood, parents are the ones who most often report sleepwalking to healthcare providers.

In many cases, people who sleepwalk don't need extensive examinations or testing. However, in patients for whom episodes are regular, persistent, or involve alarming behavior, our specialists will perform tests to rule out certain triggers, such as sleep disordered breathing, or other types of nocturnal behavior such as nocturnal seizure disorder.

Importantly, for habitual sleepwalkers, the sleeping environment should be modified to reduce the risk of injury. This includes ensuring that all doors and windows are locked, sharp objects are put away and secured, and the risk of tripping and falling, especially down stairs, is minimized.

In certain cases, after an appropriate evaluation, sleepwalking may be treated with low doses of certain medications. Meet a team of experts who focus on you and your condition. Visit the clinic to make an appointment. Share on Facebook. Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

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