Symptoms of Sleep Walking - Its Causes, Treatments

Know About Sleep Walking - Its Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

This is an NREM-related sleeping disorder that occurs during the deepest stage of sleep. NREM, as a general rule of thumb, usually occurs 1 to 2 hours after the person goes to bed.

A person going through such a sleepwalking disorder actually sits up and walks around performing home routine activities of daily life asleep with open eyes while still in a deep sleep.

Sleepwalking isn't considered a disorder unless it becomes frequent enough to cause you distress and interfere with your functioning during the day.

Causes of Sleep Walking

The exact reason behind sleepwalking is not known, but it appears to run in families. One is more likely to sleepwalk if other members of their close family have had sleepwalking behaviours or night terrors.

The following can trigger sleepwalking or make it worse:

• Not enough sleep
• Infection with a high temperature, especially in children
• Stress and anxiety
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Taking drugs
• Waking up all of a sudden from deep sleep because of the need to go to the toilet
• Some types of medicines, such as some sedatives
• Sudden noise touch, which wakes you up abruptly from deep sleep
• Other disorders of sleep, which can lead to many episodes of waking abruptly at night, such as obstructive sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, can also act as a trigger to a sleepwalking episode.

Sleep Walking Symptoms

As the name suggests, most sleepwalkers actually get up and walk around. But other sleep activities are possible, too. Sleepwalking typically involves more than one or all of the following features: 

• Incomplete awakening: You are active, but you don't actually wake up completely.  
• Time of occurrence: Most occur during the first 2-3 hours after falling asleep.
• Lack of coordination: The movements are awkward, clumsy or ungainly.
• Impaired consciousness: You are not quite fully awake and do not know what is going on. Your eyes are open, but you may not react to what is going on around you.
• No memory: You cannot remember what you did in a sleepwalking state.
• Limited complex abilities: A good example of this would be not being able to unlock a door because you can't tap into the problem-solving skills and coordination abilities you're going to need.
• Dream-enactment: One might go on to enact behaviours that are consistent with one's dream. Well, some people pee in places most unexpected or talk in their sleep.
• Sleep eating: One can go to eat up things that one would not eat at all, like non-edible or carb-loaded foods. One can find uncooked or partially cooked food in and around the kitchen or bed and thereby get to put on weight from the calories eaten at night.

Most people can't do very complicated things while they are sleepwalking. Some people were even able to cook or operate vehicles while being in a sleepwalking state. More complex activities are likely to occur if you are very sleep-deprived (especially if you're awake for more than 24 hours) before the sleepwalking episode.

Treatment for Sleep Walking

Sleepwalking usually doesn't need direct treatment. There are non-medication ways that your provider might recommend if treatment is needed. 
 

Those include:

• Lowering stress levels may reduce the probability of it triggering a sleepwalking episode.
•  Treatment of conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea may reduce the disordered arousal in the individual who is sleepwalking.
• Reduced anxiety and stress from psychotherapy may help reduce sleepwalking.
• Most often, sleepwalking episodes happen early in the night when a sleep cycle reaches the deepest part of the sleep pattern. Scheduled waking from 15 to 30 minutes before a sleepwalking episode should occur to prevent sleepwalking for you or your child.

Prevention

Appropriate sleep hygiene and learning how to relax are the best measures to prevent sleepwalking for your child.

To help prevent sleepwalking:

• Go to bed at the same Time every night.
• Try to establish a relaxing bedtime routine, such as soaking in a warm bath or listening to calm music.
• Ensure that the bed is in a dark, quiet, and comfortable place.
• Keep the temperature in the bedroom below 75°F (24°C).
• Limit drinks near bedtime, and make sure you go to the bathroom to empty the bladder before bedtime.
• Try to avoid caffeine or sugar near bedtime.

Let your doctor know if you're sleepwalking for an extended period of Time.

Conclusion

Sleepwalking can result from many factors, such as certain medications, including zolpidem or some of the health conditions, including stress and sleep deprivation. Some treatments reduce sleepwalking.

Although the disorder is definitely more prevalent within the population of children, approximately 1.5 per cent of adult humans have been reported to experience a bout of sleepwalking movement at some point beyond their childhood.

Sleepwalking, or somnambulism, may be caused by drugs, genetic factors, or another health disorder that disrupts your sleep.