Sleepwalking

This article is about the sleep disorder. For other uses, see Sleepwalking (disambiguation), Sleepwalker (disambiguation), and Sleepwalk (disambiguation).
Sleepwalking
Somnambulism
John Everett Millais, The Somnambulist, 1871
SpecialtySleep medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry

Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism or noctambulism, is a phenomenon of combined sleep and wakefulness.[1] It is classified as a sleep disorder belonging to the parasomnia family.[2] It occurs during the slow wave stage of sleep, in a state of low consciousness, with performance of activities that are usually performed during a state of full consciousness. These activities can be as benign as talking, sitting up in bed, walking to a bathroom, consuming food, and cleaning, or as hazardous as cooking, driving a motor vehicle,[3][4][5] violent gestures and grabbing at hallucinated objects.[6]

Although sleepwalking cases generally consist of simple, repeated behaviors, there are occasionally reports of people performing complex behaviors while asleep, although their legitimacy is often disputed.[7] Sleepwalkers often have little or no memory of the incident, as their consciousness has altered into a state in which memories are difficult to recall. Although their eyes are open, their expression is dim and glazed over.[8] This may last from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.[6]

Sleepwalking occurs during slow-wave sleep (N3) of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM sleep) cycles. It typically occurs within the first third of the night when slow-wave sleep is most prominent.[8] Usually, it will occur once in a night, if at all.[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ICD-10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference DSM-V was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "I went driving and motorbiking in my sleep". BBC News. 2017-12-11. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  4. ^ "SLEEP: Sex While Sleeping Is Real, and May Be No Joke", Michael Smith (June 19, 2006), MedPage Today, access date 18 February 2022
  5. ^ "SLEEP: Sex While Sleeping Is Real, and May Be No Joke". www.medpagetoday.com. 19 June 2006. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  6. ^ a b c Swanson, Jenifer, ed. "Sleepwalking". Sleep Disorders Sourcebook. MI: Omnigraphics, 1999. 249–254, 351–352.
  7. ^ Rachel Nowak (15 October 2004). "Sleepwalking woman had sex with strangers". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  8. ^ a b Lavie, Peretz, Atul Malhotra, and Giora Pillar. Sleep disorders: diagnosis, management and treatment: a handbook for clinicians. London: Martin Dunitz, 2002. 146–147.