Sleepwalking

Somnambulism, commonly known as sleepwalking, is a word that describes a slew of activities that a person does while they are still sleeping. The person apparently looks awake since they are performing actions that a waking person engages in.

These actions vary from person to person. It may be something as simple as just sitting straight on the bed, or the person may end up walking all around. Sometimes they leave the room, and sometimes they might also get out of the house. Even at times many people carry out unimaginable tasks while asleep like driving a car while sleepwalking.To an observer this can be confusing because the eyes of a sleepwalker are generally open making them look awake. More over, a sleepwalker may shout or scream during an event or even talk to another person. And the sleepwalker usually forgets all that happens during such times.

Sleepwalking takes places during the first few hours after the person falls asleep, generally during the Non-REM sleep at stage 3 or 4 when the individual is sleeping deeply. The cycle of sleep is disrupted so the person slips into deep sleep then awakens partially, skipping the lighter stages of sleep. A sleepwalker is neither awake nor dreaming.

Children are the usual patients of sleepwalking, although adults are affected too.

Possible Causes

Doctors and scientists are yet to come out with what causes sleepwalking. May be it is genetic. Another possibility is that the person is overtired, the reason why the body refuses to sink into light sleep. This can affect children over six years and adults due to anxiety or stress.

Potential Difficulties

Sleepwalking can disturb the members of family of the sleepwalker when they see their loved one go through such unexplainable phases. This can be also dangerous, if the environment surrounding the sleepwalker is not made safe. The sleepwalker can come to all sorts of harm when he or she is thus unaware. And if the sleepwalker can leave the house or the room then anything severe and risky can happen. Occasionally it has also been seen that the sleepwalker becoming a threat to anyone who tries to help as he or she may believe the other person to be harmful.

Treatment

Sleepwalking has no easy cure. The good news is that children usually grow out of it though no one knows the reason why. Consulting the doctor will ease your concern. They can guide you to a sleep center. There are two treatments for sleepwalking that have shown positive results, hypnosis and drugs. Both these forms have shown improvements in children as well as adults. If you are in the grips of sleepwalking or someone near to you is, then get in touch with a doctor as soon as possible. Sometimes some sleep tests are done. When the doctors are done with diagnosing sleepwalking and do not think there is any psychological disorder then the sufferer is prescribed the right treatment. Treatments can gradually decrease and then stop sleepwalking episodes.

Here are certain tips that can also be of help:

Never wake or talk to a sleepwalker -- simply turn them back to bed. This stops them from being alarmed unduly when coming to their waking senses anywhere unexpected.
Maintain safe surroundings for them.
Discuss, talk about and try to manage possible stressful incidents.
Ensure the sleepwalker is getting sufficient sleep every night.

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