Formally known as somnambulism, sleepwalking is a sleep disorder in which a person gets out of bed and walks around, or performs other ac...
Formally known as somnambulism, sleepwalking is a sleep disorder in which a person gets out of bed and walks around, or performs other activities, while still sleeping or in a sleeplike state.
Sleep is divided into two distinct states: rapid-eye movement (REM), during which vivid dreams occur, and non-rapid eye movement (NREM).
NREM is further divided into three stages associated with different electrical activities in the brain and deepness of sleep.
Each night, you go through several cycles of REM and NREM sleep.
Sleepwalking most often occurs during the deepest NREM sleep stage — known as N3, or slow-wave sleep.
It can also occur during N2, or light sleep, according to a 2013 review in The Lancet Neurology.
Why Do People Sleepwalk?
It's unclear what exactly causes people to sleepwalk.
Sleepwalking has long been thought of as a disorder of arousal, in which certain parts of the brain don't fully activate after NREM — causing a person to be stuck between being fully asleep and fully awake.
Another theory holds that sleepwalking may be the result of a dysfunction in slow-wave-sleep regulation.
Whatever the case, there are many factors that can contribute to sleepwalking, including:
- Various stimulant and depressant medications, such as lithium, Ambien (zolpidem tartrate), and Wellbutrin or Zyban (bupropion)
- Sleep deprivation
- Alcohol consumption
- Airway disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea
- Psychological disturbances, such as stress, anxiety, or depression
- Childhood trauma
- Migraine headaches
- Other sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome
- Certain medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism, head injury, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and stroke
- Travel
Sleepwalking also appears to run in families.
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