Sleepwalking: why do people walk in their sleep and is it possible to wake them up? Sleepwalking. How sleepwalkers behave From a medical point of view

The concept of sleepwalking has several synonyms that mean the same condition:

Somnambulism
Oneirodynia
Sleepwalking
Dream-speaking

In general, sleepwalking belongs to the so-called parasomnias, various undesirable conditions that differ from normal sleep and are closely related to it.

Sleepwalking is characteristic of childhood. Most of them are 6-16 year olds. Boys suffer from somnambulism more often than girls. Familial cases of sleepwalking are common.

What is sleepwalking?

This is getting up and walking around during sleep (this is possible both during the day and at night). As a rule, sleepwalking or sleeptalking does not last long, most often a few minutes or even seconds. May be accompanied by screaming. It is characteristic that in the morning it is impossible to remember the night’s adventures. You may feel drowsy during the day.

What happens during sleepwalking?

If you remember, there is slow- and fast-wave sleep. Sleepwalking occurs when there is an “incorrect” awakening from slow-wave sleep, when consciousness and muscle activity are mismatched (the muscles have woken up, but the brain has not yet). As a result, it becomes possible to walk, talk and open your eyes. Similar phenomena can be observed in fast sleep (REM stage of sleep), but in this case the eyes will be closed (these will be disturbances in awakening in REM sleep).

Since slow-wave sleep predominates in the first half of the night, somnambulism is more often observed at the beginning of sleep.

Walking in your sleep. What are the reasons?

Stress, too many impressions during the day. This is why sleepwalking is observed more often in children. The child does not have time to digest all the events during the day and actively analyzes them at night, sometimes activating the brain and causing sleepwalking.
Sleep deficiency. This disrupts sleep patterns, quality and duration of stages, which can lead to awakenings during sleep.
Migraine. About 30% of cases of sleepwalking are associated with migraine, including in children.
Feverish conditions. Children often become delirious in their sleep when the temperature is high.
Epilepsy, including as its first manifestation
Heart diseases (arrhythmias)
Diseases of the nervous system (brain tumors, aneurysms, cerebral hemorrhages)
Nocturnal drop in sugar levels in type 1 diabetes (isolated cases)
Treatment with certain drugs that affect the nervous system can lead to sleepwalking (neuroleptics, hypnotics, lithium, amitriptyline, benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine receptor agonists (sodium oxabate), beta blockers to lower blood pressure)
Toxic effects of substances (xenobiotics, drugs, alcohol)
Adults may feign somnambulism to justify their actions of an aggressive or sexual nature.

In general, we can say that sleepwalking occurs when brain function is disrupted. In this case, either the nutrition of the brain is disrupted (there is not enough oxygen, toxins act), or the brain’s reaction to stimuli changes (the usual sleep time is shifted, the impulses are too strong). Spontaneous "wrong" awakening from sleep with walking or talking can be triggered by internal danger signals, for example, if the heart or lungs are functioning abnormally.

How does sleepwalking manifest?

With sleepwalking, people perform actions in their sleep that, at first glance, are deliberate and purposeful, which seem conscious to the sleeper. From the outside it looks like the person is not sleeping, but is doing something that is not entirely adequate, illogical, and incorrect.

It can begin with the person sitting down on the bed, looking around, and getting up. Then he may begin to wander around the room, goes out onto the street, onto the balcony. A “sleepwalker” can cook his own food and then eat it. Often, harassment of a bedmate is described. At the same time, the eyes are open. You can often find descriptions of similar “glass” eyes that frighten household members so much.

In some cases, the sleeper may jump out of bed and run out, escaping from a frightening situation in a dream. Cases of driving a car are very rarely described.

Can a sleepwalker kill someone?

Most often not on purpose, because actions during sleepwalking are stereotypical, habitual and learned. A normal person doesn't try to strangle someone every day, does he? Of course, there are isolated unintentional murders in sleep, including children, suicides, but here it is necessary to study in detail whether this is connected with night terrors, in which a similar picture is observed. But if you try to disrupt his plans, try to wake him up, or turn out to be an obstacle on his way, then the chances of aggression on the part of the sleepwalker increase sharply. The sleeper may defend himself, especially if at that moment he is dreaming of something, and your actions will interfere with the content of the dream. So be careful.

Diagnosis of sleepwalking. How to understand whether you are a sleepwalker or not?

Read more in the article “Diagnostics of sleepwalking”

What to do if you have a sleepwalker at home?

Lock the windows and doors in his room. It is better not to place the “sleepwalker’s” bedroom in a room with a balcony. An alarm for opening windows and doors would be useful.
Round off all sharp corners in the apartment. Fortunately, there are special attachments for the corners of furniture designed to keep children safe. They will also be useful for adult somnambulists.
Ensure good sleep hygiene. Read more in the "" section.
Put away phones, gadgets, computer or TV before bed. Ideally, throughout the day to reduce the impact of flashing screens on brain activity.
Avoid exposure to light, noise, and tactile stimuli during sleep.
Calm down yourself.

Sleepwalking. Treatment.

Sleepwalking does not require special treatment. There is also no need to look for a psychiatrist or psychotherapist and drink mountains of calming pills. The main thing is to protect yourself and the sleepwalker from injuries from sharp objects and falls. Such moments do not last long; the “sleepwalker” will fall asleep on his own. You can only quietly guide him towards the bed, where he will safely lie down. The main thing is not to actively disturb him.

What do the cruel Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare and the kind boy Brett from Stephen King's Cujo have in common? Nothing, except one thing: both of them were wandering in their sleep and “doing” something very important to them. Let us remember the reaction of others: fear, the same among medieval people and the boy’s modern mother. Should you be scared?

Sleepwalking is the popular name for a common sleep disorder, synonymous with “sleepwalking.” The second name is closer to the scientific one - it is a literal translation from Latin of the compound word “somnambulism” (from the Latin “somnium” - sleep and “ambulo” - walk, move). The name “sleepwalking” also goes back to the Latin language, which has the word “lunaticus” - dependent on the phases of the moon, possessed, possessed. The Russian version of this word “lunatic” has so organically entered the Russian language that it seems “native”. And, unfortunately, it contributes to the emergence of superstitions: in fact, somnambulism is very, very indirectly related to the phases of the celestial body.

It is directly related to other phases - namely, sleep.

There are two phases of sleep in humans: slow and fast. The first is gradually falling asleep and falling into deep sleep. The second can be easily noticed in a sleeping person - his eyeballs move under the eyelids, breathing and heart rate may speed up, and involuntary movements may appear: the person is dreaming. This two-phase cycle lasts about an hour and a half and can be repeated several times during the night (depending on the duration of sleep in general). Sleepwalking occurs closer to the end of the first phase of the first or second cycle. It hardly manifests itself during the day - daytime sleep is too short and less deep than nighttime sleep.

Sleepwalking cannot be called rare - according to statistics, one in 50 people in the world suffers (or has suffered from it). Most often these are children aged 4 to 10 years (there is an earlier onset of somnambulism, and a later ending). Adults wander in their sleep much less often.

Briefly about sleepwalking in the video. Zurab Kekelidze, deputy director for science of the V. P. Serbsky Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, comments.

What does this disorder look like from the outside? The symptoms of sleepwalking are difficult to confuse with any others:

The first and main symptom is the ability to act in a dream. And it doesn’t have to be walking! Occasionally, sleepwalkers can simply sit up in bed, sit and lie down again, they can also simply wander around without any obvious purpose - but very often they perform some kind of action of varying degrees of complexity, interacting with both real and imaginary objects. In the above example, Stephen King described just such a case: a boy was “feeding his dog,” his dishes were real, but the food was imaginary.
The somnambulist’s eyes are open, but his gaze is unseeing, “glassy,” “to nowhere.”
Lack of clear consciousness. Even if a sleepwalker performs some actions (sometimes of increased complexity - acrobatic tricks, playing the piano) exactly the same as in reality - nevertheless, he does it automatically, without controlling his actions with consciousness. He does not see or hear the world around him, and if he talks, it is to himself, do not be deceived, do not try to ask him questions.
Lack of emotion. Emotions in this state also “sleep” - pay attention to the expressionless face of the sleepwalker.
Final dream. All episodes of sleepwalking have the same ending: the sleepwalker either returns to bed or falls asleep wherever necessary.
Subsequent amnesia. After waking up, the somnambulist either remembers absolutely nothing about what he did at night, or remembers something vague that does not give an overall picture.

A common superstition: you should not wake up a sleepwalker, as he may go crazy. It is a myth. A person will simply be disoriented or even frightened (especially if it is a child) - if he was woken up in a place other than where he fell asleep.

This is completely natural. The worst thing that can happen when a sleepwalker awakens is that if something wakes him up at a dangerous moment, injury or more serious consequences may occur (the most striking example is a sleepwalker standing on the edge of a roof).

Physiological “mechanism” of somnambulism development

The true mechanisms of somnambulism still do not have a comprehensive scientific explanation, but there is a very convincing hypothesis: when a healthy person falls asleep, inhibition processes begin in the brain. Consciousness “falls asleep.” But with somnambulism, individual areas responsible for motor activity and coordination of movements cannot be inhibited.

This is not a full-fledged sleep - something similar happens, for example, with very tired people who fall asleep while standing in transport on the way from work, with sentries and security guards at their post: after all, the motor function of both of them is preserved, they also stand , and do not lie down. So is a somnambulist - she sleeps, but at the same time she moves.

The causes of sleepwalking in children and adults are partly common. It can be:

severe stress or living in a state of chronic stress,
regular lack of sleep,
brain diseases,
side effects after taking medications.

In adults, alcohol or drug abuse may also be a cause.

Children are more susceptible to sleepwalking due to age-related mental weakness, extreme receptivity (a child is often bombarded with such a flow of new information and impressions during the day that the brain is unable to completely “disinhibit” even in sleep) - and sleep characteristics. The slow-wave sleep phase in children is much deeper than in adults.

Risk factors for somnambulism

There are factors, the presence of which poses a risk of sleepwalking. This:

genetic predisposition (presence of sleepwalkers in the family);
high temperature during illness;
poor diet causing magnesium deficiency;
nocturnal asthma attacks;
in women - heavy menstruation or pregnancy.

Diseases that often accompany sleepwalking

Unfortunately, often - especially in adults (but also in children!) somnambulism “can’t walk alone” - but is a predictor or consequence of many diseases:

epilepsy,
brain tumors, cerebral aneurysms, migraines,
diabetes mellitus,
Parkinson's disease and senile dementia,
neuroses and panic attacks,
severe cardiac disorders.

The dangers and consequences of sleepwalking

The main danger of sleepwalking is the risk of serious injury. Without realizing what he is doing, a sleepwalker can go out into the street, through a window, try to get behind the wheel, or cross the road right in front of moving traffic. And simply injure yourself while doing something at home - getting burned, cutting yourself, dropping something heavy on yourself, breaking something.

The second trouble associated with sleepwalking, especially if its phase is long and the episodes are frequent, is not a full-fledged sleep. While awake, the sleepwalker will be lethargic, lethargic, and feel a loss of strength.

The third is sleepwalking, especially in children; upon awakening, it can cause a feeling of fear, depression, disorientation both in space and in one’s own personality: “if I went to bed and woke up in the kitchen, am I crazy?!” Therefore, it is better not to wake up a sleepwalking child (it is difficult to explain to him what is happening), but to carefully help him get to bed.

What should relatives of an adult sleepwalker do?

If there are warning signs, convince your sleepwalker of the need for a medical examination and be sure to accompany him there: you will be able to tell the doctor more than the sleepwalker himself, and besides, your moral support is important to him - especially if he himself is worried about his deviation.

What parents need to know about sleepwalking in children

Remember - normally there are no serious reasons for concern; childhood sleepwalking most often disappears without a trace with age. Just be careful and follow the recommendations for safety and prevention of sleepwalking episodes.

The main thing is not to panic yourself. The slightest deviations from the mythical “norm” scare suspicious and narrow-minded people almost to the point of hysteria. You are not medieval cliques, are you? No “he needs to go to the madhouse!” and “she’s crazy!” If a person does not have mental or mental abnormalities while awake, they will not appear from sleepwalking!

When should you see a doctor about sleepwalking? If your adult relative or child has a one-time episode of sleepwalking - and you know for sure that this is due to some kind of stress, emotional “overload”, severe fatigue - there is no need to rush to see a doctor. You should be concerned when:

episodes occur frequently and often seem to “out of nowhere”;
if a sleepwalking child has turned into a sleepwalker teenager (sleep does not normalize with age);
atypical symptoms are observed;
The behavior of a sleepwalker is dangerous for him or others.

To help the doctor quickly assess the situation, help him:

record the time the sleepwalker goes to bed, the time the episode of sleepwalking begins, its duration, describe the behavior during the episode and upon awakening;
think about the reasons that could provoke an episode of somnambulism;
Make a note of how your sleepwalker eats and what medications they take on a regular basis.

After a conversation with the patient and examination, the doctor will prescribe the necessary, in his opinion, research methods. It can be:

Ultrasound of cerebral vessels,
polysomnography,
consultations with other specialists to diagnose possible somatic diseases that provoke the development of somnambulism.

Learn more about what a sleep EEG is, why it is carried out and how informative this study is

Principles of treatment of somnambulism

Treatment of sleepwalking in adults

In adults, sleepwalking is treated by treating the underlying disease (if any), stopping the drugs that caused sleepwalking, and prescribing drugs that affect sleep phases (in low dosage, treatment duration is 3-6 weeks). Hypnosis is sometimes used. If sleepwalking does not go away, although all possible causes have been eliminated, the patient’s lifestyle should be reviewed and changed:

categorically exclude the use of alcohol (there is nothing to say about drugs);
change your daily routine in favor of long and regular night sleep;
minimize stress both at work and at home (perhaps the patient just needs a break from literally everything!);
Avoid long periods of sitting in front of a monitor or TV, especially before bed.

Treatment of sleepwalking in children

If no underlying diseases are identified, sleepwalking most often disappears without a trace with the onset of puberty or a little later. To avoid episodes of somnambulism, you need to:

establish a daily routine and ensure that the child sleeps as much as he needs to feel normal;
eliminate stress factors - in kindergarten, school, at home;
do not allow your child to “go crazy” or “get stuck” in gadgets before bedtime (especially if he likes aggressive computer games). And in general, time in front of the computer and TV should be limited - the child will sleep much better after sports activities or playing in the fresh air.

How to avoid injury and repeated episodes? All prevention of sleepwalking comes down to one phrase: create a safe environment for sleepwalkers in your home!

You can't stay awake all night controlling it: it won't take long for you to become a sleepwalker yourself. Of course, it is not advisable to leave him alone in the room, but this is not always possible. Therefore let him:

will not be able to climb anywhere and fall down (remove bunk beds and a sports corner, block the stairs to the second floor);
will not pick up anything sharp, fragile, or heavy;
will not be able to open windows and the front door, turn on gas and electrical appliances, or find matches or a lighter;
trip over something under your feet;
hit hard on some overly protruding corner of the furniture (move, block, neutralize with a soft cloth).

Be sure to make sure that the sleepwalker sleeps in the dark - no floor lamps or night lamps, even close the curtains - suddenly there is a full moon (an episode can be triggered not by the moon as such, but by any flash of light). Naturally, do not turn on the electric light without making sure that the sleepwalker is awake.

In especially severe cases (the sleepwalker is physically strong and there is a possibility of not being able to cope with him during the period of activity, and the episodes are frequent and dangerous), you can tie him to the bed at night. Of course, without causing pain or causing circulatory problems!

A little trick sometimes works: you can lay a rag soaked in cold water in front of the sleepwalker’s bed. Instead of a rug. Once the episode begins, touching something wet and cold will wake the person up.

Don't be afraid of manifestations of sleepwalking! We are not the ancient Greeks, who did not distinguish it from madness, and we are not the medieval obscurantists who burned unfortunates “possessed by the devil” at the stake. Manifestations of sleepwalking can be completely cured or significantly smoothed out - it all depends on you!

Beauty and Health Health

What is sleepwalking

The scientific name for sleepwalking is somnambulism. This term means sleepwalking and sleep-talking. It was called sleepwalking because of the strong opinion about the connection of this phenomenon with the activity of the moon. This opinion is erroneous, although the moon can still have some influence on the psyche of people.

Somnambulism is a fairly widespread phenomenon. Worldwide, it affects about 2.5% of the population.

If attacks of sleepwalking occur regularly, you should consult a doctor. It is important to remember that sleepwalking can be a manifestation of quite serious diseases, such as epilepsy. If a person’s sleepwalking is random, then he does not require medical assistance.

How sleepwalkers behave

Sleepwalkers usually get out of bed during sleep and begin to walk. They can take some purposeful actions and say something. From the outside it may seem that a person is in a state of wakefulness, however, this is not so. If you look closely, you will notice some features inherent in a somnambulist. The person's movements will be slow and smooth. Although the eyes of sleepwalkers are open, they do not perceive or hear anything. Often it seems to them that they are not at home, but in some other place. It is almost impossible to wake up a sleepwalker. On average, such phenomena can be observed a couple of times a week.

Not all sleepwalkers walk around the apartment. Some may simply sit or stand in bed. Others, on the contrary, tend to go outside, can open the door lock and even start the car.

Usually, attacks of sleepwalking are short-lived, lasting no more than half an hour per night. Most often, the sleepwalker himself returns to bed and continues to sleep. In the morning, these people remember absolutely nothing about their nightly adventures.

Causes of sleepwalking and who is most susceptible to sleepwalking

Many people believe that sleepwalking is a rare mental illness. In fact, this is not true. Sleepwalking is a type of nervous disorder. It should be noted that children and adolescents are most susceptible to this disorder. Among adults, sleepwalkers are much less common - 1 person per 1000 population.

This problem affects only impressionable people who have certain brain characteristics. They have a tendency to form foci of excitation.

It is best for such a person to consult a doctor and undergo a special examination. It will certainly include an encephalogram. Most likely, the diagnosis will be the presence of a focus of epileptic readiness in the temporal lobe. In this case, sleepwalking may be a sign of epilepsy. These people outwardly give the impression of being calm and reserved. But, in fact, they are very emotional.

A person can sleepwalk even when he has a high fever or simply chronically does not get enough sleep. Sleepwalking in adults can also be caused by severe stress. Sleepwalking is quite common in children and adolescents. According to scientific research, about 15% of children suffer from it. At the same time, the child is mentally healthy. Most often this goes away with age.

Attacks of sleepwalking usually occur at those moments when the child is worried about something. Constant anxiety leads to sleep disturbances and sleepwalking. It is very difficult for a child’s brain to withstand the rapid influx of all kinds of information and impressions. At night, the brain does not rest, but continues to process information. However, the child’s consciousness is switched off.

In addition, it has been proven that sleepwalking can also be hereditary. If both parents are susceptible to somnambulism, then with a very high probability it can be assumed in the child. It is not at all necessary that the child will get up and walk. Sleepwalking also manifests itself through isolated movements of the arms and legs. Or the child may try to explain something to his parents, or persistently ask for something.

Why is sleepwalking dangerous?

Sleepwalking in itself does not pose a danger to humans. However, sleepwalkers can cause harm to themselves or even others during their nightly adventures. About 25% of sleepwalkers cause various injuries to themselves. It happens that people in this state can even fall out of the window. Some sleepwalkers walk on the roof or go outside, which is also unsafe.

As for harm to others, science knows of cases when a person in such a state even committed murder. It is clear that after waking up he remembered absolutely nothing and could not explain his actions.

You need to know that it is impossible to wake a person during sleepwalking. This can greatly frighten him and even cause serious psychological trauma.

How can you help a sleepwalker?

First of all, the relatives of such a person must take care to protect him from various possible injuries. It is recommended to install strong bars on the bedroom windows. Electrical wires and glass objects must not be left on the floor. Otherwise, the sleepwalker may be seriously injured by tripping over them.

In the case of severe forms of sleepwalking, the person suffering from it can even be tied to a bed. Care must also be taken to ensure that the sleepwalker cannot open the front door and leave the house. Some people place a basin of water in front of the sleepwalker’s bed, and once he gets into it, he immediately wakes up. You can put a wet rag.

All these measures will help protect him from negative consequences.

It is very useful to relax before bed by listening to pleasant, calm music. It is necessary to follow a strict sleep schedule and try not to disturb it. You need to fall asleep in complete silence. Before going to bed, be sure to empty your bladder.

You can’t wake up a sleepwalker, but you need to help him get to bed. This should be done slowly and calmly so as not to scare him.

Return to the beginning of the Beauty and Health section

“Look at the moon. What a strange look she has.

The moon is like a woman rising from the grave.

The Dead Moon is looking for friends - dying people."

Oscar Wilde

The luminary of the night has always occupied the human imagination. The lunar ghostly, mysterious light inspired poets and artists; it was worshiped and attributed mystical powers. The Earth's satellite has long been studied in modern times, but it still excites people's minds. There are many secrets, mysteries, and events associated with the heavenly beauty that cannot be clearly explained.

The ancients knew how much the moon influenced people's behavior. One unusual disease is associated with the Earth’s nocturnal friend - sleepwalking. The disease is so strange and mysterious that it carries with it a trail of legends, myths and prohibitions. One such taboo relates to the artificial awakening of people walking in their sleep. Why can’t sleepwalkers be woken up, what dangers does this action pose?

What is sleepwalking

The word “sleepwalking” (or scientifically “somnambulism”) comes from the Latin language. It is translated as “walking in a dream.” According to doctors, sleepwalking is a disorder of sleep processes. The disorder is associated with partial awakening of a person, and the reason for this is neurophysiological processes.

Somnambulism is a common phenomenon. According to medical statistics, 2-3% of the world's population speak and move in their sleep. And of the total number of people traveling at night, 8 out of 10 people are children.

How we sleep. In a healthy person, after falling asleep, the phase of “slow” sleep begins, which lasts 1.5-2 hours. During this period, muscle tone is maintained in the human body, there are no dreams, and the sleeper periodically changes position. Then the time of REM sleep begins. In this phase, the body muscles relax, and dreams come to the sleeper. Over the entire period of sleep, the phases replace each other and repeat.

How does the disease appear? If the nervous system during sleep is not able to control the brain areas that regulate human movement, sleepwalking occurs. Academician Pavlov, studying this problem, found out that in the process of healthy sleep in a person, nervous inhibition covers the cortex and subcortex of the cerebral hemispheres. And sleepwalking people leave the subcortex of their hemispheres “orphaned” when they sleepwalk.

Scientists were able to determine the moment of the onset of somnambulism, using a device that records brain bioelectrical activity (electroencephalograph). It turned out that sleepwalking begins at the stage of deep slow-wave sleep.

The brain of a person prone to sleepwalking is partially active, the sleeper moves in space, performs actions, actions, and is even capable of a simple discussion. The sleepwalker's eyes open. A sleeping person hears, touches, sees, maintains balance. But the feeling of fear in people when they sleepwalk is stopped, it is weakened. Therefore, somnambulists perform dangerous tricks that they would never risk doing in a normal state. After waking up, a person does not remember night walks.

Why "sleepwalking"? This term appeared due to the strong human belief that walking and talking in a dream is influenced by the activity of the phases of the Moon. Who are sleepwalkers according to popular belief? Mentally ill people who liked to wander at night, especially during the full moon. This statement is erroneous, although the Moon can influence the human psyche.

Causes of sleepwalking

Unknowing people are sure that sleepwalking is a rare mental illness. This is wrong. Somnambulism is a type of nervous disorder. This problem affects sensitive, impressionable people with individual brain characteristics. In adults, the causes of sleepwalking lie in:

Chronic fatigue. Long stressful situations. Insomnia, disordered sleep. Prolonged experiences. Congenital suspiciousness, anxiety. Increased personal emotionality.

Recent studies have proven that the cause of somnambulism is also hidden in genetics (if parents suffer from sleepwalking, the likelihood of a child developing a nighttime disorder reaches 60-65%). Epilepsy also becomes the culprit of sleepwalking. In this case, attacks of “sleepy activity” begin in the morning, they are of the same type and require appropriate treatment. In 2 cases out of 10, manifestations of somnambulism depend on physical and mental pathologies. These include:

Abuse of alcohol and energy drinks. Holding your breath during sleep (apnea). Convulsive states. Complicated migraines. Head damage. Neuroinfections. Neuroses.

Childhood somnambulism begins as a result of immaturity of the nervous system; sleepwalking disappears with age. Attacks are provoked by emotional experiences, childhood phobias, impressionability, stress, and unpleasant situations.

In adolescents, somnambulism is provoked by age-related sensitivity (a period of crisis when the body is subjected to the greatest stress due to rapid development). Children's sleepwalking is often accompanied by enuresis (urinary incontinence) and nightmares. According to observations, boys are more susceptible to sleepwalking.

Features of the behavior of a sleepwalker

How do sleepwalkers behave? When a sleeping person is overtaken by an attack of somnambulism and he begins to travel at night, his behavior changes. The movements are automated, sometimes smooth and soft, like a cat's. Looking into the eyes of a sleepwalker, you can notice that his pupils are constricted, and his gaze is frozen and cloudy, unseeing. A sleepwalker does not always make active, long movements at night - in 4 out of 10 cases he simply sits up in bed, sits and talks. The state of somnambulism lasts from 5-10 minutes to 1-1.5 hours.

Most often, attacks begin at the beginning of the night (the first third of the night), less often during daytime sleep. If a sleepwalker tends to walk in his sleep, accidents happen to him. A person confuses a window with a door and hurts himself, manipulates dangerous things, causing injuries to himself, drives a car in a dream, gets into an accident, and often resorts to violence.

There is a well-known case in America in the 80s when a man suffering from somnambulism got into a car in a dream, came to the house where his wife’s parents lived and killed them. The court found the criminal not guilty, since, while suffering from an attack, the sleepwalker did not remember and was not aware of his actions.

Somnambulists inflict unconscious damage to themselves in 25-30% of cases. There are known incidents when people climbed onto the roofs of houses, went swimming in nearby lakes, and went into shops. “Home” sleepwalkers wandered around the apartment, turning on household appliances and opening the refrigerator. In the morning, the sleepers calmly returned to bed and fell soundly asleep.

Clinical symptoms. The nature of sleepwalking is varied. In medicine, somnambulism is characterized by the term “parasomnia.” Doctors record the following symptoms as clinical signs that indicate a person’s tendency to sleepwalk:

Restless sleep with twitching of limbs. Frequent swallowing, smacking. Screaming and talking in your sleep.

In some patients, attacks are repeated every night, in others they are very rare and begin in moments of emotional upheaval and stress.

Is it possible to wake up a sleepwalker?

It is better not to disturb a sleepwalker - this popular belief has good reason. When a person, while in a somnambulistic sleep, takes walks, his sudden awakening leads to unpleasant consequences.

What happens if you wake up a sleepwalker? The sleeper may get scared, fall and cause physical injury to himself. Being in a state of somnambulism, a person is aware of and sees only surrounding objects near him. If the human psyche suddenly enters a state of consciousness, the body does not have time to react appropriately. The sleeper does not have time to take the actions necessary for his own safety.

But if the subconscious mind works (it is what controls a person in a state of somnambulism), it smoothly leads the body to a gradual transition to awareness of reality. The subconscious mind easily copes with this task and safely, without frightening, brings the sleepwalker back to bed, gently transferring him to a state of awakening.

Is it possible to wake up sleepwalkers? Some attempts that are too active and noisy turn out to be unsafe for those who want to bring the sleepwalker to his senses. A sleeping person, frightened, is able to attack the irritating factor (the one who wakes him up) and cause him physical injury. If the awakening is too abrupt (using clapping, loud sounds, pouring water), such a shake causes the somnambulist to feel very frightened. A person can become a stutterer. Sudden awakening even leads the patient to a heart attack and acute shock.

Is it easy to wake up a sleepwalker? Some “active sleepers” come to their senses from a couple of words spoken in a loud voice. But in most cases, it is difficult to wake up a sleepwalker - after all, at this time the person is in the deep sleep phase.

Rules for living with a sleepwalker

Do you live under the same roof with people who suffer from sleep activity? You will have to awaken in yourself such qualities as attention, sensitivity, forethought and understanding. After all, the life of your loved one and such a strange person depends on your actions.

How to protect a somnambulist from injury

Learn to calculate steps, analyze events and understand what details become dangerous for people in a state of sleepwalking. Tune in that you will have special preparation for bed every day:

In the evening, clear the apartment of everything that interferes with movement. Remove chairs, electrical wires, and carpets from the room of a person suffering from somnambulism. After all, when he walks in his sleep, he can trip over obstacles, fall and get hurt. Hide sharp and breakable objects securely. Get window bars! It's not as aesthetically pleasing, but safety comes first. Close the front door and put the keys away (in a place that the person prone to sleepwalking does not know about). Turn off household appliances (if you turn on an empty microwave for a long time, it will explode).

It is forbidden! For safety reasons, tie the patient to the bed. This will bring nothing but extreme stress and serious psychological trauma. The best solution is to seek advice and help from qualified specialists working in the field of psychology.

If a child suffers from sleepwalking, provide him with a quiet evening, engage him in quiet games, and read books. When falling asleep, complete silence is important for such children. Warm tea made from lemon balm, valerian and lavender helps you relax before bed - it stabilizes sleep rhythms. Place a cloth bag of hops under your pillow - this herb has a calming effect.

How to properly wake people up during an attack

Do not risk waking up a person who is in a somnambulistic sleep. Better help the sleepwalker return to bed. There will be no resistance - somnambulists do not show aggression and obey. If you decide to awaken an active sleeper, do so in a safe environment.

To wake him up, he should be called by name in a whisper. Speak calm words, stroke the hand, touch the cheek until the person awakens completely.

How it is undesirable to revive a sleepwalker:

Water. There is an opinion that if you place a basin of water next to the bed, wet the bedside rug or put a wet rag on it, the sleepwalker will immediately wake up when he stands on the wet floor. Alarm clocks. Arm yourself with 3-4 alarms and set them for every two hours. A person suffering from sleepwalking will have to turn them off every two hours when waking up. The deep phase of sleep does not begin and the attack does not come.

Whether or not to wake up a sleepwalker in a dream is up to you. And approach the question wisely, based on the situations in which the “actively sleeping” person finds himself. If he comes down the stairs holding a knife in his hands, you should not wake him up, otherwise he will become frightened and injure himself. But when a sleepwalker stubbornly climbs out the window, mistaking him for the door, here you should delicately prevent this by gently waking the person up or taking the somnambulist back to bed.

Know that sleepwalking is not a terrible disease; many people live and cope with this peculiarity. The task of loved ones is not to shy away from mysterious individuals, but to try to help. Following simple rules and precautions will help a person overcome and cope with an unusual illness.

Health to you and your loved ones!

The nature of the human body and mental state is still not fully understood. There are still many different secrets hidden in it that you should work on for more than one or two days.

Sleepwalking

(People are sleepwalkers). - The problem of the impact of changing lunar phases on our well-being and on the general condition of the human body during certain periods has not been fully studied. Some representatives of the human race in this period of time are characterized by an exacerbation of sleepwalking, or in other words, active behavior of a person in a dream, when he can lead a truly active lifestyle, moving around the area and talking with others. The human brain is usually switched off and is in a deep sleep phase. This passive-active behavior is called somnambulism in scientific circles. In principle, this problem is quite common; it affects at least 3% of the entire population of our planet. Of these, about half suffer from such outbursts quite rarely, so it is quite early to raise a panic about their mental health. Now, if night walks have become the norm for you, then it is extremely necessary to consult a specialist. After all, such manifestations of not entirely appropriate aggression may be the first signs of weight gain of some disease, for example, epilepsy or the onset of a severe depressive state.

How do sleepwalkers behave?

In fact, you can determine whether a person is sleeping or awake at such a late hour simply by looking closely at him. The gait is very slow and a little awkward, excessive smoothness of movements, a blurred gaze, directed somewhere. A person is sometimes able to adequately answer questions put to him. Typically, such people do not need to be accompanied home. It sounds a little funny, but in fact it is as if they have an auto-radar in their heads, which almost unerringly leads them to their starting position. Whatever happens that night, the sleepwalker will not remember it.

You shouldn't treat such people as crazy. This is rather a temporary phenomenon of a nervous system disorder. This is even more likely to occur with children than with adults, among whom there is one case per thousand people. If this happens, it happens with very impressionable people who are prone to nervousness and frequent worries, as well as with those who have a genetic predisposition to a disease such as epilepsy. Such people should be especially careful. Such a tendency can be easily identified during an encephalogram.

The thing is that often our brain is unable to disconnect from pressing problems and rest in a timely manner, as a result we have a chronic lack of sleep, which, against the backdrop of constant daily stress, results in “sleep vigil” or wakefulness in a dream.

Why is sleepwalking dangerous?

Is a sleepwalker a dangerous person?

This process in itself does not cause harm to the average person, but a collision with the surrounding reality can easily hit hard. What is meant here is not only that during such walks a person can hit objects around him, but can also simply jump out of the window or hit and injure himself on the glass. Although it can cause a lot of unpleasant moments to those around you. History has even recorded cases of crimes committed in a similar state. Therefore, if one of your loved ones suffers from a similar illness, then you should pay attention to this.

Remember one important point

Measures against sleepwalking

That in no case should such a person be deliberately brought out of this somnambulistic state, since this can cause irreparable psychological trauma, lead to severe fear, even stuttering, as a consequence of such a shock. Therefore, it is important for people living next to a person suffering from sleepwalking to be prudent and especially attentive to surrounding things and details; they need to be able to calculate all sorts of risks and try to protect their loved one from possible danger. Therefore, prepare yourself every day for a whole ritual of getting ready for bed. That is, before going to bed, you should clear the space from possible obstacles to movement, that is, remove possible wires, chairs, rugs, in general, everything that you can get caught on and fall.

If you do not live on the ground floor, it is best to put bars or strong shutters on the windows for added security. It is important to clear the space from possible breakable objects. Lock the doors at night, as there are often cases when, in a somnambulistic state, people walked far on foot, and some even managed to get lost. And no wonder, because when they woke up they didn’t remember anything at all. Some people practice tying them to the bed for the safety of loved ones, but this can cause severe shock in their sleep. In principle, it is better to get competent advice from a psychologist.

In general, it is important to provide a person suffering from night walking with a preparatory period of time before going to bed, during which he can calm down and relax, and put his thoughts in order. To do this, you can listen to quiet, pleasant, preferably classical music, take a bath with lavender, drink tea with lemon balm or mint and a little honey. You can read something light before bed. In general, the most important thing is to calm the nervous system of that person as much as possible. There should be, if possible, complete silence during the first phase of sleep, when it is most sensitive. It is important to have more patience, since sleepwalkers are not to blame for their behavior. The “attacks” themselves last absolutely not long, about half an hour.

Of course, it is absolutely not easy to constantly be on alert and keep an eye on others. We can only advise you to be patient and, in addition, be sure to examine your loved one for the presence of a possible parallel development of some other ailment. You can also purchase some anti-anxiety medications with a doctor's prescription. In children, moonwalking stops quite quickly, within a few months. In adults, relapses are periodically possible.

The most important- is to understand the reason that worries a person and get rid of it.

Continuation:

Sleep disturbance. - Insomnia. Treatment.

How to quickly fall asleep and sleep well, peacefully at night?- Tips and recommendations.

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How sleepwalkers behave

Not all sleepwalkers walk around the apartment. Some may simply sit or stand in bed. Others, on the contrary, tend to go outside, can open the door lock and even start the car.

Causes of sleepwalking and who is most susceptible to sleepwalking

This problem affects only impressionable people who have certain brain characteristics. They have a tendency to form foci of excitation.

Why is sleepwalking dangerous?

As for harm to others, science knows of cases when a person in such a state even committed murder. It is clear that after waking up he remembered absolutely nothing and could not explain his actions.

You need to know that it is impossible to wake a person during sleepwalking. This can greatly frighten him and even cause serious psychological trauma.

How can you help a sleepwalker?

All these measures will help protect him from negative consequences.

You can’t wake up a sleepwalker, but you need to help him get to bed. This should be done slowly and calmly so as not to scare him.

Sleepwalkers, somnambulists... We have all heard about these people, but many are convinced that this is a rare phenomenon. Not at all, somnambulism, or sleepwalking, as it is more often called “popularly,” is a fairly common disease, known since ancient times. Mentions of lunatics are found in the most ancient Egyptian papyri, in the books of Greek philosophers, and Roman annals.

Sleepwalking in those days was a mystery, and families that had sleepwalkers never brought this fact out to the public. This was considered dangerous: people suffering from sleepwalking were classified as sorcerers and witches, they could be expelled from the village and even burned or drowned. It was generally believed that such a person was possessed by evil spirits. But times have changed, and somnambulism has moved from the category of manifestations of an “unclean spirit” to the number of diseases treated by traditional medicine.

From a medical point of view

Somnambulism (sleepwalking) is a disease characterized by sleepwalking, talking in a dream, in a word – unconscious actions of a person during sleep. If you look at such a person during his night “journey,” you get the impression of a sleepwalker’s quite purposeful actions: he can get out of bed, walk around the apartment, go outside, and move various things. And he does all this with ease, uncharacteristic of a sleeping person. However, all this is done unconsciously, and the sleepwalker has completely no memories of what happened at night.

Statistics show that about 1% of adults and about 6% of children regularly sleepwalk. Doctors explain the high percentage of sleepwalkers among children by the fact that the child’s psyche is not fully formed. Cases of talking in sleep are even more common. This is the so-called shallow somnambulism. And such people are often quite mentally healthy.

Expert opinions regarding the causes of somnambulism are ambiguous. There is a point of view about the influence of the Moon on night walking (by the way, this is where the “popular” name of the disease comes from), and it is not without common sense: the human nervous system reacts sensitively to the phases of the Moon; peaks of its excitation occur during the periods of the new and full moon; and solar eclipses, experts note a pronounced tendency to depression. The fact that the energy of the Moon affects all life on the planet is indisputable. This is especially noticeable in the behavior of weather-sensitive people, whose vital body systems react acutely to changes in environmental parameters.

Causes of sleepwalking

There are several factors that shape a person's predisposition to sleepwalking. Let's consider the influence of each of them.

1. Genetics, or heredity. It has been noted that somnambulism can be transmitted through genes; in this case, the risk of developing pathology increases tenfold. Quite often this disease is observed in identical twins. The likelihood of “night adventures” also increases in a person whose close relative was sick with sleepwalking.

2. Influence of external factors. This category of factors includes lack of sleep, stress, erratic sleep and rest patterns, alcohol intoxication, and the effects of medications (sedative relaxants, antipsychotics).

3. Diseases that contribute to the development of sleepwalking. Hyperthermia (increase in body temperature), arrhythmias (“interruptions” in the work of the heart), asthma (frequent nocturnal attacks), nocturnal epilepsy attacks, gastroesophageal reflux (reflux of food from the stomach into the esophagus and pharynx), apnea attacks (temporary cessation of breathing), mental disorders.

A few words about childhood sleepwalking: in 60% of cases, parents pass on “moon sickness” to their children. This once again proves the influence of genetics on the development of sleepwalking.

The mechanism of development of sleepwalking In a person suffering from such a pathology, the transition from deep sleep to the slow phase does not occur smoothly, but abruptly. At the same time, the brain experiences overload. And if in a healthy person at the moment when he sees action scenes in a dream, the center of movements in the brain is blocked, then in sleepwalkers such a blocking does not work: impulses go to the person’s muscles and he begins to move in his sleep.

A sleepwalker's eyes are open during night walks. If you ask him questions, the answers will be meaningless.

Is sleepwalking dangerous?

If we consider sleepwalking as a disease, then it does not pose any immediate danger to the body. But the consequences of night walking can really be dangerous, since at this time a sleepwalker can cause harm to both himself and others. Statistics show that about 25% of sleepwalkers cause some kind of harm to themselves. For example, during night “walks” they can fall out of a window, fall from a roof, bump into some objects and get injured, etc.

Scientific works on sleepwalking describe cases of murder committed during sleepwalking. Naturally, the person in this case is not aware of what he is doing and does not remember what happened. To be fair, it should be said that such cases are isolated and extremely rare.

Help for a sleepwalker

If it so happens that there is a sleepwalker in the family, do not panic. First of all, it is necessary to observe certain safety measures: close windows and doors at night so that the sleepwalker does not go outside and fall out of the window. You can put guards or bars on the windows. You should remove cutting, sharp, fragile objects, electrical wires that can cause damage.

We must remember that you cannot wake up a sleepwalker. This may cause psychological trauma or frighten him. It is best to take a sleeping person by the hand and lead him to bed. Most likely, you will not encounter resistance; people in this state willingly obey. Before going to bed, the sleepwalker can be given a sedative or sleeping pill to drink. The room where the sleepwalker sleeps should be darkened.

If cases of sleepwalking are severe, it is necessary to resort to forced measures - tying the patient to the bed. In addition, a wet rag is placed in front of the bed and a bowl of water is placed, upon stepping into which the person will wake up.

In the case of childhood sleepwalking, doctors advise unplanned awakening: to prevent an “outbreak” of sleepwalking, it is necessary to interrupt the sleep cycle.

A child suffering from sleepwalking should develop a specific sleep schedule. Before going to bed, you should not engage in active games, and when falling asleep, complete silence is desirable. You can also prepare a soothing tea for children from valerian, lemon balm and lavender; it helps stabilize sleep rhythms. You can put a bag of hops under your baby's pillow, which also has a calming effect.

For preventive purposes, before going to bed, it is advisable to talk with your child about how the day went, praise him for the good deeds he did during the day, you can sing him a song or read him a fairy tale.

Sleepwalking is not a death sentence; many people live with this disease, and taking precautions helps to cope with the disease. In addition, sleepwalking is more common in children aged 6 to 12 years, and with age (by 20–22 years), its symptoms may completely disappear.