Sleepwalking can be caused by various medications or health problems such as stress and insomnia. Some medications can reduce it. The rate of people who have experienced sleepwalking at least once in the society is around 6.9%. Although it is more common especially in children, around 1.5% of adults continue to sleepwalk after their childhood years. This problem can be caused by medications, genetic factors, and health problems that disrupt sleep.
You may be interested: How Much Can We Trust Our Intuition?
Titles Included in Content
What Exactly Is Sleepwalking?
Sleepwalking is a disorder that occurs during deep sleep called NREM sleep and usually occurs 1-2 hours after sleeping. During a sleepwalking episode, you can stand up, walk, or even continue your normal activities, and you will still be asleep. Your eyes are open but you are still in a deep sleep. It is not considered a disorder by psychiatric associations as long as it does not disrupt daily life.
What Causes Sleepwalking?
Sleepwalking, which is more common in children, is usually left behind during the teenage years. But not everyone who becomes an adult stops sleepwalking. Although rare, there are also people who begin to experience it in their adult years. Studies on sleep have shown that there are certain health problems, activities, and substances that trigger sleepwalking episodes. It is also possible to get this tendency through genetic transfer. Sometimes it runs in the family for generations.
You may be interested: Harry Potter Font Generator
Stress: Stress and anxiety prevent you from sleeping well. Some sleep experts note that daily stress can also contribute to discomfort. In a study conducted with 193 patients, it was seen that one of the main triggers of sleepwalking was stressful events encountered during the day.
Insomnia: People who don’t get enough sleep have a higher risk of sleepwalking. In a study conducted with 100 people on sleep in 2015, it was widely seen that those who regularly sleepwalked had to deal with lifelong headaches, especially migraines.
Fever: Sleepwalking is also linked to febrile illnesses, especially in children. Fever can also lead to sleep terrors, in which you scream, wave your arms, and try to escape the scary things you see in your sleep.
Breathing disorders: Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes you to stop breathing for short periods of time while sleeping, and it is more than just snoring. Severe sleep apnea can cause you to wake up tired during the day, cause high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. If you have severe sleep apnea, you are more likely to sleepwalk than those with mild apnea. There are also reports that sleepwalking is higher in children with asthma. Asthma can cause insomnia, and some asthma medications can also trigger sleepwalking in some children.
Reflux: If you have reflux, things from your stomach leak into your windpipe, causing an uncomfortable burning sensation. For many people, symptoms become worse at night. People with reflux or other stomach problems are more prone to various sleep disorders, such as sleepwalking. Because reflux disrupts sleep, it can lead to long-term fatigue, making bouts of sleepwalking more likely.
Parkinson’s Disease: Parkinson’s disease is a nerve disease that affects the movement of the body. As the disease progresses, various parts of the brainstem that control movement may be affected, and parts that control sleep may also be affected. Normally, when you dream during REM sleep, your brain paralyzes some muscles, preventing you from moving and hurting yourself in your dreams. Some studies show that Parkinson’s disease can prevent this temporary paralysis. As a result, sleepwalking may occur.
Restless Leg Syndrome: There are studies showing that restless legs syndrome can cause sleepwalking. Some studies have shown that people with this disorder are more likely to experience sleepwalking than others. Other studies have shown a connection between sleepwalking and medications used to treat restless legs syndrome.
Medications: Some sleeping pills can cause sleepwalking. In addition, narcolepsy drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics, heart diseases and anxiety medications can also cause this result.
Is Sleepwalking Dangerous?
Although most cases of sleepwalking end without any injury, it can be very dangerous. Some people may try to drive a car or do other tasks without realizing what is happening. In a study, 100 patients with recurrent sleepwalking were interviewed and it was seen that 57.9 percent were disabled or injured in some way during the seizures. This is usually caused by things like falling down stairs or hitting objects. It is a good idea to wake the person up because there is a possibility that the person may harm himself or someone else during the seizure. However, it is recommended that you do this gently.
Note: Click for German dream interpretations
How Is Sleepwalking Diagnosed and Treated?
The most common way to diagnose it is if someone else sees you doing it. Since it mostly occurs in childhood, the complaint is usually passed on by parents. If your doctor suspects sleepwalking, he or she may take you for a sleep test. During the sleep test, your blood oxygen levels, brain waves, breathing and movements are monitored while you sleep. If your sleepwalking is not severe, you can get rid of it by reducing stress and adjusting your sleep habits. If these methods do not work, your doctor may prescribe medication. Treatment is generally not required in children because the seizures gradually decrease as the child grows.
As a result, sleepwalking is a problem in which you walk, talk, and do other activities during sleep, while you are deeply asleep. It occurs in the deepest stage of sleep, which falls an hour or two after falling asleep.
