The sleepwalking disorder is not the most common of sleep disorders; however, almost 18% of our population is susceptible to it. You may not know anyone who has this, but just hearing about it often sparks interest in this little know subject.
What is the sleepwalking disorder?
Sleepwalking happens during the slow wave sleep cycle and results in walking while sleeping. The medical terminology for this is somnambulism.
Why do people have the sleepwalking disorder?
It was believed that the sleepwalking disorder was psychological in nature, but now medical professionals think it to be a combination of psychological, physiological, and chemical factors such as drugs, alcohol, and chemical imbalances within the brain.
It is more prevalent in children then adults and if a child sleepwalks by the age of nine, it is thought that it will carry long into adulthood. The sleepwalking disorder is more prevalent in boys than girls.
What are the symptoms of sleepwalking?
There are several symptoms of the sleepwalking disorder, which include difficulty in waking the individual when already asleep and insomnia may set in after a sleepwalking episode. The episode happens in the first third of the sleep cycle and the most obvious symptom is the individual viewed sleepwalking.
Is the sleepwalking disorder dangerous?
The sleepwalking disorder is not normally dangerous. Nonetheless, there are extreme cases where individuals do fall out of upper story windows or walk out into streets unaware of what they are doing. In one case, which is still disputable as a relevant sleepwalking case, a man killed his wife claiming he was sleepwalking.
Only in the more severe cases are sleepwalkers likely to harm themselves or others. Usually this individual will end up sleepwalking almost every night.
What treatments are there for the sleepwalking disorder?
Forms of treatment vary depending on the individual, but among the sleepwalking disorder behavior modifications include, psychological therapy, forms of relaxation, and sometimes anti-depressant medication to control behavior.
The sleepwalking disorder is one that children could outgrow. For adults, the situation is more serious and is unlikely to go away on its own, especially considering the behavioral patterns of some adults who are prone to drinking and not getting adequate sleep. With the proper treatment and knowledge of this disorder, one should be able to cope quite well in our modern world.
