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How do I know if I sleepwalk?
Thanks for asking!
When imagining what sleepwalking looks like, we tend to think of a person with their eyes wide open and arms stretched out in front of them like a zombie.
In reality, things are a little different from that cliche.
Sleepwalking is a disorder that comes on during the deep sleep phase, from 1 to 3 hours after falling asleep.
Episodes can last from 5 to 30 minutes and, despite the condition's name, they don't always involve walking.
Often people just rub their eyes, sit up on their bed or talk in their sleep.
Is it a common disorder?
According to the NHS, one in five children will sleepwalk at least once in their life.
Meanwhile, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine says that prevalence in adults is up to 4%.
So it's clearly more common in kids than in adults.
And most kids tend to grow out of it when they hit their teens.
Bear in mind a tendency to sleepwalk can be inherited.
Generally, you find out from your family or partner, as you won't remember a sleepwalking episode yourself.
Your eyes may be open when you sleepwalk, but you have a glassy-eyed expression and don't actually see things in the same way as when you're awake.
Even if you sleep alone, there are some tell-tale signs you can look out for.
These include waking up somewhere other than your bed and not remembering why, or with crumbs on your clothes, but no recollection of having a nighttime snack.
Other clues could be noticing that objects in your bedroom have fallen to the floor or moved while you were asleep.
If you think you sleepwalk and are concerned about it, speak to your doctor.
They may recommend taking a sleep study.
There's no specific treatment for sleepwalking, but getting diagnosed will be a relief.
The best thing to do to reduce episodes of sleepwalking are getting a regular sleep cycle, relaxing before going to bed and cutting down on alcohol or sleeping pills.
You may also want to make sure the doors and windows of your bedroom are locked and that no sharp or heavy objects are within reach.
You could even put your mattress on the floor to remove any risk of a fall.
The same goes for your children if they are affected by sleepwalking.
How responsible are we for our actions when sleepwalking?
That's a very good question and one that comes up from time to time in legal proceedings.
Some well publicised cases have seen people sexually assault or even kill another person while sleepwalking.
Think back to our episode on sexsomnia, for example.
People have been cleared of committing crimes on the basis that they were sleepwalking and therefore not in control of their actions.
Unfortunately, that also means criminals sometimes try to use it as justification dishonestly.
So a reliable diagnosis is required for the sleepwalking explanation to be taken into account.
There you have it.
Now you know how to know if you sleepwalk.
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