Sleepwalking

What is Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking is a common phenomenon. It is thought that up to 1 in 5 children will sleepwalk at one time or another, and it can begin at almost any age. Whilst most children will grow out of it, some can carry on sleep walking into adulthood. The extremity of sleep walking can differ from person to person.

What happens when we sleepwalk?

As we have already mentioned, the level of sleepwalking can vary depending on the sleeper. Some people may just walk into a different room. Some people may even perform daily activities such as eating, getting dressed or showering. In the most severe cases some sleepers have been known to drive vehicles and have even claimed to of been sleep walking during the committing of a crime.

Should you wake a sleepwalker?

Most of us have heard the warning that you should never wake a sleepwalker. The reasons for this are valid. Shouting or abruptly waking a person who is sleepwalking may be a bad idea as this may provoke a physical reaction.

While this can be said with some truth, there are other factors that are worth considering. The most important thing is safety, this should be prioritised above fear of waking a sleepwalker. If someone is in danger whilst sleepwalking, the advice from the NHS website is to gentle guide the sleepwalker back to bed.