Inside Somnambulism: Causes and Symptoms of Sleepwalking

Somnambulism, commonly known as sleepwalking, is a sleep disorder in which a sleeping individual walks or performs complex behaviors such as cooking, climbing, urinating, or talking. This behavior disorder primarily affects children but can also continue well into adulthood for some individuals. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, around four percent of adults are sleepwalkers. Difficulty waking, confusion, excessive daytime sleepiness, and movement while asleep are the main symptoms of sleepwalking, which can be caused by stress, medication, genetics, or sleep deprivation.

Some common symptoms of somnambulism include:

1. 1. Movement while asleep: The most common sleepwalking symptom is when the sleepwalker gets up and moves around a few hours after falling asleep. This reflexive or unconscious behavior is known as automatism. Some sleepwalkers with this symptom may not leave the bed and instead sits up and opens their eyes, appearing conscious even though they are asleep.
2. 2. Difficult to wake: A sleepwalker may be hard to rouse and will likely be unresponsive when you try to communicate with them.
3. 3. Daytime sleepiness: Sleepwalking impacts sleep quality and can lead to a condition called sleep fragmentation, or the interruption of nocturnal sleep. These constant, nocturnal interruptions throw off the circadian rhythm, the natural biological clock that controls our sleep-wake cycle, resulting in frequent daytime fatigue.
4. 4. Confusion: Some people who sleepwalk do not recall their episode or know they were up during the night. In other cases, sleepers may wake up during their sleepwalk, leading to confusion or disorientation when they suddenly realize their location.

Somnambulism is classified as an NREM parasomnia, which is a state between sleep and wakefulness. Sleepwalking episodes usually occur during the non-rapid eye movement sleep stage (NREM sleep), specifically during deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep. Some common causes of sleepwalking are:

1. 1. Genetics: A family history of sleepwalking can be a strong indicator of whether you might be or become a sleepwalker.
2. 2. Sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition where soft tissue blocks your air passages while you sleep, leading to a potential lack of oxygen and severe snoring. This sleep disruption can raise the risk of sleepwalking.
3. 3. Stress: Stressful events experienced during the daytime may give rise to our potential to sleepwalk at night.
4. 4. Medication: Certain sleep medicines, antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medications like benzodiazepines can interrupt your sleep architecture, which can raise the chance of somnambulism.
5. 5. Sleep deprivation: Lack of sleep can cause disruptions to your circadian rhythm, which can also contribute to an increased chance of sleepwalking.
6. 6. Mental disorders: In some cases, anxiety, depression, night terrors, narcolepsy (another non-REM parasomnia), or traumatic brain injuries can lead to a greater sleepwalking incidence.
7. 7. Fever: In children, a rise in core body temperature can cause instances of sleepwalking.

Polysomnography, or sleep study, can help diagnose sleep disorders like sleepwalking and sleep terrors. However, sleepwalking does not usually require extensive treatment unless the episodes pose a severe risk to the sleepwalker’s safety and well-being. Consult a medical professional if somnambulism begins to adversely affect your daily life.

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