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Somnambulism Definition

Sleep walking or somnambulism is a common behavior disorder among children and adults which originates in deep sleep and manifests in the form of walking or indulging in a series of complex behaviors while asleep. Typically, all the action happens in deep sleep and hence, he/she may find it difficult to wake up and hence may not remember the incident once awake.

Somnambulism Symptoms

The symptoms are:

• Simply waking up in the middle of deep sleep
• Sitting up and looking around
• Walking around the house
• Leaving the house in deep slumber
• Driving long distances in a state of sleep
• Talking (somniloquy) or screaming in sleep
• Sleepiness during the day
• No memory of the event
• Associated injury
• Inappropriate social behaviour like urinating in closets

Somnambulism Risk Factors

The risks associated with sleep walking are:

• Difficulty in waking up the sleepwalker
• The dangers of not waking up a sleepwalker
• Counter-productive retaliation in the form of physical attacks by the sleepwalker

Somnambulism Diagnosis

The symptoms of sleepwalking and associated triggers are the basis for the diagnosis for sleepwalking. A deeper investigation of any underlying illness is a must. There could be other factors contributing to sleepwalking - lack of sleep, fatigue, medication, stress, alcohol and the like.

Somnambulism Treatment

There is no clear marked treatment for this condition. Some of the general approaches are -

• Starts with reassurance that it is a passing phase, benign by nature and will disappear.
• Avoid any auditory, tactile and visual stimuli during the sleep cycle.
• Improving sleep conditions and the hygiene around it may gradually eliminate the problem.
• Medical advice has to be sought to rule out and prevent any physical injury during the sleep walking period.
• Hypnosis and pharmacological therapies have improved the quality of sleep and helped treat this disease.