Somnambulism: Latin words: sleep (somnus) & walking (ambulus) Disorder characterized by walking or other activities (moving furniture, driving car) during sleep
Most often during deep,
non-rapid eye movement sleep Therefore, persons affected with this disorder usually have eyes wide open in a stare
Person may have incoherent talking & blank facial expression
Unable to respond during the event & does not remember the event
Difficulty in arousing the patient during an episode
Episode can be very brief (few seconds to minutes) or can last for 30 min or longer
Age: Can occur at any age
Most often in children aged
4 to 12Run in families
Why is it more common in children?- Reason may be because children spend more time in deep sleep (stage during which sleepwalking is initiated)
- As one becomes older, sleep is more fragmented, with more time spent in light sleep
- Symptoms will go away without intervention when children undergo physiological changes during puberty
No treatment is necessary
Modify environment to reduce tripping and falling
What if sleepwalking begins later in life? (Adult sleepwalking)- more likely to have the disorder for the rest of the patient’s life
- often more aggressive and has more potential for self- injury
- causes: stress, fatigue
Differential diagnosis:- partial complex seizure
- substance abuse
- organic brain syndrome
Prevention:Avoid alcohol if prone to sleep walking
Avoid fatigue
Minimize stress and anxiety; practice relaxation technique
Reference:Howard M, Sleepwalking, http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro99/web1/Howard.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000808.htm
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleepwalking-symptoms
Myth:-Sleepwalking happens while you are dreaming: not true: sleepwalking usually occur in non-REM sleep
-It is dangerous to awaken a sleepwalker: not dangerous
