Sleepwalking Disorder: Definition, Causes, Symptoms & Treatments (Video)

Have you ever woken up in a strange place without any recollection of how you got there?

For sleepwalkers this is a common (and sometimes scary) occurrence. You may even awaken to discover yourself carrying out activities you regularly perform in your everyday life, like getting dressed or typing on your laptop.

But what is behind this bizarre nighttime behavior? And what can you do to help manage sleepwalking?

What Is Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking (or somnambulism) is a behavioral sleep disorder that causes people to walk or perform other activities while asleep.

Episodes of sleepwalking typically happen during deep sleep, or during the transition from deep sleep to a lighter stage. It’s not associated with REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, as during that stage your body is effectively paralyzed.

It can be very difficult to wake up a sleepwalker, since they typically remain in deep sleep throughout the duration of the episode. This also means most sleepwalkers have very little memory of what they were when awoken.​