The condition may more commonly affect children, but may affect all age groups. Sleep walking may be an inherited disorder, as the condition may be more prominent in identical twins and people that have a direct relative that suffers from the condition.

Other causes may include sleep deprivation, chaotic sleep schedules, stress, alcohol intoxication and certain drugs. Certain medical conditions may be linked to sleep walking, such as abnormal heart rhythms, fever, gastroesophageal reflux, nighttime asthma, nighttime convulsions, sleep apnea and some psychiatric disorders.

Sleep walking may refer to simply wandering or casually walking around a room or frantically running around or trying to escape. Patients may have their eyes open with a glassy, staring expression on their face. If questioned, the person may be slow to respond or may not respond at all. If the person returns to bed without waking, they may not remember the episode. Children, who may more frequently awake before returning to bed, may be embarrassed by the incident.

Treating sleep walking may not be necessary. As certain conditions resolve, such as stress, emotional problems, sleep deprivation and fever, sleep walking may stop. Sleep walking may rarely indicate an underlying physical or psychological disorder or disease, so treatment may not be necessary.

Sleep walking in children may stop around puberty, but in some cases may persist into adulthood. The condition may begin in adulthood in some cases. If the patient experiences frequent episodes, injures themselves or others or exhibits violent behaviors during sleep walking, a sleep specialist or health care professional may be helpful in discussing possible treatments.

   Collapse Article