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Sleep Disorder Help
Sleepwalking Help:Causes of sleepwalking: sleep deprivation is the leading cause of sleepwalking. Sleepwalking occurs during deep non-REM sleep and sometimes during REM sleep closer to morning. The cause of sleepwalking in children is unknown, but may be related to fatigue, prior sleep loss, or anxiety. Adults who sleep walk probably have a disorder of the mind or may be reacting to drugs and alcohol, or medical conditions such as partial complex seizures can cause sleepwalking. In the elderly, sleepwalking can be a symptom of an organic brain syndrome or REM behavior disorder. People do strange things when they sleep walk. Some people sit up and appear awake when actually asleep, they may also get up and walk around. People may dress and undress, move furniture, go to the bathroom, or similar activities. It has been reported that people have driven cars while actually asleep. Sleepwalking episodes may be very brief, a few seconds or a few minutes, or can last up to 30 minutes or longer. Experts believe that sleepwalking is caused by immaturity of the brain’s regulation of sleep/wake cycles. This is why children tend to sleepwalk more than adults. They often outgrow this as their nervous systems develop. If sleepwalking begins later in life or in adulthood it may have psychological causes, or, rarely, medical causes such as epilepsy. It is a myth that you should not wake a sleepwalker. Yes, they can become confused or disoriented for a short time, but it is not dangerous to wake them. In fact, it may be more dangerous to let them continue sleep walking. Tripping and loss of balance are common ways that sleep walkers injure themselves. There are a few ways to curb sleep walking on your own. First, get adequate sleep. You need to limit stress and relax. You can also avoid any kind of stimulation (audio or visual) right before bedtime. This means no falling asleep with the TV on. If you do sleepwalk, or your children sleep walk, you can take a few steps to protect yourself or them. Keep all sharp objects out of the sleeping environment. It is a good idea to sleep in a bedroom on the ground floor. Also, lock all of your doors and windows and cover class windows with heavy drapes. You could also place an alarm or bell on the bedroom door of the sleepwalker. If your sleepwalking is caused by an underlying medical condition—gastroesophegal reflix, sleep apnea, seizures, leg movement or restless leg syndrome—the sleepwalking will cease when the condition is treated. There are a few medications used for sleepwalking such as ProSom, Klonopin, and Trazodone (Desyrel). Relaxation techniques, mental imagery, and preventative awakenings are preferred over long-term treatment. Preventative awakenings are when you wake the person or child 15-20 minutes before the sleepwalking usually occurs, and then keeping them awake through the time. Sleepwalking can be frightening and disruptive, but it is usually not serious. Sleepwalking can usually be treated effectively. |
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