Sleepwalking (somnabulism)
Overview:
Sleepwalking occurs when a person gets up from bed and walks around despite being still asleep. The disorder could include sitting up in bed, speaking or shouting, and looking around in a confused manner. People who sleepwalk can be very difficult to wake up, and are often confused when awoken, having little to no memory of the event.
Symptoms:
Sleepwalkers often get out of bed and walk around while still asleep, perform routine actions at strange times, are confused when woken, and have difficulty remembering what took place.
Tests and diagnosis:
In order to diagnose sleepwalking, a doctor may recommend a polysomnogram (sleep study).
Treating sleepwalking:
For children, sleepwalking tends to wane as they become teenagers. If sleepwalking occurs in conjunction with sleep apnea, treatment of sleep apnea may improve occurrences sleepwalking.