Sleepwalking (somnambulism) is a fairly common phenomenon. Millions of people around the world sleepwalk from time to time. What happens is that the area of ​​the brain responsible for motor functions, for one reason or another remains active during sleep.

Causes of sleepwalking

The causes of sleepwalking for an adult can be: severe stress, serious illness, epilepsy, various anxiety states. If attacks of sleepwalking occur periodically, then there is nothing wrong with that. If a person goes for walks regularly, then he should visit a doctor to try to find out and eliminate the cause of his sleepwalking

In children, everything is somewhat different; in general, it is children who often suffer from sleepwalking. However, this most often goes away with age. As a rule, somnambulism manifests itself in children with the onset of puberty. This may be due to the huge flow of information loading baby brain, With nervous tension and experiences. At the same time, children suffering from sleepwalking are absolutely mentally healthy
There is an opinion that in addition to the above reasons, heredity can influence the manifestations of somnambulism. Therefore, if one of the parents suffers from sleepwalking, there is a high probability that his child will also sooner or later be drawn to a “walk”
How does sleepwalking manifest itself?

Sleepwalking manifests itself in one form or another motor activity. In milder forms of sleepwalking, a person may simply sit up in bed or stand up and start wandering around the room. In more serious cases, the sleepwalker can develop much more vigorous activity, for example, start getting ready somewhere, go to the kitchen and make a sandwich, or start doing some household chores. Sometimes it may seem that such a person is awake and not sleepwalking. This happens because many sleepwalkers often wander with with open eyes, and can even answer questions from others. As a rule, the movements of sleepwalkers are smooth and unhurried, but it also happens that a person is very excited about something, then his movements become impetuous and unpredictable, at such a moment it is better not to approach the sleepwalker.

The whole danger of sleepwalking lies in the fact that a person in an unconscious state can harm himself or, less commonly, others. A “night traveler” may fall out of a window, mistaking it for a door, may injure himself on some objects, especially for children, may get behind the wheel of a car and drive somewhere, which will most likely inevitably lead to an accident, may take some sharp object, for example, a knife and injure yourself or someone close to you with it, in particular in an excited state as described above, or you can simply go outside in only slippers and go in an unknown direction.
But no matter what the somnambulist does in his sleep, after waking up he remembers absolutely nothing.
How to keep a sleepwalker as safe as possible?

Remove all obstacles in the form of chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture from the path of the sleepwalker

Do not leave any sharp objects or glass items in the room that a sleepwalker could break. As well as any items that may pose a danger
Close windows and doors, in some cases you may even have to resort to bars and locks
If your house has a staircase, you need to build a fence in front of it
What to do if you see someone sleepwalking?

Firstly, do not wake the sleeping person. You should approach the person quietly and very carefully try to guide him to the bed. If a person behaves restlessly, then it is better not to touch him, but to make sure that he does not harm himself. You won’t have to watch the sleepwalker all night; as a rule, such walks do not last more than half an hour.

In order to warn possible attack sleepwalking should:

Keep a daily routine, go to bed and get up at the same time.
A few hours before going to bed, you need to relax and calm down. nervous system.
If you watch TV, limit yourself to something neutral, no action or horror films. You can listen to calm music before bed. If we're talking about about your child, do not allow him to play outdoor games before bedtime. Try to get your child to calm down before bed.
Try to sleep in complete silence. If for some reason this is not possible, use earplugs.
Don't drink a lot of fluids at night, and go to the toilet before going to bed.

Does your child walk at night? Find out why and what to do about it.

From time to time, the public is shocked by news of small children who leave the house at night, wearing only their pajamas, travel long distances, and then do not understand how it happened to them. Such stories may well end happily, but the “second bottom” - questions about what it was - remains. Can children really be sleepwalkers? If yes, then why do babies suffer from this disease and what should be done in this case?

Causes of sleepwalking in children

This disease affects the younger generation much more than adults. Moreover, there is no cause for particular concern because the vast majority of children outgrow it before the age of ten. The supposed reason for their nightly promenades is immaturity of the nervous system. That is why, as the child develops, episodes of sleepwalking occur less and less often.

What does a sleepwalking baby look like?

Let's face it: we associate sleepwalking with not very good things, it seems like something unpleasant and mysterious. It is not surprising that parents, when they hear about this disease in their child, often panic and experience horror.

After all, sleepwalking is associated with scary scenes from films, with people who stop being themselves and become completely different, sometimes very dangerous - something like zombies.

However, if we are talking about sleepwalking in children, then such associations can only make a specialist smile. A child suffering from this problem is not in the least dangerous - except perhaps only to himself. Sleepwalkers of several years of age most often just get up and open your eyes(which is why sometimes parents think that the child is awake) and perform the most ordinary actions.

In other words, the child dresses awkwardly, turns on the light, looks for something in the refrigerator, or has fun with something or plays. In the morning he remembers absolutely nothing. Sometimes parents - if they do not wake up at night - suspect sleepwalking in their child due to the fact that in the morning they find him in unusual places. For example, a boy or girl sleeps in the kitchen, on the carpet, in a corner with toys. However, just as often, the baby simply returns to his bed.

A sleepwalking child can answer parents' questions. However, these will be somewhat unrelated, sometimes meaningless statements.

What to do if a child walks at night?

If you hear suspicious sounds at night and find your baby walking, then the only right decision would be very gently send him to bed. You can whisper at the same time: “Let's go back to bed, dear/darling.” You don't need to do anything else.

Unfortunately, often the first instinct of parents is to try to wake up their child at any cost - sometimes too suddenly and abruptly. This cannot be done, because the child will be very scared.

Just as we do not wake up a child sleeping in a crib without special reasons, so in this case it is even more impossible to do this. Remember that the baby is standing and in a different place, so the awakening will be for him shocked.

To make sleepwalking less common and safer

The exact causes of sleepwalking in children are still unknown, but we know what to do to reduce the frequency of sleepwalking. Here's what you can do undertake:

Remember: If a child happens to go on a night walk, it should be as safe as possible. Look at your home from this point of view. Toys should not lie on the floor, stairs should be blocked with something (for example, partitions, shields), and windows and doors should be locked with keys hidden in a hard-to-reach place. This is very important, because sleepwalking, which is absolutely harmless in itself, can lead to very dangerous consequences.

In ancient times, people believed that the Moon influences not only the tides of the sea, but also human psyche, and it is this night luminary that causes some people to get out of their beds at night and walk in their sleep. Therefore, in the past, healers called the phenomenon of sleepwalking sleepwalking. But the influence of the Moon is one of the most harmless reasons, which in ancient times explained sleepwalking, because in the dark Middle Ages, sleepwalkers were often declared witches or possessed. Fortunately, now the times of the Inquisition and ignorance are a thing of the past, and modern scientists have studied sleepwalking in detail, identified its causes and ways to help the sleepwalker. Let's take a closer look at exactly what signs characterize sleepwalking, why people sleepwalk at night, and how to rid yourself or loved one from night walks.

Features and dangers of somnambulism

Now the term sleepwalking is no longer used, and people who tend to walk, gesticulate, etc. are called sleepwalkers only in colloquial speech. Doctors call it this disorder sleep is somnambulism, and those who suffer from this disorder are somnambulists. And according to the dictionary medical terms, somnambulism is a painful sleep disorder in which a person moves, talks or performs any activity while in a state of deep sleep.

Somnambulism is a fairly common disorder because it affects about 2% of the inhabitants of our planet , and most of them are teenagers and young people under 22 years of age. According to statistics, up to 15% of children and adolescents occasionally or regularly talk, sit up in bed and even walk in their sleep, but upon reaching the age of 15-19, approximately three-quarters of young sleepwalkers “outgrow” this disorder.

Contrary to the common belief among the common people that sleepwalkers necessarily get out of bed and go outside the bedroom in their sleep, in most cases this disorder manifests itself less clearly. In general, doctors distinguish two forms of somnambulism - mild and severe, and each form of the disorder is characterized by the following:

• Light form – this is a mild course of the disorder, in which attacks occur no more than 2-3 times a month, and the person does not get out of bed during attacks and does not perform any complex actions. As a rule, when mild form sleepwalking people talk or, and can also sit on the bed, gesticulate, take and rearrange objects lying on the bedside table, etc.
• Severe form - This is a form of sleepwalking in which a person walks in a dream and performs complex actions. Some sleepwalkers do household chores in their sleep, some eat, some simply wander around the house. During his “nightly adventures,” a sleepwalker can leave not only the bedroom, but also the house, walk to another area of ​​the city, start a car, and even go to work or to see friends.

Regardless of the severity of the disorder, during nocturnal activity all sleepwalkers look almost the same - their eyes are wide open, their movements and gestures are somewhat constrained and mechanical, and there is practically no facial expression, which is why their facial expression seems detached. The attack of sleepwalking itself in most cases lasts a maximum of 30-40 minutes, although in psychiatric practice there have been cases when a person remained in a similar state for more than 2 hours. After the attack is over, the person returns to his bed, takes a comfortable position until the morning. Waking up in the morning, the somnambulist will not remember anything that he did during the night attack.

Somnambulism itself, according to doctors, does not pose a particular danger to health and has little effect on the quality of sleep, since most sleepwalkers, even on those nights when they had attacks, slept well and felt cheerful and rested in the morning. Nevertheless, there is still a danger in somnambulism , and it lies in the fact that when performing any movements and actions in a dream, a somnambulist can injure himself, provoke an accident, or even commit a crime. For example, sleepwalkers who go outside while sleeping can get hit by a car, and those who do household chores while asleep can drop something heavy on themselves, flood the apartment, or even open the valves on the gas stove.

Reasons why people sleepwalk at night

Sleepwalking only from the outside seems like something mysterious and even mystical, but for people suffering from this disorder, it is exclusively a cause of inconvenience, and sometimes even danger. Many somnambulists, aware of the danger looming over them, strive to prevent attacks with the help of sleeping pills, but such treatment is ineffective, because everything similar drugs sooner or later they become addictive. Therefore, in order to cure this disorder, it is necessary to eliminate its cause. And according to doctors, in most cases the reasons why people sleepwalk at night are:

If we consider the main reasons why people sleepwalk at night, we can conclude that at the source of most of them are psychological problems– constant stress, inability to rest and relax, increased anxiety and inattention to one's own health. And by eliminating these causes, you can significantly reduce the number of attacks of sleepwalking or completely get rid of somnambulism.

Ways to get rid of somnambulism

Most sleepwalkers in order to to get rid of a sleep disorder, it is enough to reduce the level of anxiety, learn to fully rest and. This is especially true for children and adolescents who walk and talk at night because their brains cannot cope with the stress.

However, a more serious and dangerous reason somnambulism, namely the appearance in the brain of a focus of epileptic readiness. Therefore, in order to exclude this symptom or detect epilepsy by early stage, people who started walking at night need to go full examination including an encephalogram .

If there is suspicion of serious illness is not confirmed, the doctor will prescribe a sleepwalker complex treatment, which includes reception medications that improve sleep quality and have a sedative effect on the nervous system, and recommendations for management healthy image life. Doctors also often recommend that somnambulists change their environment, go to a resort or sanatorium.

In cases where measures need to be taken immediately, since in a dream a person can harm himself or get into a dangerous situation (sleepwalkers who go out into the street in a dream, get behind the wheel, etc.), the somnambulist himself or his relatives must do everything to prevent sleepwalking. Waking up sleepwalkers when they sleepwalk is very difficult , so it is better to make sure that the person either cannot leave the bed/bedroom, or that he wakes up on his own. To do this, somnambulists are tied to a bed, locked in the bedroom, or placed near their bed. wet towel, so that when a person steps on it, he wakes up due to a feeling of cold. These simple measures will help prevent the occurrence dangerous situation, however, it should be remembered that it is better not to “play it safe” every evening, but to try to get rid of somnambulism by improving.

Beauty and Health Health

What is sleepwalking

The scientific name for sleepwalking is somnambulism. This term means sleepwalking and sleep-talking. It was called sleepwalking because of the strong opinion about the connection of this phenomenon with the activity of the moon. This opinion is erroneous, although the moon can still have some influence on the psyche of people.

Somnambulism is a fairly widespread phenomenon. Worldwide, it affects about 2.5% of the population.

If attacks of sleepwalking occur regularly, you should consult a doctor. It is important to remember that sleepwalking can be a manifestation of quite serious illnesses, for example, epilepsy. If sleepwalking in a person is random, then medical care he doesn't need it.

How sleepwalkers behave

Sleepwalkers usually get out of bed during sleep and begin to walk. They can take some purposeful actions and say something. From the outside it may seem that a person is in a state of wakefulness, however, this is not so. If you look closely, you will notice some features inherent in a somnambulist. The person's movements will be slow and smooth. Although the eyes of sleepwalkers are open, they do not perceive or hear anything. Often it seems to them that they are not at home, but in some other place. It is almost impossible to wake up a sleepwalker. On average, such phenomena can be observed a couple of times a week.

Not all sleepwalkers walk around the apartment. Some may simply sit or stand in bed. Others, on the contrary, tend to go outside, can open the door lock and even start the car.

Usually, attacks of sleepwalking are short-lived, lasting no more than half an hour per night. Most often, the sleepwalker himself returns to bed and continues to sleep. In the morning, these people remember absolutely nothing about their nightly adventures.

Causes of sleepwalking and who is most susceptible to sleepwalking

Many people believe that sleepwalking is a rare condition mental illness. In fact, this is not true. Sleepwalking is a type nervous disorder. It should be noted that children and adolescents are most susceptible to this disorder. Among adults, sleepwalkers are much less common - 1 person per 1000 population.

This problem affects only impressionable people who have certain brain characteristics. They have a tendency to form foci of excitation.

It is best for such a person to see a doctor and undergo special examination. It will certainly include an encephalogram. Most likely, the diagnosis will be the presence of a focus of epileptic readiness in the temporal lobe. In this case, sleepwalking may be a sign of epilepsy. These people outwardly give the impression of being calm and reserved. But, in fact, they are very emotional.

Can a person walk in his sleep even when he has high temperature or he just chronically does not get enough sleep. Sleepwalking in adults can be caused by severe stress. Sleepwalking is quite common in children and adolescents. According to data scientific research, about 15% of children suffer from it. At the same time, the child is mentally healthy. Most often this goes away with age.

Attacks of sleepwalking usually occur at those moments when the child is worried about something. Constant anxiety and leads to sleep disturbances and sleepwalking. It is very difficult for a child’s brain to withstand the rapid influx of all kinds of information and impressions. At night, the brain does not rest, but continues to process information. However, the child’s consciousness is switched off.

In addition, it has been proven that sleepwalking can also be hereditary. If both parents are prone to somnambulism, then very high probability it can be assumed in a child as well. It is not at all necessary that the child will get up and walk. Sleepwalking also manifests itself through isolated movements of the arms and legs. Or the child may try to explain something to his parents, or persistently ask for something.

Why is sleepwalking dangerous?

Sleepwalking in itself does not pose a danger to humans. However, sleepwalkers can cause harm to themselves or even others during their nocturnal adventures. About 25% of sleepwalkers inflict self-inflicted various damages. It happens that people in this state can even fall out of the window. Some sleepwalkers walk on the roof or go outside, which is also unsafe.

As for harm to others, science knows cases when a person in such a state even committed murder. It is clear that after waking up he remembered absolutely nothing and could not explain his actions.

You need to know that it is impossible to wake a person during sleepwalking. This can greatly frighten him and even cause serious psychological trauma.

How can you help a sleepwalker?

First of all, the relatives of such a person must take care to protect him from various possible injuries. It is recommended to install strong bars on the bedroom windows. Electrical wires and glass objects must not be left on the floor. Otherwise, the sleepwalker may be seriously injured by tripping over them.

In case severe forms sleepwalking, a person suffering from it can even be tied to a bed. Care must also be taken to ensure that the sleepwalker cannot open front door and leave the house. Some people place a basin of water in front of the sleepwalker’s bed, and once he gets into it, he immediately wakes up. You can put a wet rag.

All these measures will help protect him from negative consequences.

It is very useful to relax before bed by listening to pleasant, calm music. It is necessary to follow a strict sleep schedule and try not to disturb it. You need to fall asleep in complete silence. Before going to bed, be sure to empty your bladder.

You can’t wake up a sleepwalker, but you need to help him get to bed. This should be done slowly and calmly so as not to scare him.

I read all your stories and realized that I’m the only one... I’m 13 years old and I’m also a sleepwalker. I have been sleepwalking since my mother passed away, since I was 6 years old, I live with my grandparents. They told me what I say in my sleep. Then I began to sleepwalk, brought a blanket to their room, picked some flowers on the sheet, one time I almost left the house, I got out of bed and went to the door, thank God, I screamed something and my grandfather came and put them to bed me to sleep.. Naturally, I don’t remember all this, they kept telling me in the morning about my walks... And for about a year I didn’t sleepwalk, I was already glad that everything was like I wasn’t sleepwalking.... But nothing.. That night I went to bed at half past ten (I was sitting on the computer). When I went to bed, I went to drink water, it was hot.. Then time passed and I found myself in the neighbors’ yard (I live in a private house), and I remember how I climbed through some kind of mesh (it turns out it was a fence)... And then it came to me. I realized that I was going to my sister and that she wouldn’t let me into the house, but in fact I was in someone else’s yard.. And so I start knocking on the door.. The neighbor opens the door for me... I tell her: “Where is Nastya ?\"(this is my sister). She says: \"What Nastya?\" And my neighbor is about 70 years old.. I tell her\" Well, my Nastya!! \"Then I begin to come to my senses... and I understand that I am not at home.. She starts asking who I am and what my last name is.. I said it, and now I regret it... Well, in general, she told me to go home, I went and I half understood what I was doing, but I couldn’t control myself.. I came home, standing like a fool in pajamas and barefoot and I don’t understand why our front door is locked, I think how I got out.. I rang the doorbell and no one opened it, I knocked.. Then I decided to go to the garden (we have flowers growing there, and there The windows overlook the street of the living room and bedroom where my grandparents were) I went to call them, fortunately the window was open... I couldn’t knock on it, because my house is high, and I could barely jump to the window to knock then grandma responded.. I told her, “Bah, open the door,” and she told my grandfather to open the door, then my grandfather opened the door and started asking how I got onto the street.. I said that I don’t know.. And so I went into room.. And there the window is open, my windows are plastic and there was a mesh there so that the flies wouldn’t fly in, my grandfather and I began to close the window, but it wouldn’t close, I knocked out the mesh.. Then I lie there and think how I could get there. I remembered, I remembered, I remembered everything! From the moment I climbed through the fence to the neighbors, the fence is, well, in short, a mesh. . and she’s tall.. Then I remembered, I remembered, but I didn’t remember how I jumped out of the window!! I’m very high there... In the morning I got up, they started asking me how I jumped out of the window, if we have a net there in the first place, in secondly, it’s high, thirdly, there’s a garage on the left that’s locked, there’s a high fence in front and a lot of boards with nails, and I’m barefoot!! and there’s also a high gate there, I usually can’t reach the nail... In general, I’m so SHOCKED!! Then they took me to the hospital, they told me to see a neurologist tomorrow.. (damn, I forgot what they call it) \r\nNOW I’M AFRAID TO SLEEP, I’M AFRAID TO GO TO GO.... All night I was thinking about that fence... I thought I broke it: D It turns out not... and even after I jumped from the window I had one scratch and that’s ALL!! I’m shocked that I didn’t kill myself there!!