What causes sleepwalking? ARIANNA PLK Lee Shing Pik College Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, is a sleep disorder which most commonly affects children between the age of six and 12 and is usually a response to an emotional concern. It is more common in boys than girls, and is estimated to affect one to six per cent of children.
Sleepwalking is not just walking, but includes various activities a person performs during a state of altered consciousness. They can vary from moving furniture to eating and dressing. It occurs when a person is in a mixed state of being both asleep and awake or coming from the deepest stage of non-dreaming sleep. This means a person is awake enough to act out complex behaviours but still asleep and not aware of or able to remember these actions.
It usually happens during the first few hours after a person falls asleep and can last from five to 30 minutes. A sleepwalker has a blank expression and opened eyes and is usually difficult to awaken. He may wake up spontaneously but is usual ly disoriented. Sleepwalking sometimes runs in the family.
In children, sleepwalking is more likely to happen when they have a fever or are over-tired. It can also be caused by some medicines. It does not mean the child has emotional or psychological problems unless there is some other stress in the child's life.
Most children outgrow sleepwalking by their teens or early 20s. It can occasionally persist into adulthood or even begin in adulthood.
In adults, sleepwalking can be caused by stress or triggered by other conditions, such as sleep apnea, heartburn or periodic limb movement during sleep. Adults should seek medical attention. A sleep specialist would evaluate the patient's behaviours and medical history.
