Sleepwalking is an interesting phenomenon, but it can also have adverse effects on health.
“Janice finds it very funny to see her husband sleepwalking. He groped in the night, often babbling to himself, occasionally crashing into the wall. But then Janice couldn’t smile anymore, one night when she saw her husband walk towards the garage and start the car.”
It is estimated that sleepwalking occurs in about 1-15% of the population, usually occurring in children, especially between the ages of 3 and 7 years. According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation in the US, 1% of preschoolers and 2% of school-age children sleepwalk at least a few nights a week. It is quite common to prolong sleepwalking into adulthood. In short, sleepwalking often occurs in sleep-deprived people.
Fortunately, sleepwalking is not a psychological or psychiatric illness, but simply a sleep disorder common in the deep sleep phase . Normally, in this phase, the body is relaxed and recovered after a day of work. In sleepwalkers, they act like they were awake, such as talking, sitting up, looking around, walking out. get out of bed, wander around the house, even drive a car. All of these actions are maintained in a state of deep sleep.
Sleepwalkers are not only difficult to wake up, but they also remember very little, or even nothing, of their own nocturnal adventures. Worse yet, they may attack anyone who tries to wake them up.
Lack of sleep is one of the common causes of this disorder. Other causes include conditions that are accompanied by fever; the use of pain relievers and certain other drugs. There is no specific treatment for sleepwalking. Improving sleep is the first step to relieving its symptoms . Some people turn to hypnosis, others take antidepressants (such as SSRIs or tricyclic antidepressants) or other prescription drugs (such as benzodiazepines, such as Klonopin) with significant improvement. tell.
Waking a sleepwalker is dangerous, but letting them roam a room full of sharp objects or jump out of a car while driving is even more dangerous.
So what should we do when a loved one is sleepwalking? Stop them and get them back to bed. But how? Gently turn them around, directing them to the bed and making sure they’re safe on the way back. If they resist, stay with them calmly, keeping them away from dangerous objects. In case you have to wake them up, instead of slapping them hard, make a loud noise, that’s enough.
Signs of a sleepwalker include:
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