Maybe you’ve fallen asleep on your couch but woke up in your bedroom. This leaves you in a world of confusion, wondering how you got there to begin with. There’s a high chance that someone you live with took you there, or you woke up and went yourself and just don’t remember. There is also a chance that the answer to your confusion may lead you to be a sleepwalker.

There are many different causes and risk factors of sleepwalking. Many people may see it as a funny joke or something to laugh about, but in some cases, sleepwalking can be a sign of other health conditions that are ignored or that you may not be aware of.

While it may seem harmless, sleepwalking can still lead to things you should avoid. Luckily, you can do a few things to help this problem.

What is Sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking is also known as somnambulism, a behavior disorder consisting of walking or doing other things while you are still sleeping. Sleepwalking occurs during deep, NREM sleep. Non-rapid eye movement sleep has three stages. The first two stages are considered light sleep stages. It is unlikely for sleepwalking to occur during these stages because the sleep is so light; you may still have some awareness at this time. For this same reason, sleepwalking is unlikely to occur during naps.

The third stage of non-REM sleep, also known as deep sleep, is when sleepwalking is more likely to occur. Sleepwalking also happens in the first few hours of sleep. People who sleepwalk usually do not recall the activities that took place during their sleepwalking episodes.

Is Sleepwalking a Sleep Disorder?

Scientifically speaking, sleepwalking is considered a sleep disorder. This type of sleep disorder is referred to as parasomnia. Parasomnia is present when you have abnormal or unusual behaviors during sleep. Other examples of parasomnia include:

• Sleep paralysis
• Sleep talking
• Sleep terrors
• Nightmare disorder
• Disorders of arousal

What Causes Sleepwalking?

Sometimes, sleepwalking can result from poor lifestyle choices, some of which you may have turned into a habit. For example, poor sleep hygiene can cause sleep disorders like sleepwalking. There are a few risk factors that could make you more likely to sleepwalk:

Genetics

For some people, sleepwalking may be out of their control. Genetics can play a role in whether or not you are likely to sleepwalk. On average, about 20% of children between the ages of 5-12 sleepwalk. In contrast, 47% of children sleepwalk if they have a parent who does, which increases to 61% for children with two parents who sleepwalk.

Age

Sleepwalking can occur at any age, but it is more common in children than adults. One out of five children will sleepwalk at least once during their childhood. Sleepwalking may likely occur during the ages of 4-8 years old. Most children outgrow sleepwalking once they hit puberty, in most cases. Other times, this disorder can follow people into their adulthood.

Lack of Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important parts of the day. Sleep is necessary for things like brain functionality and to rest and repair the body after what it does during the day. The recommended amount of hours that individuals should get daily varies depending on the age group:

• Adults are recommended 7-8 hours of sleep
• Teens are recommended 8-10 hours of sleep
• Children are recommended 9-12 and may need more depending on their age. Learn more about Sleepwalking in Kids

Some people may not get the recommended amount of sleep, leaving them sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation is a big risk factor for sleepwalking. When you go a long time without getting enough sleep, you find yourself more deep sleep than usual. This opens up a bigger chance of sleepwalking.

Stress

Even outside of sleepwalking, stress and anxiety are known to cause sleep disturbances. Stress and anxiety are known to keep you up at night and make it difficult to stay asleep when you can finally sleep. This is why stress can lead to sleepwalking.

Other mental health problems like depression can also lead to sleepwalking. One study showed that the events during the day play a big role in how your sleep is affected at night. A high-stress day is more likely to lead to sleepwalking than a calm day.

Certain Medications

Sometimes, sleepwalking can be a self-induced behavior based on your own choices. People who use sleeping pills may also sleepwalk. Medications with sedatives or sedative effects may cause this to happen. This is found in many drugs, including over-the-counter options. Certain medications or prescription drugs for mental health disorders may also cause these same effects and lead to sleepwalking.

Interrupted or Unproductive Sleep

Having unproductive sleep can stem from different distractions or environmental factors. The cars honking outside can send alerts to your brain that keep you awake. The room temperature can cause you to wake up sweating in the middle of the night. Things like this may wake you up randomly or prevent you from even going to sleep.

Some factors can be other health issues, like sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when breathing stops and starts while sleeping. This occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax too much, closing the airway. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs if something physically obstructs or blocks the airway. Obstructive sleep apnea is usually caused by obesity or excess weight that makes the tissue in the mouth soft. If not taken care of, this can lead to interrupted sleep and sleep deprivation.

Because sleep interruptions lead to things like sleep deprivation, this increase the chance of having sleepwalking episodes. This also interrupts your REM sleep. Rapid eye movement is necessary for memory, brain function, and dreaming.

Restless Leg Syndrome

There is still some debate on whether or not restless leg syndrome causes sleepwalking, but the possibility cannot be fully ruled out. RLS is a condition that causes an urge to move the legs. The feeling can be described as unpleasant crawling or a creepy sensation in the legs. Moving your legs in usually provides temporary relief.

Although you may be sleeping, the brain is still active, and your body continues to receive signals that your legs may need movement. This can cause sleepwalking.

Is Sleepwalking Dangerous?

The act of sleepwalking itself may not be considered dangerous. Although trouble may come in depending on the sleepwalker and what they usually do when they are sleepwalking. Here are some things that can occur if sleepwalking is not addressed:

Hurting Yourself or Someone Else.

Sleepwalkers can injure themselves or others while sleepwalking. Many children may sleep in bunk beds with other siblings. If your child is a sleepwalker, it’s best to let them sleep on the bottom of the bunk bed to avoid falling from the top. Another option is to a regular child’s bed instead. If you take this route, be sure they meet the age requirement for the bed you choose.

People who sleepwalk also may come into contact with sharp objects, which can lead to serious health consequences. To avoid this, take time to remove physical objects that can cause an injury. You may also consider adding safety gates in your home. This can keep sleepwalkers in a confined space instead of roaming to areas that have potentially dangerous objects.

More Sleep Deprivation

Sleepwalking can only increase the chances of sleep deprivation and, in some cases, insomnia. The ongoing impact of interrupted or insufficient sleep can be a continuous cycle if it is not taken care of in its early stages. Sleep disorders like this can lead to things like excessive daytime sleepiness.

Ruined Relationships

Depending on the seriousness of the sleepwalking episodes, it may ruin relationships with other people that live in the same home—especially if you have a bed partner. Sleepwalking occurs during deep sleep, so there’s no guess that the people around sleepwalkers may also be disturbed at the pinnacle of their sleep.

Some individuals may result to violent behavior when someone tries to wake them to stop sleepwalking. Disturbing the sleep of the people around can also cause a rift in the relationship.

How to Stop Sleepwalking

Fortunately, some things can be done to put an end to sleepwalking. Most changes consist of bad habits that can be ended or starting new ones:

Have Good Sleep Hygiene.

Sleep hygiene consists of environmental and sleep-related habits that people have. The main focus should be on decreasing the risk of sleep deprivation these poor habits cause and creating better ones to replace them.

Keeping a good sleep schedule is a big component of good sleep hygiene. Having inconsistent sleep can make it harder to get quality rest. To help your child relax, you can give them a warm bath before bed.

Avoid Alcohol.

People with alcohol problems are more likely to have sleep problems like insomnia, sleep deprivation, and sleepwalking. For adults having trouble with sleepwalking, too much alcohol consumption may cause the problem. In this situation, sleepwalking may be alcohol-induced or due to less sleep because of the amount of alcohol consumed.

Avoid drinking alcohol late at night before bed and sometimes during the day.

Sleepwalking occurs in the beginning stages of sleep, so sometimes, it can be determined when someone is about to experience an episode. A scheduled awakening treatment consists of waking children or adults sleepwalking up before a potential sleepwalking episode occurs.

This technique is also used for other sleep disorders and has been proven effective forsleepwalking children.

Practice Meditation.

Practicing meditation helps relieve stress, providing you with better sleep at night. When done consistently, meditation can help increase alpha brain waves—which are responsible for helping you relax. A more relaxed mind and body won’t fall victim to sleep disorders that keep you awake at night.

Meditation can be a great addition to a relaxing bedtime routine of your choice. The BetterSleep app has hundreds of meditations to help promote good mental health, relaxation, and sleep. Visit the app today to learn more.