“I woke up from the neighbor’s doorbell”: why do sleepwalkers walk around at night?

Who are sleepwalkers, and are there many of them?

I’ll tell you an interesting fact: sleepwalking as a phenomenon existed many centuries ago. And in those distant times, sleepwalkers were considered people who were overcome by evil spirits or spirits from the other world. Because of this, sleepwalkers were feared and treated with special caution. Moreover, sometimes they were sentenced to death: drowning or burning at the stake. In short, they equated sleepwalking with witchcraft.

Fortunately, in our time, sleepwalking is being studied by scientists and doctors, and people who sleepwalk are no longer prejudiced.

What is sleepwalking?

Contrary to the erroneous opinion of many people, sleepwalking or, as doctors say, somnambulism is not a serious disease and not a superpower.

Sleepwalking is a kind of neurological disorder that leads to the fact that at the moment when the brain plunges into the phase of slow and deep sleep, some of its parts awaken and contribute to the physical activity of a person.

As a result, he begins to walk or talk without waking up. At the same time, his eyes may be open, but the person will continue to sleep. At this moment he does not see the real state of affairs in front of him.

Somniloquy is the main reason why people talk in their sleep

In addition, sleepwalkers rarely turn on the light during their midnight wanderings, because they go out of habit, from memory.

Not only can they walk, but they will also join relatives who are awake. For example, there are known cases when sleeping sleepwalkers, after going to bed, went down to the family living room to watch a movie.

Sleepwalkers can also pour and drink water, heat up food and eat, or even go outside. They can also open the door from memory.

But the most interesting thing in this situation is that in the morning not a single sleepwalker will remember his adventures.

Sleepwalking in a person’s state at this moment is similar to hypnosis.

Most often, somnambulism is present in children of infant, as well as preschool and school age. Sometimes sleepwalking lasts until the onset of active puberty - the age of 13-15 years.

According to statistics, every fifth child in the world is prone to sleepwalking, and in total, about 40% of people have been awake at least once in their lives without leaving a state of deep sleep.

In adulthood, sleepwalking occurs in approximately 2% of the world's population.

How to deal with a sleepwalker

The sight is not pleasant and even scary when a person begins to walk in his sleep. Many people are susceptible to sleepwalking. If in a dream a person speaks, cries, laughs, this means that he fell asleep, but not completely. Children and adolescents are often susceptible to this condition. How to deal with a sleepwalker.

Instructions:

1. You can't be scared or intimidated. Carefully escort the person to bed and lay him down. If he resists you and cries, calm him down quietly, but don't shout. It is impossible to wake a person in such a state. This may result in severe shock. But if you think you need to wake up, do it. Only quietly, gently, in a whisper.
2. Reassure others. If someone else was present at that moment, explain that there is nothing wrong with this. When everyone has calmed down, you need to tell them how to behave in such a situation.
3. Provide the sleepwalker with complete safety. While in a dream, he may not notice the cord from the lamp, trip over it, drop something heavy on himself, or confuse the window and the door. Make your sleepwalker's route safe, remove all dangerous objects from his path.
4. Trying to warn. Children often fall into this state due to anxiety. Let the child express all his emotions during the day, not at night.

What causes sleepwalking, and why is it dangerous?

Until today, scientists have not been able to fully interpret what leads to manifestations of sleepwalking. But most scientists are inclined to believe that sleepwalking is a consequence of an imbalance in the functioning of parts of the brain.

This can be explained in more detail as follows: when a person falls asleep, his brain also rests, the departments fall into deep sleep. Then one of the departments “turns on” and begins to stay awake while the other department is fast asleep. Against this background, discord arises - the person is fast asleep, but his movements are active.

As for childhood sleepwalking, it is believed that the children’s nervous system is not yet stable enough, so parts of their brain can quickly switch, which leads to wakefulness during sleep.

Scientists and doctors also believe that sleepwalking is a hereditary phenomenon, since many parents suffering from sleepwalking give birth to children with the same disorder. However, it has not yet been possible to find the gene that is responsible for this disorder of brain function.

However, sleepwalking can manifest itself in a person quite unexpectedly. The reason for this may be:

• Very high temperature.
• Excessive fatigue.
• Severe stress experienced the day before.
• Chronic sleep disturbances, insomnia or increased anxiety.

According to experts, sleepwalking is not a dangerous disease, so there is no need to give it special treatment. However, in some cases, somnambulism is fraught with serious consequences.

For example, one man, suffering from sleep disorders, once, while in a sleeping state, left the house and got behind the wheel of a car. It’s fortunate that he was noticed in time, otherwise the consequences could have been disastrous.

Important: a group of scientists believes that somnambulism cannot lead a person to such catastrophic consequences. The explanation for this is simple: despite the fact that a person is awake, his reflexes are turned off, so he can get into a car and even start it, but he will not be able to drive.

But sleepwalking is fraught with other consequences: in a dream, a person can easily get hurt, cut or bump.

Briefly about pathology

Somnambulism or sleepwalking is a type of sleep disorder manifested by unconscious bouts of sleepwalking. Children, most often boys, suffer from the disease.

Who are sleepwalkers? These are people who walk in their sleep. A sleeping person suddenly gets up, walks somewhere, performs various actions, or simply sits on the bed. At the same time, the eyes are wide open, but the gaze is empty, there are no emotions, all movements are somewhat inhibited. The patient does not hear the questions that are asked to him, but he himself may mutter something.

The duration of the attack ranges from a few seconds to 30-40 minutes. It ends spontaneously, the person can return to bed, or fall asleep in another place. In the morning, the sleepwalker remembers nothing about the night walk.

Other symptoms of the disease are sleep anxiety, smacking, trembling of limbs, talking in sleep. A sleepwalker can eat and drink, although not always edible things.

Causes

Attacks of sleepwalking occur during the deep sleep phase and occur several times a week or month, but not daily.

Causes:

• increased excitability and susceptibility of the central nervous system - the brain continues to work actively even at night, during sleep;
• unfavorable psycho-emotional situation in the family;
• prolonged viewing of TV, computer games, communication on social networks, especially before bedtime;
• genetic predisposition;
• a significant increase in temperature during illness;
• migraine attacks, epilepsy.

In childhood, sleepwalking is often accompanied by other disorders - urinary incontinence, neuroses, obsessive states, tics, restless legs syndrome.

In adults, somnambulism is secondary; the disease develops against the background of other pathologies.

Causes of sleepwalking in adults:

• frequent stress and lack of sleep, severe emotional shock;
• migraine;
• neuroses, panic attacks, epilepsy;
• tumors, brain aneurysm, traumatic brain injury;
• senile dementia, Parkinson's disease;
• severe forms of arrhythmia;
• apnea;
• nocturnal attacks of bronchial asthma;
• diabetes;
• magnesium deficiency, eating heavy food before bed, alcohol and drug addiction;
• taking sedatives, sleeping pills, and antipsychotics.

In women, somnambulism often occurs during pregnancy and menstruation.

The physiological cause of sleepwalking is that during sleep the inhibition function does not extend to the area of ​​the brain that is responsible for motor activity.

Sleepwalkers have dulled all types of feelings and instincts. They can walk on the roof, jump out of a window, use sharp objects, and often cause harm to themselves or others.

You cannot wake them up - against the background of fear, other mental pathologies may develop. You need to carefully take him by the shoulder or hand, talk quietly, lead him into the room, and put him to bed.

Why is it impossible to wake up sleepwalkers, according to doctors?

I think you have heard more than once that sleepwalkers should never be woken up while they are walking around the house.
But do doctors agree with this opinion? In fact, experts in the field of sleep disorders research only half agree with this statement.

They claim that if you wake up a sleepwalker, nothing bad will happen. The person will not panic, and he will not die from shock or a heart attack.

However, doctors have a completely logical question: why wake up such a person? His condition after waking up will be similar to waking up after several annoying alarm calls. He will most likely be confused and then will not be able to sleep peacefully.

Therefore, doctors are unanimous in the opinion that sleepwalkers should not be awakened. The best option in this case is to take the person back to bed and let him get a good night's sleep. In the morning he still won’t remember anything, but he will be sleepy and rested.

But a sudden and unpleasant awakening is not the only reason why you should not wake up a sleepwalker. Psychologists and other specialists name additional factors due to which a person suffering from a sleep disorder should not be woken up.

What is sleepwalking and the reasons for its occurrence

Sleepwalking or somnambulism in medical language means “walking in a dream.” Many doctors claim that such walking occurs as a result of sleep disturbances.

Sleepwalking is a fairly common phenomenon in the world. Statistics show that no more than 3% of the total population of the planet suffers from it, most of whom are children aged 3 to 8 years.

Somnambulism occurs due to the fact that the nervous system during sleep cannot cope with the part of the brain responsible for movement. Sleepwalkers can easily get out of bed and perform various activities. As a rule, after waking up completely, a person does not remember what happened during the night.

The causes of sleepwalking have not been studied so thoroughly. Many people are sure that this is just a rare disease. However, doctors say that somnambulism is a type of mental disorder.

In adults, the causes of the disorder may be due to:

• chronic diseases;
• lack of sleep;
• insomnia;
• increased emotionality.

It is worth noting that somnambulism can be transmitted genetically. Also, the causes of the disorder include pathologies such as alcohol abuse, epilepsy, head injuries, etc. Childhood sleepwalking is mainly provoked by phobias, worries, and stressful situations.

TOP 5 reasons why sleepwalkers should not be woken up

All the reasons described below why you should not wake up a sleepwalker are not a medical indication. However, from the point of view of logic, psychology and medicine, they should be taken into account in order to avoid negative consequences.

It turns out that waking up a sleepwalker is not dangerous to his life, but it can greatly frighten or upset a person. Therefore, doctors advise not to wake a person unless absolutely necessary. Although there are also specialists who are sure that it is necessary to wake up, otherwise the person may be injured.

Let's analyze whether it is still necessary to wake up the sleepwalker.

Sleepwalking in adults

However, quite often somnambulism is associated with the influence of the Moon on humans, but there is no scientifically proven evidence for this. Experts believe that we, without knowing it, are highly dependent on the Moon, especially at the moments of the full Moon and perigee (this is the point of the Moon’s closest proximity to the Earth).

In fact, sleepwalking is not a rare mental illness, as many people tend to believe. Sleepwalking is a type of nervous disorder that mostly affects teenagers and young children. Among the adult population, sleepwalkers are quite rare - 1 in 1000. Approximately 2 percent of the adult population of the Earth sleepwalk from time to time.

Is it worth waking up a sleepwalker while traveling: arguments for and against

ra I believe that, having weighed all the pros and cons, in the future it will be easier for you to decide whether you need to wake up a person during his hikes at night.

One thing is clear: there is no universal recommendation for those who experience sleepwalking. In every situation, you need to act thoughtfully so as not to harm the sleepwalker himself.

A real-life story about why a sleepwalker sometimes needs to be woken up

One of my friends has suffered from sleepwalking since adolescence. Now she is 35, and she still sometimes gets up in the middle of the night without realizing what she was doing. Her husband is used to this behavior, but he sleeps very lightly and often helps her return to bed to finish her dreams. He never woke her up because he thought it would cause her a lot of stress.

But last year the script had to be changed. One day, a friend of mine, in the middle of the night, while sleeping, went to the kitchen to drink water. As a result, she accidentally broke a glass, and could easily have been injured if her husband had not arrived in time. He woke her up and helped her collect the pieces. Only after making sure that there was no glass on the woman’s body did they go to bed.

I think in such a situation, waking him up was the best solution.

Why shouldn't you wake up sleepwalkers?

“I woke up from the neighbor’s doorbell”: why do sleepwalkers walk around at night?

“At night he talked about what happened during the day”

A resident of the Kamsko-Ustinsky district, Khabibrakhman Rakhimov (name changed), woke up several times in unexpected places.
“This happened to me several times in the early 2000s. I was already working then and was married. I loved reading books, even when I was able to just talk with interesting, good people, I could think about it for a long time after the meeting. Perhaps the nocturnal wanderings could be associated with increased sensitivity. One day I woke up under the table; my family was away at the time. I still don’t understand how I ended up there.

The second incident happened in the same year. I left the house and turned on the lights everywhere. Woke up in a barn. I went home and looked at the clock – it was half past one in the morning. Why I went out, what I did - I don’t remember anything. Having calmed down, I went to bed and fell asleep again.

When I was young, I talked in my sleep all the time. At night he talked about what happened during the day. In the morning, my parents told me what I told them about at night, and more than once I caught myself thinking that all this happened to me the previous day. With age, such antics faded away. Apparently, “these same ones” got old and retired,” Khabibrahman jokes.

“I woke up to the neighbor’s doorbell ringing”

Naberezhnye Chelny resident Elena Islamova spoke about how during her school years she almost broke into her neighbors’ apartment at night.

“This happened when I was still in 10th grade, probably. Now I'm 35 years old. Of course, I don’t remember how it all happened. I got up from my bed, left the room, unlocked the wooden door, then the iron one, left the apartment and headed down the corridor to the neighbors. We have four apartments on one floor. We lived in apartment four, and to get to apartment no. 2, I had to go through the corridor.

I woke up from a ringing sound at the next door. I stood barefoot in my nightgown in front of the door. From there they ask me: “Who is this?” I hear this voice, but I don’t understand what they are telling me. Suddenly I saw that my mother was standing behind me and said: “Lena, what are you doing here?” From that moment on I remember everything. I replied that I wanted to borrow either salt or flour from a neighbor, and quickly ran home.

Something similar happened after the birth of my first child. Maybe pregnancy also played a role here. My husband told me how it happened. I woke up at night and, singing a lullaby, began to lull my pillow to sleep. At the same time, the baby calmly continued to sleep in his crib. I woke up because my husband asked: “What are you doing?” Then my husband was very scared, of course.

This never happened again; sleepwalking is not observed in children,” Elena shared her story.

“I woke up in the bathroom this morning”

Resident of Kazan Landysh Khusainova:

“One day I woke up in my room. It was as if she had woken up, but in reality she was probably asleep. I really wanted to leave the room. I climb the wall, painfully looking for a way out, but the door is never found. Later I wake up in my bed as if nothing had happened.

I also have this habit: I get up at night, my eyes closed, and start eating. There must be some food in my mouth, then I calm down and go to bed.

There was such a case in Kazan: I felt cold. I want to cover myself with a blanket, I search hard, but I can’t find it. I open my eyes and see a white light through the open door, but the door doesn’t budge, I can’t get out, I’m very cold. This morning I woke up on the bathroom floor. How I ended up there remains a secret. I know one thing: on the tiled floor I was chilled to the bone.

And there is also such a concept as “hen bastyru”; scientifically, this condition is also called “sleep paralysis.” This probably doesn’t apply to sleepwalking, but this happened to me several times. I was conscious, I understood what was happening, my eyes were open, but I couldn’t make a sound, I couldn’t call for help. It’s as if someone or something is strangling me, it’s hard for me to breathe, I want to call my mother and father, but I understand that no one will hear me. I heard somewhere that in such cases the genies need to be scolded. I want to do this, but the words won't come out of me. Then it started to let go of me. After something like this, it’s very difficult to calm down and fall asleep again.”

“My son got up in the middle of the night and went out onto the balcony.”

Naberezhnye Chelny resident Alina Ganiullina (name changed) talked about how her eight-year-old son walks at night.

“Sleepwalking occurs due to disruptions in the nervous system. It is more common in children and disappears during adolescence. Explained as a person waking up at night. At the same time, the person’s eyes are open, it seems like he’s waking up, but in fact he continues to sleep, and the next morning he doesn’t remember anything about it. The child gets up, walks around the house, sits, talks and at the same time makes movements, as if collecting something.

My son gets up at night and collects something from the bed. One night he got up and went out onto the balcony. Fortunately, the balcony windows were closed; I left only the door to the balcony open. I woke up and heard him leave. With age, such walks became less and less frequent; as a child, he woke up several times a week.”

“I started screaming: “Give me candy!”

Firaniya Khabibullina (name changed), Kazan:

“I was about 11-12 years old. I remember this incident only from my mother’s story. I woke up and got up. Mom came up and asked: “Daughter, what happened?” And I started shouting: “Give me candy!” Mom went to the kitchen for some candy and brought a caramel, which I quickly unwrapped and devoured in five seconds. Then she lay down on the bed and fell asleep. In the morning, of course, I didn’t remember anything.

As a child, a similar situation happened to my grandmother in the village. She got up, went outside, then went out the gate and walked towards the neighboring village. She managed to go a decent distance, and either her mother or her sister came up behind her. The grandmother was calmly turned around and returned home.

One day my brother fell asleep during the day. In the evening he woke up and asked me: “Where are the documents?” “What other documents?” - I asked in surprise. He said: “Which need to be signed.” When I didn't answer him, he started yelling at me. I was preparing my homework, got scared and slipped him the first piece of paper that came to hand. He took it, made a movement with his hands as if he was signing, and gave it back to me. Then he lay back down and fell asleep as if nothing had happened.

“The child needs to be quietly taken by the hand and returned to bed.”

Neurologist at the Republican Clinical Children's Hospital Liliya Salikhova:

— Another name for sleepwalking is somnambulism, night walking, which is considered a type of neurosis. In this state, the child gets up at night and walks. Sleepwalking occurs when a child has neurotic disorders. The development of sleepwalking is promoted by anxiety, excessive impressionability, stressful situations such as parental divorce, conflicts in the family, in class or with friends, or even excessive workload at school.

It is not sleepwalking itself that can be inherited, but disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, if any of the parents have them. The father or mother could have other types of neurotic disorders, for example, nervous tics or enuresis.

The danger of sleepwalking is that the child may trip, fall, collide with objects, get hurt, or leave the room or even the apartment or house. If parents feel that the child has gotten up at night, they need to quietly take him by the hand and return him to bed. You cannot wake up the child or shout at him. This can cause severe fright and subsequent stress.

If a child has experienced somnambulism at least once, this should alert parents. This means that he is experiencing stress or is very worried about something. You need to find this stress factor; it could be simple overwork at school. It is important to try to remove this factor.

If night walking is repeated many times, you need to consult a neurologist. The doctor will prescribe medications that calm the nervous system: glycine, magne-B6, valerian, tenoten. They are prescribed for a month. We advise you to go to a psychologist. In case sleepwalking recurs very often, but a neurologist needs to undergo an electroencephalogram (EEG) to exclude the possibility of a latent form of epilepsy.

“Epilepsy and somnambulism go side by side”

Head of the Neurology Department of the Republican Clinical Hospital Marat Khairullov:

— We work with people over 18 years of age. Sleepwalkers usually do not come to us themselves. They are brought to us either by relatives, parents, or by experts, for example, from the military commissariat.

Sleepwalking is a sleep phase disorder. The person wakes up, but not completely. He often walks around the house, then lies down again, or someone at home may put him down. They rarely go outside. If this happens in a dormitory, for example among young people, it can cause ridicule or even bullying from peers.

Sleepwalking is rarely observed in older people; children and adolescents are more susceptible to it. Adults can walk at night under the influence of any medications or due to other illnesses. Sleepwalking can occur due to lack of normal sleep, prolonged consumption of alcohol, and elevated body temperature. The causes of such conditions are still being studied because we do not yet fully know the secrets of the human brain.

There is also such a serious disease as epilepsy, which can also be characterized by night walking. Sleepwalking may be a component of epilepsy. For example, a person has an epileptic seizure and begins to walk. Epilepsy and somnambulism go hand in hand, so a specialist must be able to distinguish a sleepwalker from an epileptic.

Parents may not tell their child about sleepwalking and epilepsy; this also happens. Later the person learns about this from his peers.

The patient can be examined in the hospital and treated at home. A polysomnography study will help identify the disease. Treatment built