Sleepwalking not associated with the moon. Why is sleepwalking dangerous? Is sleepwalking dangerous?

Often, sleepwalking in humans is associated with the influence of the moon: supposedly this celestial body in a special way affects the triggers in the brain, forcing too impressionable people (mostly teenagers) to perform unconscious actions in a dream, while not remembering anything in the morning. However, this version has no scientific confirmation. So what is sleepwalking connected with, and how does it manifest itself?

What is sleepwalking and how does it manifest itself

What is sleepwalking scientifically? Sleepwalking, or natural somnambulism (translated from Latin - sleepwalking), is one of the violations of natural sleep. This phenomenon is quite rare, observed mainly in hysterical patients, epileptics and nervous children.

How does sleepwalking manifest itself in such people? The lunatic, disturbed by a knock, a rustle, the light of a street lamp or the moon falling on his face, a touch, or some other irritant, suddenly rises from his bed. He wanders with open eyes around the room or around the house, goes outside, performs a number of habitual or even unusual actions for him, after which he returns to bed and continues to sleep. All actions are performed by the lunatic unconsciously and, as a rule, are not remembered after waking up.

The simplest manifestation of sleepwalking: a sleeping teenager gets out of bed, heads to the kitchen and, after drinking water, returns to bed. This is not particularly surprising to people, since actions can be caused by thirst. The child does this unconsciously, not waking up completely, as he is overtired and overexcited by the mass of impressions of a hectic day - swimming, football, a brawl with a friend.

Look at the photo of the manifestations of sleepwalking in children and adults:

Facts about people who sleepwalk

But there are other manifestations of somnambulism described in medical practice. People suffering from sleepwalking in the morning do not remember at all what happened to them at night. For example, a girl goes to bed, telling her mother that she is very tired and will wash the dishes in the morning before leaving for work. In the morning it turns out that all the dishes have been washed. Both mother and daughter are equally amazed: they are alone in the apartment, the door was closed, and the work was done by someone. The girl does not even suspect that, having fallen asleep with the thought of washing dishes, she washed them in a sleepy state.

A vivid description of the facts of sleepwalking was given by the famous Russian scientist I. I. Mechnikov in his book “Etudes of Optimism”. A nurse in a Parisian hospital, a hysterical twenty-three-year-old girl, turned out to be a somnambulist. The doctor on duty observed the following scene one night:

“The patient goes to the stairs leading to the nurses' quarters; then she quickly makes her way back to the laundry room, but the door is locked; then she hesitates, changes direction, and goes to the dormitory of the hospital servants, where she used to sleep; she goes up to the attic floor, where this dormitory is located. Having reached the top landing of the stairs, she opens a window overlooking the roof, goes out of the window, walks along the pit in front of another nurse, who watches her in horror and does not dare to speak to her; enters back through another window and descends the stairs ... At this moment we see her, she walks silently, her movements are automatic, her arms hang along a slightly inclined body, she holds her head straight and motionless, her hair is loose, her eyes are wide open. She looks like a fantastic ghost."

What is sleepwalking and what to do with sleepwalking?

Signs of sleepwalking raise a number of questions. How to explain sleepwalking? Why are sleepwalking people able to pass through places where they would not be able to pass during the day? Does the moon play any role here?

The cause of sleepwalking is the excitation of nerve connections in the motor areas of the cerebral cortex in the inhibited state of the connections of the second signaling system.

Those actions and movements that a person who is not subject to somnambulism dream of are actually carried out by a lunatic. And since the second signaling system is in an inhibited state during sleepwalking, the lunatic acts unconsciously, does not notice danger, does not experience fear and freely walks along the edge of the roof, along the eaves of the house.

In the daytime, any of us can walk not only on one floorboard, but also on a railroad track. However, few will dare to go through and pass safely along a beam or along a rail thrown from balcony to balcony at the height of the fifth floor. The ability to maintain balance, fine and precise coordination of movements, consistency in the work of muscles - all this is largely impaired due to the awareness of danger. A sleepwalker, free from experiencing any feelings, will pass here just as easily as on one floorboard or along a rail lying on the ground.

In some cases, lunatics exhibit such dexterity and strength during sleepwalking that are inherent only in a good gymnast and are not even characteristic of a lunatic when he is in a waking state. This is explained by the fact that during the inhibition of the connections of the second signaling system, such ancient instincts are excited and manifested in the lunatic state, which were inherent in the ancestors of modern man who deftly climbed trees. When a person is in a waking state, these instincts are inhibited by a second signaling system.

The phenomena of somnambulism are in no way connected with lunar attraction, as is sometimes believed. The light of the moon can be one of the stimuli, along with sound, the light of an electric bulb, temperature changes, etc. It can become a trigger signal that causes disinhibition of the motor areas of the cerebral cortex.

Sleepwalking was called sleepwalking, probably because these phenomena were most often observed on moonlit nights. On moonless, dark nights, lunatics were naturally harder to see.

What to do with sleepwalking among loved ones, so as not to harm a person who performs some actions in a dream? What to do in those cases when a person is faced with the phenomenon of somnambulism? You can not scream or grab a sleepwalker if he is in a dangerous place. This can cause awakening, fright, and the lunatic will break. After waiting for the lunatic to pass such a place, you should carefully take him by the hand, take him away and put him to bed. People suffering from sleepwalking themselves should seek help from a doctor. Sleepwalking is treatable.

However, along with natural somnambulism (sleepwalking), there is also somnambulism caused artificially, by suggestion. This is one of the stages of hypnotic sleep.

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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 persistent opinion about the connection of this phenomenon with the activity of the moon. This opinion is erroneous, although the moon can still have some effect on the psyche of people.

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

If bouts of sleepwalking occur regularly, then you should consult a doctor. It is important to remember that sleepwalking can be a manifestation of quite serious diseases, such as epilepsy. If sleepwalking in a person is random, then he does not need medical help.

How sleepwalkers behave

Sleepwalkers usually get out of bed during sleep and begin to walk. They can perform 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 the somnambulist. Human movements will be slow and smooth. Although the eyes of lunatics are open, they do not perceive or hear anything. Often they feel that they are not at home, but in some other place. Waking up a sleepwalker is almost impossible. On average, such phenomena can be observed a couple of times a week.

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

Usually sleepwalking attacks are short, they last 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 mental illness. Actually, it is not. Sleepwalking is a type of nervous disorder. It should be noted that children and adolescents are most susceptible to this disorder. Among adults, lunatics are much less common - 1 person per 1000 population.

This problem affects only impressionable people with certain features of the brain. They tend to form foci of excitation.

It is best for such a person to consult a doctor and undergo a special examination. It will necessarily 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 calm and restrained. But, in fact, they are very emotional.

A person can sleepwalk even when he has a high temperature or he simply does not get enough sleep chronically. Sleepwalking in adults can also be caused by severe stress. Sleepwalking is quite common in children and adolescents. According to scientific studies, about 15% of children suffer from it. The child is mentally healthy. Most of the time it goes away with age.

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

In addition, it has been proven that sleepwalking can also be hereditary. If both parents are prone to somnambulism, then with a very high probability it can be assumed that the child also has it. It is not necessary that the child will get up and walk. Sleepwalking is also manifested by single movements of the arms and legs. Or the child may try to explain something to the parents, persistently ask for something.

Why sleepwalking is dangerous

By itself, sleepwalking poses no danger to humans. However, sleepwalkers during their nocturnal adventures can harm themselves or even others. About 25% of lunatics inflict various damage on themselves. 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 the harm to others, science knows cases when a person in this state even committed murders. It is clear that after waking up he remembered absolutely nothing, he could not explain his actions.

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

How can you help a sleepwalker

First of all, relatives of such a person should take care to protect him from various possible injuries. It is recommended to put strong bars on the bedroom windows. Do not leave electrical wires on the floor, as well as glass objects. Otherwise, the lunatic can be seriously injured by tripping over them.

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

All these measures will help protect it from negative consequences.

It is very useful to relax before going to bed, listening to pleasant calm music. You must follow a strict sleep schedule and try not to break 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.

Return to the beginning of the section Beauty and Health

“Look at the moon. What a weird look she has.

The moon is like a woman rising from the grave.

Dead Moon is looking for friends - dying people.

Oscar Wilde

The night luminary has always occupied the human imagination. Lunar ghostly, mysterious light inspired poets and artists, they bowed to him and attributed mystical power. The satellite of the Earth has long been studied in modern times, but it still excites people's minds. Many secrets, mysteries, events that cannot be explained unambiguously are connected with the heavenly beauty.

The ancients knew how strongly the moon influences the behavior of people. One unusual disease is associated with the night friend of the Earth - sleepwalking. The disease is so strange and mysterious that it carries a trail of legends, myths and prohibitions. One such taboo relates to the artificial awakening of walking people in their sleep. Why sleepwalkers should not be awakened, what dangers are fraught with this action?

What is sleepwalking

The word "sleepwalking" (or scientifically "somnambulism") comes from the Latin language. It translates as "walking in a dream." According to doctors, sleepwalking is a violation of sleep processes. The disorder is associated with a partial awakening of a person, and the reason for this is neurophysiological processes.

Somnambulism is a common phenomenon. According to medical statistics, 2-3% of the world's population speaks and moves in their sleep. And of the total number of people traveling at night, 8 out of 10 people are children.

How do we sleep. In a healthy person, after falling asleep, the phase of "slow" sleep begins, which lasts 1.5-2 hours. During this period, muscle tone is maintained in the human body, there are no dreams, the sleeper periodically changes his position. Then the REM sleep begins. In this phase, the muscles of the body relax, dreams come to the sleeper. Over the entire period of sleep, the phases replace each other and repeat.

How the disease appears. If the nervous system during sleep is not able to control the brain areas that regulate the movement of people, sleepwalking occurs. Academician Pavlov, studying this problem, found out that in the process of healthy sleep in humans, nervous inhibition covers the cortex and subcortex of the cerebral hemispheres. And sleepwalking people leave the subcortex of the hemispheres "stray" during sleepwalking.

Scientists were able to determine the moment of the onset of somnambulism, helped them in this device-recorder of brain bioelectrical activity (electroencephalograph). It turned out that sleepwalking begins at the stage of deep slow sleep.

The brain of a person prone to sleepwalking is partially active, the sleeping person moves in space, performs deeds, actions, and is even capable of a simple discussion. The sleepwalker's eyes open. A sleeping person hears, touches, sees, maintains balance. But the feeling of fear in people, when they sleepwalk, stops, it is weakened. Therefore, somnambulists perform dangerous tricks that they would never risk in a normal state. After waking up, a person does not remember night walks.

Why "sleepwalking". This term appeared due to the stable human opinion that walking and talking in a dream is influenced by the activity of the phases of the moon. Who are sleepwalkers according to popular beliefs? Mentally ill people who liked to roam at night, especially during the full moon. Such a statement is erroneous, although the Moon can influence the human psyche.

Causes of sleepwalking

Ignorant people are sure that sleepwalking is a rare mental illness. This is wrong. Somnambulism is a type of nervous disorder. This problem affects sensitive, impressionable people with individual brain characteristics. In adults, the causes of sleepwalking lie in:

Chronic fatigue. long stressful situations. Insomnia, disordered sleep. Prolonged experiences. Congenital suspiciousness, anxiety. Increased personal emotionality.

Recent studies have shown that the cause of somnambulism is also hidden in genetics (if parents suffer from sleepwalking, the likelihood of a child having a nocturnal disorder reaches 60-65%). Epilepsy is also the culprit. In this case, attacks of "sleep activity" begin in the morning, they are of the same type and require appropriate treatment. In 2 cases out of 10, the manifestations of somnambulism depend on physical and mental pathologies. These include:

Abuse of alcohol and energy drinks. Holding your breath during sleep (apnea). Convulsive conditions. Complicated migraines. Head injury. Neuroinfections. neuroses.

Children's somnambulism begins as a result of the immaturity of the nervous system, with age, sleepwalking disappears. Emotional experiences, childhood phobias, impressionability, stress, unpleasant situations provoke attacks.

In adolescents, somnambulism provokes age-related sensitivity (a period of crisis when the body is subjected to the greatest load due to rapid development). Often, sleepwalking is accompanied by enuresis (urinary incontinence) and nightmares. According to observations, boys are more prone to sleepwalking.

Features of the behavior of a sleepwalker

How do sleepwalkers behave? When a sleeping person is overtaken by an attack of somnambulism, and he begins night travel, his behavior changes. The movements are automated, sometimes smooth and soft, like a cat's. Looking into the eyes of a sleepwalker, you can see that his pupils are constricted, and his eyes are frozen and cloudy, unseeing. The sleepwalker does not always make active, long movements at night - in 4 out of 10 cases, he simply rises in bed, sits and talks. The state of somnambulism lasts from 5-10 minutes to 1-1.5 hours.

Most often, attacks begin at the beginning of the night (the first third of the night), less often during daytime sleep. If a sleepwalker is prone to walking in his sleep, accidents happen to him. A person confuses a window with a door and hurts himself, manipulates dangerous things, injuring himself, drives a car in a dream, having an accident, and often resorts to violence.

There is a well-known case in America in the 80s, when a man sick with somnambulism got into a car in a dream, arrived at the house where his wife's parents lived and killed them. The court found the criminal innocent, because, suffering from an attack, the lunatic did not remember and did not give an account of his actions.

Sleepwalkers cause unconscious damage to themselves in 25-30% of cases. Incidents are known when people climbed onto the roofs of houses, went swimming in nearby lakes, and went to shops. "Home" sleepwalkers wandered around the apartment, including household appliances, opened the refrigerator. In the morning, the sleepers calmly returned to bed and fell asleep soundly.

Clinical symptoms. The nature of sleepwalking is varied. In medicine, somnambulism is characterized by the term "parasomnia". In the clinical signs, doctors record the following symptoms, indicating a person's tendency to sleepwalking:

Restless sleep with twitching of limbs. Frequent swallowing, smacking. Screams and talking in a dream.

In some patients, attacks are repeated every night, in others they are very rare, they begin at moments of emotional upheaval, stress.

Can you wake up a sleepwalker?

It is better not to disturb the sleepwalker - this widespread opinion has a good reason. When a person, being in a somnambulistic dream, takes walks, his abrupt awakening leads to unpleasant consequences.

What happens if you wake up a sleepwalker? The sleeper may be frightened, fall and cause physical injury to himself. Being in a state of somnambulism, a person is aware and sees only the surrounding objects near him. If the human psyche abruptly passes into a state of consciousness, the body does not have time to respond appropriately. The sleeper does not have time to take the actions necessary for his own safety.

But if the subconscious works (it is this that controls a person in a state of somnambulism), it smoothly brings the body to a gradual transition to awareness of reality. The subconscious mind easily copes with such a task and safely, without frightening, brings the sleepwalker back to bed, gently transferring him to a state of awakening.

Is it possible to wake up sleepwalkers? Some attempts that are too active and noisy turn out to be unsafe for those who want to bring the lunatic to life. A sleeping person, frightened, is able to pounce on an annoying factor (the one who wakes him up) and inflict physical injury on him. If the awakening is too abrupt (with the help of clapping, loud noises, pouring water), such a shake-up causes a feeling of strong fright in the somnambulist. A person can become a stutterer. Sudden awakening even leads the patient to a heart attack and acute shock.

Is it easy to wake up a sleepwalker? Some "active sleepers" come to their senses from a couple of words spoken in a loud voice. But in most cases, it is difficult to wake up a sleepwalker - after all, at this time a person is in a deep sleep phase.

Rules of life with a lunatic

Do you live under the same roof with people who suffer from insomnia? You will have to awaken in yourself such qualities as attention, sensitivity, foresight and understanding. After all, the life of a dear and such a strange person depends on your actions.

How to protect your somnambulist from injury

Learn to calculate steps, analyze events and understand what details become dangerous for people who are in a state of sleepwalking. Tune in that every day you have a special preparation for sleep:

In the evening, clear the apartment of everything that interferes with movement. Remove chairs, electrical wires, carpets in the room of a person suffering from somnambulism. After all, when he walks in a dream, you can stumble over obstacles, fall and be injured. Hide sharp and breakable objects securely. Get window bars! It's not as aesthetically pleasing, but safety comes first. Close the front door and put the keys away (in a place that the sleepwalker doesn't know about). Turn off household appliances (if you turn on an empty microwave for a long time, it will explode).

It is forbidden! For safety reasons, tie the patient to the bed. It will bring nothing but severe stress, serious psychological trauma. The best solution is to seek advice and help from qualified specialists working in the field of psychology.

If a child suffers from sleepwalking, provide him with a quiet evening, take quiet games, read books. When falling asleep, complete silence is important for such children. Before going to bed, warm tea made from lemon balm, valerian and lavender helps to relax - it stabilizes sleep rhythms. Place a cloth bag of hops under your pillow - this herb has a calming effect.

How to wake people up during an attack

Don't risk waking up a person who is in a somnambulistic dream. Better help the sleepwalker get back to bed. There will be no resistance - somnambulists do not show aggression and obey. If you choose to awaken an active sleeper, do so in a safe environment.

To wake him up, you should whisper his name. Speak calm words, stroke your hand, touch your cheek until the person wakes up completely.

How undesirable to bring a sleepwalker to life:

Water. There is an opinion that if you put a bowl of water next to the bed, wet the bedside rug or put a wet rag on it, the sleepwalker, standing on the wet floor, immediately wakes up. alarm clocks. Arm yourself with 3-4 alarms and set them for every two hours. A person suffering from sleepwalking will have to turn them off every two hours, waking up. The deep phase of sleep does not begin and the attack does not come.

Whether or not to wake up a sleepwalker in a dream is up to you. And approach the question wisely, based on the situations in which the “active sleeper” finds himself. If he goes down the stairs, holding a knife in his hands, you should not wake him up, otherwise, being frightened, he will injure himself. But when the lunatic stubbornly climbs out the window, mistaking him for the door - here you should delicately prevent this by gently waking the person or taking the somnambulist back to bed.

Know that sleepwalking is not a terrible disease, many people live and cope with such a feature. The task of loved ones is not to shy away from mysterious individuals, but to try to help. Compliance with simple rules, precautions will help a person overcome and cope with an unusual illness.

Health to you and your loved ones!

The nature of the human body and mental state is still not fully understood. There are still many different secrets hidden in it, which should be worked on for more than one or two days.

Sleepwalking

(People are lunatics). - The problem of the impact of the change of lunar phases on our well-being and on the general condition of the human body in certain periods has not been fully studied. For some representatives of the human race in this period of time, an exacerbation of sleepwalking or, in other words, the active behavior of a person in a dream, when he can lead a truly active lifestyle, moving around the area and talking with others, is characteristic. The brain of the person himself is usually turned off and is in a phase of deep sleep. This passive-active behavior is called somnambulism in scientific circles. In principle, this problem is quite common, it affects at least 3% of the total population of our planet. Of these, about half suffer from such surges quite rarely, so it is quite early to raise a panic about your mental health. Now, if night walks have already become the norm for you, then it is extremely necessary to contact a specialist. After all, such manifestations of not entirely appropriate aggression can be the first signs of weight gain of some disease, for example, epilepsy, or the onset of a severe depressive state.

How do sleepwalkers behave?

In fact, you can determine whether a person is sleeping or awake at such a late hour simply by carefully looking at him. The gait is very slow and a little clumsy, excessive fluidity of movement, blurred eyes, fixed somewhere. A person is sometimes able to adequately answer the questions put to him. Usually such people do not need to be accompanied home. It sounds a little funny, but in fact, they seem to have an auto-radar in their head, which leads them to their starting position almost unmistakably. Whatever happens that night, the lunatic will not remember it.

Don't treat these people like crazy people. It is more of a temporary disorder of the nervous system. This is even more likely to occur with children than with adults, among whom there is one case per thousand people. If this happens, then with very impressionable people who are prone to nervousness and frequent experiences, as well as with those who have a genetic predisposition to such a disease as epilepsy. Such people should be especially careful. Such a tendency can be easily identified during the encephalogram.

The thing is that often our brain fails to timely disconnect from pressing problems and rest, as a result, we have chronic sleeplessness, which, against the background of constant daily stress, results in “sleepy vigil” or wakefulness in a dream.

Why is sleepwalking dangerous?

A sleepwalker is a dangerous person?

By itself, this process does not harm the layman, but a collision with the surrounding reality can easily hurt. This means not only that a person during such walks can hit the objects around him, but can also simply jump out the window or hit and injure himself on the glass. Although many unpleasant moments can be delivered to their surrounding people. History recorded even cases of crimes committed in a similar state. Therefore, if one of your loved ones suffers from a similar ailment, then you should treat this with all your attention.

Remember one important point

Measures against sleepwalking

That in no case should such a person be deliberately taken out of this somnambulistic state, since this can cause irreparable psychological trauma, lead to severe fright, even stuttering, as a result of such a shock. Therefore, it is important for people living next to a person suffering from sleepwalking to be prudent and especially attentive to surrounding things and details, to be able to calculate all kinds of risks and try to protect their loved one from possible danger. Therefore, daily prepare yourself for a whole ritual of preparation for sleep. That is, before going to bed, you should free the space from possible obstacles to movement, that is, remove possible wires, chairs, rugs, in general, everything that you can catch on and fall on.

If you do not live on the ground floor, it is best to put bars or strong shutters on the windows for greater security. It is important to free up space from possible breaking objects. Lock the doors at night, as it is not uncommon for people to go far on foot in a somnambulistic state, and some even managed to get lost. And no wonder, because when they woke up they didn’t remember anything at all. Some people practice bed tying for the safety of loved ones, but this can cause severe sleep shock. In principle, it is better to get competent advice from a specialist psychologist.

In general, it is important to provide a person suffering from night walks with a preparatory period of time before going to bed, during which he can calm down and relax, put his thoughts in order. To do this, you can listen to quiet pleasant, best of all classical music, take a bath with lavender, drink tea with lemon balm or mint and a little honey. You can read something light before bed. In general, the most important thing is to calm the nervous system of that person to the maximum. There should be as complete silence as possible during the first phase of sleep, when he is most sensitive. It is important to have more patience, as sleepwalkers are not to blame for this behavior. The "attacks" themselves do not last very long, about half an hour.

Of course, it is absolutely not easy to be constantly on the alert and keep an eye on the other. You can only advise to be patient and besides, be sure to examine your loved one for the presence of a possible development in parallel with some other ailment. Some sedatives can also be purchased with a doctor's prescription. In children, moon walks stop quite quickly, within a few months. In adults, relapses are periodically possible.

The most important is to understand the reason that worries a person and get rid of it.

Continuation:

Sleep disturbance. - Insomnia. Treatment.

How to fall asleep quickly and sleep well, peacefully at night?- Tips and tricks.

Tell your friends

20% of children and at least 1% of adults behave strangely in their sleep: they walk, talk, even move furniture. Some people find it scary, while others find it funny. In the Middle Ages, sleepwalkers were even accused of being connected with the other world.

What it is?

Somnambulism, sleepwalking or sleepwalking is a disorder in which a person performs unconscious actions. He can just sit on the bed, or he can do something complicated and very strange: for example, go outside and invite a passerby to have sex. At the same time, the sleepwalker's eyes are open, and he can even answer questions. But when he wakes up, he doesn't remember anything.

Why is this happening?

Why the brain gives the sleeper such commands is not exactly known. Previously, scientists believed that sleepwalkers do what they are dreaming of at that moment. But then Italian researchers found that somnambulism occurs, the brain falls into a paradoxical state: some parts of it are awake, while others are deep. At this time, the muscles are in good shape, and the person does not see dreams. The imbalance lasts for about 90 minutes. He probably causes bouts of sleepwalking.

Why do some people get this condition and others don't?

Somnambulism is inherited. If both parents have it, there is a 45-60% chance that the child will also sleepwalk. And a lot depends on the character: excitable and emotional people are more likely to suffer from sleepwalking.

In children, somnambulism is associated with the characteristics of growing up: an overly active endocrine system strains the still not fully developed nervous system. It goes away with age.

Surely you have heard the statement that you should not wake up sleepwalkers who walk at night, since such an action can lead to dangerous consequences. But is it really so?

Why do superstitions forbid waking sleepwalkers?

In ancient times and in the Middle Ages, when medicine was very poorly developed, sleepwalking was explained:

and as a sign of madness,
and as a result of the presence of evil spirits,
and as a divine rebirth of man.

In this regard, people were afraid to approach sleepwalkers, fearing that they would suffer the same fate. Also, sleepwalking was associated with the influence of the full moon (hence the name), but later scientists refuted this theory.

To limit their communication with a person suffering from sleepwalking, he was tied to a bed, a basin of cold water was placed near it, or a wet rug was placed. All these actions were aimed at waking up the person and preventing him from walking around at night in a strange state.

The ban on waking such people was explained by a number of negative consequences. It was believed that during awakening, a lunatic might even die or, being under the influence of evil forces, attack others.

Does modern medicine recognize sleepwalking?

According to science, sleepwalking is correctly called somnambulism, and it should be understood as only one type of sleep disorder. It occurs in the deep stage of non-REM sleep and can last for 30 seconds or even 30 minutes. But it happens that people walk at night in a state of somnambulism for several hours in a row.

From the point of view of physiology, somnambulism is an incomplete awakening, when one part of the brain wakes up, while the other continues to be in a sleeping state. Therefore, all the actions that sleepwalkers carry out are usually unconscious and not always rational (for example, sometimes they crawl out onto the roofs of houses, exposing themselves to mortal danger).

What do sleepwalkers do in their sleep?

In a state of somnambulism, a person usually calmly moves around the premises with open eyes and an eerie, frozen look.

Contrary to popular belief, sleepwalkers do not walk around with their arms outstretched in front of them like zombies, but they can perform different actions:

dress;
visit the toilet;
cook and eat;
to shift or carry things;
to go out;
get behind the wheel of a car and drive.

However, people who sleepwalk usually do not enter into social contacts, they may not even notice that someone else is in the room. Only in rare cases, they can respond to the appeal with unintelligible mutterings or simple short phrases.

The next morning after awakening, the lunatic usually does not remember that he took night walks, although he may feel tired and wonder why he is in different clothes or where the mud came from on his shoes.

What can cause somnambulism?

It is worth noting that sleepwalking is not common. It affects only 2% of the population, most of which are children. With age, episodes of manifestation of somnambulism become less frequent or disappear altogether. In the elderly, they practically do not appear.

Among the reasons why people walk in their sleep, doctors call heredity, as well as:

immaturity of the nervous system (relevant for childhood);
nervous excitement;
excessive physical and mental fatigue;
the presence of external stimuli that do not allow you to fall into a deep sleep;
diseases (Parkinson's disease, breathing problems, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, migraines, arrhythmias, flu or colds accompanied by fever);
cyclical changes in women (period of menstruation, pregnancy);
alcohol or drug intoxication;
individual reaction of the nervous system to taking certain drugs (antidepressants, tranquilizers);
mental disorders (more often observed in adults).

But since even the presence of all of these factors does not necessarily provoke somnambulism, there is still no exact answer why it occurs.

How to wake up a sleepwalker?

Doctors advise waking people in a sleepwalking state as gently and calmly as possible, since part of their brain is in a deep sleep stage at this time, and after waking up they may experience fright or a temporary cognitive impairment (sleep inertia).

If you wake up a sleepwalker suddenly or abruptly, he will be discouraged and will not immediately come to his senses (his state will resemble awakening from an alarm clock set at an unusual time, when there is no awareness of what is happening). Therefore, if there is such an opportunity, it is better to try to take him back to the room as calmly as possible and put him to bed.

But if you still need to wake up a sleepwalker walking at night, follow 3 rules:

Speak to the person in a state of somnambulism in the most quiet and calm voice. Harsh sounds can frighten him or even lead to a heart attack.
Try to touch the sleepwalker as carefully as possible, do not shake him and do not be on the cheeks. If he wakes up, he can evaluate this as aggression and rush to the attack.
If you can't wake him up, try to put him to bed or any other convenient place. When the person goes back to normal sleep, try waking up again.

Trying to help the sleepwalker wake up, in no case do not use basins of water and other folk methods. All this can scare the sleepwalker to death and lead to injuries.

Why can't the "journeys" of lunatics be ignored?

Do not ignore the manifestations of sleepwalking in yourself and your loved ones, as night walks can cause falls and serious injuries. People who sleepwalk may even leave the house and go in an unknown direction, after which they have to be searched for a long time.

To protect a person suffering from sleepwalking, it is recommended:

remove all sharp and potentially dangerous objects from the room where he sleeps, including pens, knives and guns, carpets and randomly lying wires;
every evening, lock the room in which the lunatic sleeps, or install a special alarm on the door that will wake him up;
allocate a bedroom on the ground floor for the sleepwalker to eliminate the possibility of using the stairs;
turn off water and gas at night so that the lunatic does not open the taps and turn on the gas stove;
turn off all household appliances so that the sleepwalker cannot use them (microwave, toaster);
install bars on the windows of the house so that the sleepwalker does not jump out of the window.

If somnambulism torments you every night and does not allow you to sleep, you should contact a therapist or neurologist. Currently, there is no single effective treatment for this sleep disorder, but doctors will be able to prescribe an additional examination for the patient and find out the possible causes of this problem.

If there is a suspicion that psychological problems are the cause of somnambulism, visit a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Prevention of somnambulism

If you want to prevent someone close to you from sleeping, monitor them for a week. You need to find out as accurately as possible when he starts walking, and on subsequent nights wake him up 15 minutes before this moment (on your own or with the help of an alarm clock).

But keep in mind that due to nighttime awakenings, a person can feel extremely tired and irritated. This method also does not exclude the manifestations of sleepwalking in other periods of the night.

You can also try to reduce the likelihood of sleepwalking with an integrated approach, which requires:

Organize a comfortable place to sleep.
Organize a stable regime of day and night, go to bed at the same time.
Ventilate your bedroom regularly.
Before going to bed, conduct soothing rituals: taking a warm bath, reading a book, using aromatic lamps.
Eliminate the influence of external stimuli (light, sounds, cold, heat, thirst, hunger, desire to visit the toilet).
Use all available methods of dealing with stress (change of activity, sports, massage).

But how effective these methods will be depends only on the individual characteristics of the person.

Video: what happens if you wake up a sleeping man-somnambulist?

Why can't you wake up sleepwalkers? This question often arises in those families where one or more people suffer from the so-called somnambulism. As you know, sleepwalking is a rare condition of people in which they perform various actions, but at the same time sleep soundly. In order to understand why sleepwalkers should not be awakened, let us consider in more detail how the behavior of a somnambulist differs from an ordinary waking one.

Distinctive features

Being in a state of sleep, but at the same time performing various actions, the lunatic looks as if he has already woken up and has been awake for a long time. This is due to the fact that the actions of such a person are quite adequate. But how to understand that one of your family members is currently subject to somnambulism? The fact is, a person is given out by his movements. Often they are smooth and slow. All actions that are performed by a lunatic at a certain point in time correspond to those movements that he dreams about in the same period. It is worth noting that a person with such a deviation can quite normally walk around the room, get dressed, visit the toilet, look in the refrigerator, as well as open a window or door, and even try to go outside.

Why can't you wake up sleepwalkers?

Surely each of you has ever heard that if you wake up a sleepwalker, then he can get psychological trauma, remain a stutterer, etc. But it's not. Moreover, in order to bring a person suffering from somnambulism into a cheerful state, it will take a lot of effort and time. However, there are also cases when people walking in a dream come to their senses after a few words spoken to them. Therefore, the question of why it is impossible to wake up sleepwalkers was initially posed incorrectly. After all, bringing such people to consciousness is not only possible, but also necessary, since in a dream a person endangers his life and the lives of those around him. After all, there are many examples when a sleepwalker tried to climb out the window to drive a car, etc.

How to wake up?

Having learned the answer to the question of whether it is possible to wake up sleepwalkers, another one immediately arises - how to do it right? The fact is that if you bring such a person to his senses while walking, then nothing terrible will happen. Just a lunatic will not understand what he is doing here and how he got here. In this case, you will have to explain to him what's what. That is why experts in this field say that sleepwalkers should not be awakened if at that moment they are in a dangerous place (for example, on the stairs, on the roof of the house, etc.). In such situations, a sharp awakening of a person, and subsequently his understanding that he is about to fall, may well lead to tragic consequences. Therefore, it is advisable to take the lunatic to a safe place or put him back to bed, and only then wake him up, quietly calling him by name.

Surprisingly, according to experts, on our planet there are only 2% of the population who suffer from somnambulism. Moreover, this interesting phenomenon has not yet been studied and it is not clear for what reason it occurs in certain people.