Sleepwalking Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Sleepwalking disorder, also known as somnambulism, is a sleep disorder characterized by involuntary walking behavior while sleeping. A disease that is better known by ordinary people as sleepwalking is more often experienced by children. However, adults can also experience it.
Basically, sleep consists of five stages, namely:
- Stage 1: light sleep
- Stage 2: start sleeping
- Stages 3–4: deep sleep
- Stage 5: REM ( rapid eye movement )
This sleep disorder occurs when a person is in the deep sleep stage. It usually lasts about 10 minutes. People who have sleep walking disorder are unable to respond to anything or anyone while this is happening. They may also utter words or speak things that make no sense. When they wake up, they also can’t remember the incident.
Symptom
Sleep walking disorder generally appears when a person affected by this disorder has entered the deep sleep phase ( deep sleep ), after sleeping for several hours. The behavior of walking while sleeping varies, it can only be a short distance, but it can also go out of the house for long distances. When you wake up, generally people who experience it do not remember the events of the trip they did.
Apart from that, it can also be accompanied by symptoms of talking while sleeping, screaming, or committing acts of violence. When sleepwalking episodes are occurring, it is usually difficult for the person experiencing them to be awakened.
Reason
Until now it is not known for sure the cause of sleep walking disorder. However, the following things can make a person more susceptible to experiencing it:
- History of sleep disorders runs in the family
- Psychiatric disorders such as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder
- Lack of sleep
- Fatigue
- Anxious or stressed
- Consumption of drugs and alcohol
Diagnosis
In general, it can be determined through information from the patient’s family. Supporting examinations such as laboratory tests and radiological examinations are rarely needed to confirm this diagnosis.
In some cases, especially if the symptoms of sleep disturbance are not very clear, a polysomnography (PSG) examination is needed. This is an examination method to detect changes in brain waves during sleep.
Treatment
In general, there is no specific treatment for sleep walking disorder. If this occurs in children, most cases of sleepwalking disorder will disappear by themselves no later than when the child reaches their teens. The most important thing is to ensure that the environment in which the child sleeps is safe and that there are no dangerous objects around.
In adults, sleep walking disorder usually also does not require specific treatment. Improving the quality and quantity of sleep, for example by sleeping in adequate amounts of time (6–8 hours each night), can generally help relieve this disorder.
If sleep disturbances last for a long time, sometimes antidepressants are needed. This medicine is administered by a psychiatrist (psychiatrist).
Prevention
To prevent sleep walking disorders, practice sleep hygiene (healthy sleep patterns), including:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including holidays
- The atmosphere of the room is quiet and dark when sleeping
- Keep the television, computer and gadgets away from the bedroom
- Avoid eating too much, consuming caffeine, and drinking alcohol before bed
- Do regular physical exercise every day