At first, the name. İn fact sleepwalking occurs while you are partly awake. They see around, avoid injuries most of the times. Sleepwalking is not dream enactment. They don’t act what they dream. Dream takes place at REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase of sleep but it is shown that sleepwalking occurs at NREM (Non REM) phase. Sleepwalking is a mixture of sleep and wakefulness.
Any factor which can effect a person’s good night sleep may play a role on sleepwalking. Noisy envoirement, sleep apne, sleep deprivation, sleep medications.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is also must be considered. These people are subject to motor discomfort which leads them to get up and walk around. Their first destination is mostly kitchen to eat or drink something. When this condition is presented to physician as having trouble to sleep, these patients are easly may be prescribied with sedative hypnotic drugs which then may suppress memory and judgment and cause sleepwalking. They get up with motor discomfort, go to kitchen to eat but doesn’t remember the night before becuse of the drug.
Sleepwalking is generally benign in nature and often temporary. Some temporary conditions like alcohol or a noisy night may lead to sleepwalking. Sleepwalking disappears when underlying temporary conditions no longer exist.
Sad thing is there is no treatment for sleepwalking. If an underlying condition can be recognized, whether it's sleep apnea, RLS, sleep deprivation, or whatever- sleepwalking is managable with the treatment of underlying cause. Otherwise it is recommended to organize the sleep envoirement in a way to lessen possible harms. Like locking balcony doors etc.
Sleepwalking: The Science, Cures, and Consequences
Bret S. Stetka, MD; Michael J. Howell, MD
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/866383
Summarized by:
Ömer Serkan Turan, MD