Sleepwalking is properly defined as a sleeping disorder which leads individuals to stand up and walk around their home all the while they are sleeping. When an individual is undergoing the deepest stages of sleeping, these sleepwalking episodes most commonly happen. The sleep walker may be incapable of remembering the sleepwalking event, or of responding to anyone while the occurrence is taking place. Some sleepwalkers also speak incoherently while they are engaged in the involuntary activity. Although sleepwalking typically occurs in childhood, it has been known to continue on in to adulthood. This article discusses the various and sundry causes of sleepwalking.
A number of different elements can lead to a person starting the practice of sleepwalking. Sleepwalking does not turn out to be related to various other kinds of sleeping problems, such as being afraid of the dark, as anger outbursts, or as sleeping by oneself or with others in a room. Among the relevant factors leading to sleepwalking are medical conditions, environmental surroundings, and even genetics (traits running in families).
Medical conditions and Sleepwalking
There are a wide variety of medical conditions which could lead to sleepwalking habits. A number of them are listed out below, as follows:
- Fever, which directly impacts the nervous system
- Arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms)
- Nighttime asthma
- Gastroesophageal reflux (food or liquid regurgitating from the stomach into the food pipe, commonly associated with GERD)
- Obstructive sleep apnea (an event where breathing ceases temporarily while the person is sleeping)
- Night time seizures (also known as convulsions)
· Psychiatric disorders, as an example, panic attack, post-traumatic stress disorder, or dissociative states, like multiple personality disorder.
It is also observed that there are a greater number of cases of psychiatric disorders present in adults who sleepwalk than there are in typical members of the public. This does not conclusively prove that sleepwalking is in fact a psychiatric disorder. Greater amounts of research will have to be performed in order to prove the inter-relationship between mental illnesses and sleepwalking. What is known for certain is that a variety of drugs have demonstrated their propensity to cause sleepwalking. Some of these include anti-seizure medicines, stimulants, benzodiazepines (sleep inducing drugs for anti-anxiety), antiarrhythmics medications, and antihistamines (commonly used to treat allergies).
Environmental surroundings also can lead to sleepwalking practices. These include a wide range of different of elements. Some of them are listed below, as follows:
- Chaotic or unusual sleep schedules
- Hormonal changes induced by pregnancy
- Sleep deprivation
- Alcohol intoxication
- Hormonal changes caused by menstruation
- Physiological or psychological stress, which coincides with a body’s incapability of resting
- Hormonal changes brought on by puberty
· Drugs including sedative or hypnotics (drugs that encourage sleep or relaxation), stimulants (drugs which enhance activity), neuroleptics (drugs utilized for treating psychosis), and antihistamines (drugs employed in the treatment of allergy sysmptoms).
Genetics are a third factor in determining the causes underlying sleepwalking. It is true that many times, sleepwalkers prove to possess a significant familial history of sleepwalking. When a relative who is of the first degree possesses a sleepwalking history, then the individual has ten times the chances of becoming a sleepwalker than do typical persons. Identical twins are also more likely to engage in sleepwalking activities. It is understood that the condition of sleepwalking may be inherited, because of these above scenarios.
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