What can you tell me about sleepwalking?

[GB]

I need to get some information, first hand or not, on sleepwalking.

As far as I know I have never walked in my sleep in the past. That all changed last night. My wife told me this morning that at 2am I got out of bed. She thought I was just going to the bathroom. After about 15 minutes when I had no come back she started to get worried so she came looking for me. She found me standing in front of the front door, asleep. I was just standing there with my eyes closed, sleeping. She took me by the hand and led me back to bed.

When I woke up she asked me about it and I had absolutely no memory of doing that. It kind of freaked me out.

The last thing I remember was watching TV. I remember noticing how awake I felt actually. Next thing I know I was waking up on the couch hours later. I went to bed and don't remember anything until the morning.

Can someone tell me about sleepwalking? Is there a possible reason this happened? What does it mean? Should I talk to someone about this or is it just one of those weird things, but is not really an issue? I have heard you should not wake a person who is sleepwalking, but I have also heard that is an old wives tale and is not dangerous at all.

Not having any memory of this is the weirdest part to me. It is very disconcerting. What if I had opened the door and gone for a walk?

OK give me your experiences if you can. I am really weirded out about this right now.

 

[Katie H]

Wow, GB, I can understand where this would really rattle your cage. The only experience I've had with sleepwalking is many years ago. My younger brother would get out of bed for no apparent reason and wander through the house.

We would follow him to be sure he didn't get hurt or, worse yet as you suggested, leave the house. He, too, didn't remember anything of the episodes in the morning. After a while, he quit doing it. We never sought any treatment, but I guess that was because my father was a physician.

Hope you get some answers.

 

[GB]

Thanks Katie. I am just glad my wife is a light sleeper so she can keep an eye on me lol

 

[Ishbel]

I was a frequent sleepwalker as a child - it continued into early adulthood - but then stopped.

My parents found me in the car once... How I'd got the door open and out into the garage was always a mystery. Sometimes I'd take a pillow and a blanket and curl up in the bath. Always a huge shock for anyone who found me in the morning.

More often than not, I just walked to the front door and stood there, and then my parents would just guide me back to bed. I had no memory of doing any of the things that occurred whilst sleeping, but just accepted it as normal that I could wake up in the (empty) bath some mornings!

My parents were very worried at one time, and I was taken to see a couple of doctors - including a child psychiatrist/ologist...., but they hadn't a clue why I sleep-walked. I just seem to grow out of it.

 

[GB]

It seems it happens a lot with children. Maybe I am regressing.

 

[Shunka]

GB, I had some instances as a child and a few as an adult. Many times it is brought on by over exhaustion, stress or worry. I have been able to figure that a couple of times (at least) were due to what I was dreaming about at the time. My husband even told me that I would get up and nurse one or the other daughter in my sleep when they were babies; I didn't remember it at all. Thankfully, I never went outside although I have heard of and seen people that did that. Thankfully they had a guardian angel looking after them!!!!

 

[lulu]

If it happens again I would get some advice. I used to sleepwalk a lot in my teens up till about 4/5 years ago (early twenties). For me it was definitely stress and pressure (how weird that life "pressures" semm greater at a time you have least, huh, lol). I was told I was ok as long as I did not put my self in danger. Because I used to go out side the house a lot my parents made sure the house doors were locked with keys removed, asnd the doors to rooms I could do harm in (e.g. Kitchen, the bathrooms with baths rather than showers in mainly) were closed, if not secured. I still got in to the kitchen and outside, because I knew where the keys were, but it was less often. Mainly I just found somewhere alternative to my room and lay down and "slept" again. I would think about addressing anything that is worrying you a bit.....easier said than done I know. Take care GB

 

[GB]

I read what you wrote to my wife Shunka. She said "well technically you ARE sleepwalking when you are nursing"

I have heard that about stress and exhaustion. That is what makes this so much weirder for me. The majority of my stress comes from work. This happened Fri night which is a very low stress night for me as the work week is done and I have the whole weekend to look forward to. This was not an overly stressful workweek anyway.

I often dream and have very vivid (and weird) dreams. I know early in the week I had some dreams that when I woke I felt very unrested because of, that that was at the beginning of the week, not the end. Last night I do not recall any of my dreams or if I even did dream.

 

[Shunka]

Your wife is very wise!! Yes, I agree with her!!

I find myself going through something like what you are, after all is said and done. That is when it seems to hit me. I am good in a crisis but a week or so after is when it hits me.

The very vivid dreams are what I was talking about earlier. Even very vivid thoughts will do it to you. I had to laugh at myself earlier this week; I was just starting to doze off and for some reason was thinking about throwing hay to my 2 burros. Both of my arms jerked as if I was actually doing it!! I was still awake enough that I realized how my thoughts played out from my mind to my arms and I started laughing. My poor cats and the one dog that sleeps with me must have thought I lost my mind (They really don’t know that happened long ago, lol!!)
Unless this starts to happen very frequently, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. But I would have your wife hide the keys, maybe!!!

 

[Alix]

I used to sleepwalk a lot. When I lived with my sister (I was in college), one night I got up and made orange juice in my sleep and apparently carried on quite a conversation with her. She knew I was still asleep because I was somewhat incoherent. LOL.

You'll be OK GB. As some others have said, its likely just stress and exhaustion from fighting germs. If you're worried, put a bell on your wrist to wake your wife. LOL.

 

[lulu]

Oh yes, the weird converstaions, like the time I was making breakfast and my father asked for a cup of coffee and I said "sure join the queue, but you'll have to wait til this guy has stopped hitting me"......I said it in french....my father cracked up laughing and I woke up....

 

[auntdot]

GB, I would sleepwalk but also sleep talk.

Would apparently talk to people and have conversations and would absolutely remember nothing in the AM.

Am generally a fairly quiet person but in my sleep was apparently quite loquatious.

Anyway it apparently stopped many years ago.

I would not worry about it unless it becomes habitual.

 

[FraidKnot]

I never experienced sleepwalking as a child but as an adult I had a number of episodes (the last being when I was in my mid-thirties, I guess). My first experience, I'm told, was when I was 23. I was standing at the end of the bed growling at my (now ex-) husband like a dog. That's quite fitting, actually, since he was a dog! (I have no memory of this at all.) Another episode or two had him calling my mother, who insisted I go to the doctor. They did some sort of test (memory fails me) where they attached electrodes to my head to measure my brainwaves. Everything checked out fine. The neurologist told me adult-onset sleepwalking is frequently caused by stress.

The last episode I experienced was about 10 years ago and was much more scary to me. I remember dreaming very vividly in this one. I dreamt I was locked in a boxcar on a train and I was screaming to be let out and beating on the door. When I woke up, I was actually closed up in my small 1/2 bathroom with the lights off. I was completely disoriented when I awakened but I managed to figure out where I was and find the light switch.

I had been beating on the walls. The reason I know this is I'd knocked the glass off the vanity and cut my hand in the process. There was glass all over the floor and blood on the wall from the cut on my hand. This was very, very disturbing. But it also occurred during another period of high stress in my life. I haven't had another incident since (at least, not that I'm aware of).

Fraidy

 

[kitchenelf]

Sorry GB I have nothing to add. I can only imagine how unsettling this is! Can you go ahead and get a few meals pre-made for the next week and freeze them since you're up anyway? Sorry, just trying to make the best use of time here! Hey, maybe it's time to get those furry handcuffs out and...

(go ahead - you can thump my forehead)

Edited to say - you know I'm j/k, right?

You seem to be the kind of person that would internalize a lot of stress from work. It's got to come out somewhere. I hope it is just a one-time occurrence. It would scare me to no end if it were me. You know I didn't mean to trivialize it.

 

[licia]

My dh has a younger brother that was really one for sleepwalking. He would usually walk to someone else's bedroom and just stand there. He never bothered anyone, but usually someone would just take him back to bed. It was a bit frightening to me when my children were small and he went to their room. Luckily he made enough noise that I knew when he moved about. I don't know if there is something that can be done about it. I had a friend who had a brother that would move his bedroom furniture about when he was sleepwalking - that was really a bother to them. I suppose they outgrow it.

 

[shpj4]

I did a lot of sleepwalking as a child - one time my parents found me in the kitchen having a dish of ice cream. They took me to bed and the next morning I didn't remember a thing. This continued for about 6 months and then there was no more sleepwalking. My mother talked to our doctor and he said possible stress.

I am sure there are studies on the subject and I can imagine how weird it must be for you to find yourself sleepwalking. Good luck.

 

[Bugs]

i sleepwalk.i don't remember anything either. i just get told about it in the morning. it mostly happens to me when i'm stressed out or have lots on my mind.

 

[licia]

I used to have a problem when someone called on the phone - I would answer and talk to them and not remember they had called. My sister said she could ask me questions and I would give the right answer, but I never knew she called until she told me later. I also did that when my dh was working night shift, but I was terribly stressed handling two small children then, so I think I was probably sleep deprived and very tired. I should have read the last couple of posts. Then I would know how my excess weight came about: I must be eating icecream in my sleep!)

 

[amber]

I've never walked in my sleep that I know of, but both my husband and I have talked in our sleep (meaning he talked to me when I thought he was awake and he wasnt, and the same for me), which is a form of sleep walking without the walking part. I've read online that when a person is sleep walking (or talking) they have open eyes sometimes, and a very blank, almost emotionless look to their face.

I've also read that sleep walking in adults is usually related to stress, and sometimes a lack of deep sleep. So I guess if you have some stress, your mind is still very active, which makes it difficult to get a good nights sleep.

I wouldnt be too concerned about it..it's not as if this is an ongoing problem for you.

Must have been kind of weird for your wife though

 

[corazon]

The last episode I experienced was about 10 years ago and was much more scary to me. I remember dreaming very vividly in this one. I dreamt I was locked in a boxcar on a train and I was screaming to be let out and beating on the door. When I woke up, I was actually closed up in my small 1/2 bathroom with the lights off. I was completely disoriented when I awakened but I managed to figure out where I was and find the light switch.

I had been beating on the walls. The reason I know this is I'd knocked the glass off the vanity and cut my hand in the process. There was glass all over the floor and blood on the wall from the cut on my hand. This was very, very disturbing. But it also occurred during another period of high stress in my life. I haven't had another incident since (at least, not that I'm aware of).

Fraidy

My husband had something like this happen to him a few months ago. He was at work, where they all have small private bedrooms, when he dreamed he'd been locked in a shipping crate. He remembers yelling and beating on the walls. Then waking up, standing there. I'm absolutely amazed he didn't wake any of the other firefighters (especially since they are all such light sleepers at work) or break the door down, he's a strong guy. Kinda scary.

Hopefully this is a one time stroll, GB.