Sleepwalking Experiences Are Different For Everyone
The concept of sleepwalking is very different for each person. There have been basic accounts of children and adults getting up from their sleep and doing things that they don’t remember. There are also more outrageous accounts of people sleepwalking and driving somewhere or committing crimes without remembering anything about it.
There is still a great deal that isn’t known about sleepwalking, but we do know it occurs during the stage of sleep when a person should be dreaming. This gives credit to that fact that people really may not remember what they do while sleepwalking. Some individuals only sleepwalk once in a while and others do it all the time. Parents often lose sleep when their children sleepwalk as they want to protect them from dangers.
Statistically, up to 18% of the population has experienced a sleepwalking episode at one time or another in their life. For children who will outgrow the problem it should go away around the time they go through puberty due to chemical changes in the brain. Boys and men are more likely to suffer from problems with sleepwalking than girls for women.
For those that do sleepwalk regularly, they may continually feel tired. This is because they body doesn’t really get the rest that it should. An episode of sleepwalking can last from a couple of minutes up to a couple of hours. For some people the issues of sleepwalking seem to get continually worse as they get older. Some children with this problem simply outgrow it though as they get older.
Some researchers believe that sleepwalking is the result of a hereditary gene, but this has not been proven. Others believe it has to do with the level of stress that a person has or their diet. Some types of prescription medications have been linked to possibly triggering sleepwalking episodes in people that have never experienced it before. For those that have, it can increase the length of their sleepwalking episodes ore cause them to occur more often.
There has been some research to indicate that sleepwalking is an early sign of mental health problems that a person may experience later in life. However, it is hard to really document this because so many professionals doing the assessments for mental health issues don’t ask about sleepwalking that has occurred in the person’s life. Also, since mental health problems can be heredity it can’t be linked only to the episodes of sleepwalking.
Sleepwalking Treatments For You To Try
Sleepwalking is an issue that many families have to deal with. It can lead to people losing sleep as they want to make sure they are protecting those that don’t seem to have any sense of what is taking place during those times. There are various types of sleepwalking treatments out there that people can try. Sometimes though the episodes are too severe to handle on their own.
For most people, sleepwalking really isn’t a dangerous activity. It is important to lock all the doors and windows in the home though. This is extremely important for children as you don’t want them wondering around outdoors while you are inside sleeping. You may find it is a good time to install a home alarm as an added precaution.
Since many researchers believe anxiety and stress can lead a person to sleepwalking, hypnosis may be a good source of treatment. It can help the individual unleash those feelings and freely explore them. Sometimes counseling or group therapy can help but if they person doesn’t realize the underlying issues they can’t successfully address them. With hypnosis though those feelings locked deeply inside can be reached.
Some people are able to self treat their sleepwalking issues as they recognize emerging patterns. For example some people find they sleepwalk after consuming alcohol or when they have been going on very little sleep for several days. Being aware of these triggers can help you make lifestyle changes to avoid them.
Getting your body in the routine for sleep can be helpful too. Establish a regular bedtime ritual such as reading a book or taking a relaxing bath. Try to go to bed each night at the same time. Get up at the same time each morning too even if you don’t need to be anywhere. This will help your body to determine when it is appropriate to sleep and when it isn’t.
Medication and restraints should be a last resort for sleepwalking treatments only after all other efforts have failed. While it may sound harsh to strap a child or an adult to their bed at night it may be the only way to keep them from hurting themselves due to sleepwalking. These methods should only be used when the sleepwalking is occurring almost every night and there is a fear that the individual is going to harm themselves or others due to it.
