By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    grief
    Coping With Depression from Loss After a Preventable Accident
    November 14, 2024
    medical research
    The Key to Medical Progress in Clinical Trials
    March 13, 2025
    HIPPA compliance
    How Medical Office Staff Can Make Your Practice HIPAA Compliant
    October 29, 2021
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Image
    Emergency Room – Don’t Use It For Primary Care!
    March 19, 2013
    Encouraging Medicare News From Senate Republicans
    March 17, 2012
    chronic disease
    Lifestyles Cause Most Serious Disease and Deaths
    May 25, 2013
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Adult Sleepwalking: How It Impacts Your Life And What To Do About It
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Insomnia > Adult Sleepwalking: How It Impacts Your Life And What To Do About It
InsomniaUncategorizedWellness

Adult Sleepwalking: How It Impacts Your Life And What To Do About It

Caitlin Evans
Caitlin Evans
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Sleepwalking looks like something we only see in horror movies or comedies, but it is a very real problem. More than eight million Americans are prone to sleepwalking, and some of them experience two episodes of nighttime ambulation per month. 

Contents
  • The impact of sleepwalking on your life
  • Symptoms, causes, and diagnosis of nighttime ambulation
  • Living with sleepwalking and treating the condition
  • Final word

During episodes, sleepwalkers usually find themselves waking somewhere outside their bed  and not being sure how they ended up there. Some people can even end up outside of their house, and in rare cases, some sleepwalkers can get in their car and drive away. Other than getting you into awkward situations, sleepwalking can affect your overall quality of life. So, let’s talk about the consequences this condition can have and how you can handle it. 

The impact of sleepwalking on your life

Sleepwalking, a parasomnia that involves a series of complex behaviors that happen during arousals from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase, is a potentially serious condition that can affect both physical and mental health. A 2013 study found a high frequency of depression, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and anxiety in persons who sleepwalk compared to those who don’t. Study results show that more than half of sleepwalkers have violent episodes, including causing injuries to their bed partners.  

Also, they’re at serious risk of injury during episodes, considering they’re unaware of what they’re doing or where they are. 

More Read

tips to treat back pain
Look After Your Back And Your Back Will Look After You
Rationing the Doctor’s Time
The 7 Health Benefits of Yoni Eggs
When Can Genetic Carrier Screening Be Performed?
How Does Fat Leave Your System When You Lose Weight?

All of this can be stressful. Knowing that you can wander off in your sleep or become violent or hurt yourself can discourage you from traveling and even starting a relationship. Furthermore, doing things in your sleep can affect the very quality of your sleep and make you tired and dysfunctional the next day. 

Symptoms, causes, and diagnosis of nighttime ambulation

Sleepwalkers sometimes go back to their bed as if nothing happened at all. So, if you suspect you might be walking in your sleep, pay attention to the following symptoms:

  • You feel disoriented or confused right after you wake up.
  • You have problems functioning during the day.
  • You have sleep terrors.
  • Your partners or someone from your household tells you that you did or said something you don’t remember during the night. 

Scientists are still not clear about what causes nighttime ambulation, but some of the potential triggers for sleepwalking could be mental disorders, poor lifestyle habits, genetics, medical conditions, stress, restless leg syndrome, sleep routine disruption, and medication.

It is always recommended to talk to your doctor if you suspect you’re a nighttime walker. The doctor will review your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will help determine if you have another condition that you’ve confused with sleepwalking. It would be a good thing to take your partner or a household member to the appointment with you because they can shed some light on your sleep behavior. 

If all of this is not enough, you can subject yourself to a nocturnal sleep study. This means staying overnight in a sleep lab so that the experts can monitor the oxygen levels in your blood, the brain waves, breathing, and heart rate. 

Living with sleepwalking and treating the condition

Medical treatment is not always necessary for sleepwalkers. Usually, it’s enough to adapt to your condition by making certain lifestyle changes, such as:

  • Establish a relaxing bedtime routine which includes calming activities such as taking a warm bath or reading a book.
  • Identify the stress triggers and try to handle them properly (see a psychologist, do yoga, meditate…).
  • Avoid alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, and processed foods. Instead, maintain a balanced diet and stay hydrated.
  • Do not deprive yourself of sleep. Make sure you get at least seven hours of shut-eye per night.
  • Even if you follow all these tips, there is still a chance that you will have occasional episodes. That’s why it is imperative to create a safe environment to avoid injuries and accidents. Make sure your home is locked and the windows are secured so you don’t get outside. Sleep in a ground-floor bedroom. Keep all sharp and dangerous items out of your reach.

Sometimes, professional treatment is necessary. Here are your options:

  • treating a medical condition that causes sleepwalking
  • getting prescribed medication, such as antidepressants or benzodiazepines
  • seeing mental health or sleep professionals
  • Self-hypnosis is advised as one of the potential ways of handling sleepwalking. Of course, this requires learning from a trained professional and not from a YouTube tutorial. 

Final word

Sleepwalking can be a serious problem, but it is not taken as seriously as it should be. There is still no medical consensus on causes and treatment of this condition, and people whose lives are affected by it need to find effective ways of coping. This article provided basic information, but make sure to consult a professional to get a diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

TAGGED:sleep deprivationsleep disorderssleep habitssleep healthsleep hygienesleep issuessleepwalking
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Caitlin Evans
Caitlin is a medical student, bookworm and fitness enthusiast. She is especially interested in modern medicine and nutrition. Caitlin is a huge supporter of ''knowledge sharing is caring'' philosophy, so she enjoys blogging about medicine and wellness related topics whenever she gets a chance.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Home Health

How To Keep Home Healthcare Workers Safe And Secure

October 16, 2018
SpecialtiesWellness

The Surprising Connection Between the Microbiome and Childhood Development

July 30, 2018
rare disease caregiver
Home HealthWellness

Why Rare Disease Caregivers Inspire Me

November 19, 2013

Patient Centricity – It’s Time for a New Focus

May 9, 2016
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?