Overview of Sleepwalking

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Many people have heard of sleepwalking, otherwise known as “somnambulism”, and even know about symptoms that surround the disorder (National Sleep Foundation/ Sleepwalking, 2013, para 1). Some “symptoms of sleepwalking include: sleeptalking, occurring within the first few hours, little or no memory of sleepwalking, screaming, and actions of inappropriate behavior” (National Sleep Foundation/Sleepwalking, 2013, para 6). There is there more to the story than just waking up during the night and walking around in an unconscious state. Sleepwalking is a “parasomnia” (National Sleep Foundation/Sleep and Parasomnias, 2013, para 1). Parasomnias occur when an individual has an abrupt, partial awakening from deep sleep and performs “complex behaviors while asleep” (National Sleep Foundation/Sleepwalking, 2013, para 1). When discussing sleepwalking, one must understand whom most commonly experiences somnambulism, what causes it, ways to treat sleepwalking and techniques to prevent sleepwalking from happening.
Children are the ones who most frequently experience sleepwalking (Mindell & Owens, 2003, p. 270). It is common for many children to walk “staggered and clumsy with the child having a blank expression on their face” (Clements, & Kravitz, 2007, para 19). Most episodes of sleepwalking last around thirty minutes but durations can vary (Clements, & Kravitz, 2007). As sleepwalking becomes most prevalent in children between four years old and eight years old, it is found that about fifteen to forty percent of children sleepwalk at least once in their lifetime and around three or four percent of these children will have very frequent events of sleepwalking (Clements, & Kravitz, 2007). “Preschoolers and school-aged children” are the most likel...

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... http://www.sleepfoundation.org/ article/ ask-the-expert/sleep-and-parasomnias
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