How is...?!
Question: How is sleep walking caused? Lately I have been getting up and walking around then i wake up and i start freaking out.
Answers: How is sleep walking caused? Lately I have been getting up and walking around then i wake up and i start freaking out.
Um, I'm just coping and pasting some info I found. I didn't feel like typing it all out. lol I got it from a bunch of health sites. I hope this helps.
The normal sleep cycle involves distinct stages from light drowsiness to deep sleep. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a different type of sleep, in which the eyes move rapidly and vivid dreaming is most common. During a night, there will be several cycles of non-REM and REM sleep. Sleep walking (somnambulism) most often occurs during deep non-REM
sleep (stage 3 or stage 4 sleep) early in the night. It can occur during REM sleep near morning.
Genetics
Sleepwalking occurs more frequently in identical twins, and is 10 times more likely to occur if a first-degree relative has a history of sleepwalking. Therefore, it is thought the condition can be inherited.
Environmental Factors
Certain factors may cause a person to sleepwalk, such as:
* Sleep deprivation
* Chaotic sleep schedules
* Stress
* Alcohol intoxication
* Drugs such as sedative/hypnotics (drugs that promote relaxation or sleep), neuroleptics (drugs used to treat psychosis), stimulants (drugs that increase activity), and antihistamines (drugs used to treat symptoms of allergy)
Medical Conditions
Medical conditions that have been linked to sleepwalking include:
* Arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms)
* Fever
* Gastroesophageal reflux (food or liquid regurgitating from the stomach into the food pipe)
* Nighttime asthma
* Nighttime seizures (convulsions)
* Obstructive sleep apnea (condition in which breathing stops temporarily while sleeping)
* Psychiatric disorders, for example, posttraumatic stress disorder, panic attack, or dissociative states, such as multiple personality disorder