Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder which mainly affects children and adolescents. Episodes usually occur during the first half of sleep, usually between midnight and one in the morning. A sleepwalker gets up at night, sleeping, and can walk around the house, open and close doors and windows and even talk.
During an episode of sleepwalking the person is usually with the eyes open, with the vacant and distant gaze. Some just sit on the bed while others stand, walk around the room or the house, go to the bathroom, strip or clothe themselves, talk or mutter nonsense, open and close drawers, doors, or windows. There are cases where the person can get out of the house, but they are rare.
Episodes of somnambulism can either be brief and last only a few seconds or minutes, as they can be long and last for more than 30 minutes.
The somnambulist does not communicate and has difficulty waking up when called. In fact, the idea that you can not wake up a sleepwalker it is nothing more than a myth.
However, if it is necessary to awaken the person to avoid an accident, one must do it calmly so that it does not frighten without necessity. If she does not wake up, she should be quietly led to her bed.
Usually a sleepwalker You do not remember what you did. the night before, even if you have performed more complex tasks such as opening and closing drawers, for example. In sleepwalking, motor functions are awakened, but consciousness is not.
Sleepwalking can have many causes. Among them are tiredness, lack of sleep, stress, anxiety, illness, sleeping in a strange environment, use of drugs or drugs, drunkenness, psychiatric disorders, among others.
The treatment of somnambulism can be done through medicines. Low doses of antidepressants and bedtime sedatives may solve the problem in some cases.
Another way to treat the disorder is to wake the person shortly before the times that the episodes usually occur.
To identify the cause of sleepwalking and receive advice on the most appropriate treatment, consult a neurologist doctor who specializes in sleep disorders.
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