Advice re sleep walking

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LittleMissAlx
LittleMissAlx Posts: 291 Member
in Motivation and Support
I used to sleep walk when I was younger - I'd wake up and find myself standing somewhere in my room and unable to work out where I was, which was scary. I never was able to get out of my bedroom door though - I think I'd walk into it and that would wake me up. I don't know why I stopped, but until recently, I hadn't sleep walked in years.

However, in the last month I have done it twice. The first time I was staying with friends and I woke up in a way similar to the way I used to sleep walk. Last night, I walked out of my flat door and down the corridor, completely naked, until I got to the lift, where I must have woken up, and obviously I returned to my room.

Waking up disorientated is bad enough, but obviously what happened last night is more serious.

Does anyone here suffer from sleep walking and have any advice? Or any idea what is causing me to start doing this again?

Replies

  • XtyAnn17
    XtyAnn17 Posts: 632 Member
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    Don't know but maybe if you can find some way to tie yourself in bed maybe around your ankle and to a bed post if your Turley worried about it, I know that may sound ridiculous but just until you find out how to stop it?
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    Wow, that's pretty terrifying. How about buying one of those motion detector alarms (real cheap from walmart) and placing it in front of your bedroom door. At least it might wake you up before you get outside into any sort of danger.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    I use to sleep walk/talk and it comes and goes in spurts I feel like.

    I'd say if you are worried about going outside again, tie some cans to a string and hang them over the door(like put the two cans on one side of the door, throw the string over and shut the door on it)... and that way when you open the door, they will fall and hopefully wake you up.

    I'd also talk to a doc and make sure nothing neurological is going on.
  • barbara4599
    barbara4599 Posts: 114 Member
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    I used to sleep walk occasionally too when I was younger. Until you get it worked out make sure you wear pajamas!!!
  • Krazy_Kat
    Krazy_Kat Posts: 212
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    That is scary. Maybe you could log the exercise.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    get some locks for your door so you can't leave your room.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    I have to disagree with all the suggestions of tying yourself to your bed, locking doors etc. I've been a sleepwalker since I was a child and the thing is you are often aware you are up and about but it seems perfectly natural. I usually wake up in another room and will have been dreaming that it's daylight and I should be up and doing something. If I put a lock on the door, I would simply unlock it as if it was the morning and time to get up.

    I absolutely hate it and have had to explain it to people when staying over. My boyfriend told me one day to stop waking him up to talk to him in the middle of the night... I had to come clean and admit I had no idea I was doing it and I was just sleepwalking.

    The trigger for me every time is high levels of stress. If I'm stressed during the day then I will more than likely sleepwalk at night.

    My advice would be to have a think about what could have triggered it and address the issue. For me I try to avoid watching TV straight before bed, not drinking caffeine too late on and sometimes doing a bit of meditation before bed.

    If you are particularly worried speak to your GP / family doctor - they may be able to refer you for advice.

    For me, I've just accepted it as I have never left my home, so don't think I'm a danger to myself. But it does freak me out when I get up in the morning and find things moved around my home (all sorts of things from pans taken out of the cupboards and put in the fridge to a full load of clothes loaded into the washing machine).
  • LittleMissAlx
    LittleMissAlx Posts: 291 Member
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    I've got locks, but unfortunately they only prevent people getting in, turning the handle from the inside is sufficient to unlock them.

    I'm really liking the idea about the cans - cheap and easy to do until I've got something else :) And yes, pjs are definitely a must from now on!
  • pandabear_
    pandabear_ Posts: 487 Member
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    I used to sleep walk a lot when I was younger. I sleep talked too, which I still do.

    Sleep walking is very scary. I think for me it was caused from being very stressed before I went to bed and so not being in a very deep sleep when I eventually slept. So I used to listen to calming music before bed. Basically just made sure I was completely relaxed.

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