10 Facts About Sleepwalking

10. There are different types of sleepwalking

The most common type of sleepwalking happens during the first third of the night in non-REM sleep. This type of sleep is a lighter sleep, and it usually does not involve dreams. The sleepwalking is then a certain state of wakefulness where the person acts out normal daily activities. The other type of sleepwalking is not actually sleepwalking at all. When a person sleepwalks during REM sleep, it is categorized as a REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). In this type of ‘sleepwalking,' a person is usually dreaming and acting out the dream. They may do so with their eyes closed.RBD can be an early sign of a neurodegenerative disorder such as Parkinson's disease.

If you have a little sleepwalker in the house, don't worry too much about it. The majority of the time children will grow out their sleepwalking episodes by the time they reach puberty. Adult sleepwalkers are usually influenced by medications, drugs, or alcohol, and may be able to establish good habits to stop the sleepwalking episodes. Talk to your doctor if you feel that your sleepwalking episodes are impacting your daily life.