My mother is cleaning the bathroom in her sleep! Right now! What do I do? Do I just let her keep cleaning? I've heard you're not supposed to wake sleepwalkers -- is this a myth? Should I try to get her back to bed? Ack!
Sleepwalking this very moment!
- Thread starter thestrangequark
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From what i've heard, gently take her hand and walk her back to her bed. Again, that's just what i have heard.
I've read sometime that it is a myth waking up sleepwalkers is dangerous to them, but it may be to the one waking them because the sleepwalker might get frightened and flail around with his arms or so. I'd say, just watch her so she doesn't hurt herself.
^That was my sister's and my immediate thought: to just watch her to make sure she doesn't hurt herself. She's swept the floor and emptied the garbage so far...
Eh I knew a guy who sleepwalked up the companionway and onto deck in the middle of a gale. We woke him up.
Well, it seems to be over. She's gone back to bed. My sister and I just went into the bathroom; she put the laundry, plunger, and rug in the bathtub. It was pretty funny.
I wish I'd clean the bathroom in my sleep.
I wish I'd clean the bathroom in my sleep.
Should have videotaped and shown it to her tomorrow.
My dad used to make a cup of tea or coffee for everyone
Me, I just used to get changed and sit in the living room.As long as they aren't about to do anything dangerous, just leave them
It's said you're not supposed to wake them up, but I think that's more to do with the shock of being woken up while standing, and the disorientation that can cause, as it can often lead to accidents. I don't think it does any psychological harm to wake up a sleepwalker, except perhaps embarrassment and temporary confusion.
In a good way, she won't have to do any cleaning tomorrow. Perhaps you could explain to her what has happened, and ask her what she'd like to be done if you ever find her sleepwalking again in the future.
Ask her if she'd prefer to be woken up, or led back to bed, or allowed to continue sleepwalking while you keep a watchful eye over her.
If she'd prefer to be woken up, then how? Lights on or off? Your arms firmly around her or not? Standing up, or trying to force her to sit, or lay down first?
It is a fascinating behaviour. For one thing, the actions being performed by sleepwalkers are not chosen by the person performing them are they? It's behaviour void of free will. So is there any more free will when we are awake, or do we just become lucid sleepwalkers?
It's a form of sleep disorder, and usually the victi... I mean, patient, is completely unaware of their actions, and don't even dream of doing it (apparently much of it occurs away from REM sleep, the sleep of dreams ***).
Personally, I'd watch things carefully, and let her ride it out. If it becomes a problem, especially if she starts putting herself or others at risk of physical injury, consider seeing your family practitioner/GP, who may consider referral to a sleep specialist or neurologist, or even a psychologist. (I'm sure your mother and Holdfast would get along just fine, tsq.
)
[*** Yes, I'm a Google whore, but then again who isn't? I mean, we use it all the time at work...]
Personally, I'd watch things carefully, and let her ride it out. If it becomes a problem, especially if she starts putting herself or others at risk of physical injury, consider seeing your family practitioner/GP, who may consider referral to a sleep specialist or neurologist, or even a psychologist. (I'm sure your mother and Holdfast would get along just fine, tsq.
)I wonder if Tyler Durden (of Fight Club fame) was actually a somnambulist and not an insomniac? It would certainly make the story somewhat more interesting... and perhaps funnier.
[*** Yes, I'm a Google whore, but then again who isn't? I mean, we use it all the time at work...
]
Next time, direct her to your room to do a little cleaning up. Great fun for the whole family and saves you the time and effort.
When we fall asleep, the body is normally paralyzed so that we don't act out our dreams and move about in other ways. When we wake up this block is automatically lifted. In sleepwalkers it seems to be lifted during sleep so they can and do move about.
The reverse can happen too. I remember once when I woke up, this didn't happen, and I was completely paralyzed. Fully awake but I couldn't move a muscle. I just lay there feeling like I had turned to stone. The most I could manage was to open my eyelids, but even that was a real struggle.
You'd think something like that would be frightening, but it wasn't. So maybe as well as paralysis, there was a block on adrenaline production too? What else could I do except force my eyelids shut again and fall asleep. Then later on, I woke up normally.
The reverse can happen too. I remember once when I woke up, this didn't happen, and I was completely paralyzed. Fully awake but I couldn't move a muscle. I just lay there feeling like I had turned to stone. The most I could manage was to open my eyelids, but even that was a real struggle.
You'd think something like that would be frightening, but it wasn't. So maybe as well as paralysis, there was a block on adrenaline production too? What else could I do except force my eyelids shut again and fall asleep. Then later on, I woke up normally.
Ah yes, sleep paralysis. I've had that quite a bit. It terrified me.
This is really strange, but I've had the very same thing happen to me too. Usually it's triggered by extreme fatigue, and the first time it happened to me was following a return from a long haul flight from New Zealand back to the UK in early 2001. I got myself into an odd body position, and suddenly awoke completely paralysed - limbs, neck, eyelids, and most scarily of all my chest, meaning I couldn't breathe by myself. I was wide awake, and could hear everything including the radio by my bedside. After about a minute I actually thought I was going to die, and despite willing myself to open my eyelids and will my arms to flail about (they didn't) I gave up and succumbed to the darkness, waiting for death. Thirty seconds later, I woke up, panting, panicky, but grateful for being alive again.
It's happened about a dozen times since then, but less often now.
It's been suggested recently that almost half of all people who are in comas or 'vegetative states' are actually fully awake individuals, but are physically paralyzed to the point of not being able to move or communicate. It could be terrifying if you think about it, considering that some persons are in that state for years.
I'm thinking it might actually be wise in that situation to administer epinephrine blockers so that they if they are awake, then at least they're not going to be living in terror.
I've thought for some time now that brain scans of supposedly vegetative persons, could reveal signs of cognition and wakefulness. Also could be used to indicate the brain wave patterns characterising terror and agony, or happiness and peacefulness.
I think it would help carers to decide if withdrawing life support (or euthanasia) is a good or bad thing.
I think you're actually describing a medical condition called "locked-in syndrome" whereby a patient is awake and alive and cognitive, but due to a simple defect in the brainstem (e.g. a stroke) he is unable to move at all, save small voluntary movements. Arguably the most famous sufferer of this condition was Jean-Dominique Bauby, author of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Medically, a persistent vegetative state implies loss of cognitive function, but admittedly its diagnosis is controversial and requires plenty of testing with EEG, head scans and their responses to physical stimuli. It can be misdiagnosed in quite a few cases, though.
What ever you do, keep an eye on her so she doesn't accidently hurt herself. I recall reading some people falling down stairs, and one walking out into hte street and getting hit by a car.
Also, ask to burrow a hundred dollars. ;-)
Also, ask to burrow a hundred dollars. ;-)
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