Sleepwalking and Its Psychological Factors

Sometimes, people experience a peculiar phenomenon where individuals who are sound asleep suddenly become tense and fearful. Their eyes widen, their faces turn red, their hearts race, their limbs flail, and they may even sit up in bed crying or shouting for help. After a moment, they return to sleep and wake up the next morning without any recollection. If awakened at that moment, they may recall being in a nightmare.

This condition is known as night terrors, which are more commonly seen in children. Adults can also experience them occasionally, especially after fatigue or anxiety. Night terrors, in and of themselves, are not pathological but rather occur during the REM sleep phase when nightmares happen.

Some individuals suddenly wake up during sleep, put on clothes and shoes, rummage through objects, or leave the room. Most people return to bed on their own and go back to sleep within a few minutes, with no memory of the episode.

If awakened before returning to bed, they themselves are unaware of why they acted that way. This condition is called sleepwalking.

People are often amazed by sleepwalking phenomena. The general perception is that sleepwalkers stumble around like blind people, but in reality, their eyes are half-open or fully open, and their walking posture is the same as when they are awake.

It is commonly believed that sleepwalkers have unusual courage and dare to perform dangerous and terrifying actions. However, sleepwalkers rarely engage in activities beyond the norm, and aggressive behavior is extremely rare during sleepwalking. Of course, sleepwalkers may occasionally fall or injure themselves due to a lack of attention. There is also a prejudice among ordinary people that it is not advisable to wake sleepwalkers abruptly as it may frighten them.

In fact, sleepwalkers are difficult to awaken, and even if awakened, they do not go crazy but simply feel confused and puzzled. Some people believe that sleepwalking is actually acting out dreams.

The world record holder for sleepwalking is an Indian man named Pandit Ramlaha. He walked 16 miles along a dangerous road without realizing he had left his bed.

It has been confirmed that sleepwalking is associated with certain psychological factors such as guilt, worry, nervous tension, and other emotional impulses.

Sleepwalking is more common in children and tends to decrease in adulthood. Some epilepsy patients often experience sleepwalking, which can lead to various serious adverse consequences.

In reality, sleepwalking occurs in about 1% to 6% of children, and if children who experience sleepwalking only once are included, the incidence rate reaches approximately 25%. Generally, sleepwalking in children is not considered a significant problem. In contrast, sleepwalking in adults is much rarer but is considered a pathological behavior. However, if adults frequently sleepwalk, seeking medical diagnosis and treatment is recommended.