As many parents do before heading off to sleep, I always check in on my kids to make sure they are OK. (At what other point in the day do they look sweeter?) On a few occasions, I’d find one of them sitting up in bed and appearing to be awake. After asking why they were still up, it became clear pretty quickly that they were actually still sleeping. It’s a surreal experience, but also a common one in childhood. The problem is when this behaviour happens later in life.
Sleepwalking in adulthood can bring on some strange behaviours in the night. Sunnybrook Sleep Specialist Dr. Brain Murray says some patients can not only sit up and walk around, but may do things like open doors, leave the house or drive their car. Underlying the risks people take when doing these activities in an altered state of awareness is another concern: sleepwalking in adulthood is almost always a sign of a bigger health problem.
The good news is treatment for sleepwalking is available and almost always effective. For some people, small behavioural and environmental changes can make a big difference. For others, medications can help. Click on my video to hear Dr. Murray’s advice and the importance of getting a proper sleep assessment. He also answers the one thing I’ve always wondered about: is it safe to wake up a sleepwalker? The answer might surprise you.
