SLEEP-EVAL© RESEARCH

Sleep Epidemiology Research & Sleep-EVALTM Diagnosis Expert System

Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Journal

Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center (SSERC)

Psy-EVAL Research

 

"Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be counted."
 Albert Einstein

 

Sleepwalking

First created | 02/01/1994

Last edited   | 05/11/2012

Summary by Maurice M. Ohayon, MD, DSc, PhD

References to cite:

Ohayon MM, Guilleminault C, Priest RG. Night terrors, sleepwalking, and confusional arousals in the general population: their frequency and relationship to other sleep and mental disorders. J Clin Psychiatry 1999;60:268-76; quiz 277.

 

Sleepwalking is a series of complex behaviors executed during the slow-wave sleep

 

It occurs mainly during the first third of the night (2 to 3 hours after falling asleep).

 

Episodes range from simple behaviors, like sitting in the bed, to complex activities such as climbing the stairs, cooking, or going outside the house.

The episode may cease spontaneously and the sleepwalker will return to bed or lies down and continue sleeping.

Upon awakening, the sleepwalker usually keeps no memory of the episode.
 

Sleepwalking occurs primarily in childhood and normally ceases by adolescence.

The prevalence was estimated to be between 5% and 30% for occasional or frequent episodes of somnambulism in children.

In the adult general population, the prevalence of sleepwalking was estimated at 2% to 5%.

These studies showed that sleepwalking is not gender-related but is more common among younger subjects (<25 years) and almost never reported by elderly persons.
 

The most dramatic consequence of sleepwalking is the harm that sleepwalkers can inflict on themselves or others.

Cases of murder during sleepwalking episodes have been documented.

 

 

RESEARCH

 

The purpose of the present study was twofold:

     - to investigate the prevalence of sleepwalking in a general population; and

     - to identify factors associated with sleepwalking.

 

We used a representative sample of the UK population (N=4972) that was interviewed by telephone with the Sleep-EVAL system.

 

 

Results

 

Sleepwalking was reported by 2.0% (95% CI: 1.6% to 2.4%) of the sample.

 

Sleepwalking decreased significantly with age, but no gender difference was observed.

 

Multivariate models identified the following independent factors as associated with sleepwalking:

     - age less than 45 years (Odds Ratio (OR) 6.8 for 15-24 years and OR: 3.3 for 25-44 years),

     - subjective sense of choking or blocked breathing at night (OR: 4.4),

    - sleep talking (OR: 4.5), and a road accident in the past year (OR: 2.9).

 

Mental stress and specific life events have been reported to trigger or increase the frequency of sleepwalking episodes and night terrors.

 

We observed higher rates of stressful events and mental stress in the past year in our sleepwalkers, compared to the rest of the sample.

 

A finding of particular interest is the very high rate of past-year road accidents in the youngest group of sleepwalkers.

 

One can hypothesize that driving accidents play a triggering role in the appearance of sleepwalking episodes.
 

The numerous case reports in the literature of self-injuries, death or murders during episodes of sleepwalking attest to the potentially serious consequences of this sleep problem.

 

 

References

 

Content of this page is extracted from:
Ohayon MM, Guilleminault C, Priest RG. Night terrors, sleepwalking, and confusional arousals in the general population: their frequency and relationship to other sleep and mental disorders. J Clin Psychiatry 1999;60:268-76; quiz 277.

More Information

 

Parasomnias

Parasomnias are a heterogeneous group of sleep disorders that are not strictly speaking abnormalities or dysfunctions of the processes underlying sleep-wake states

 

Bruxism

Sleep Bruxism is an oral habit characterized by a rhythmic activity of the temporo-mandibular muscles that causes a forced contact between dental surfaces during sleep

 

Confusional Arousals

Sleep drunkenness, or confusional arousal, is a sleep disorder characterized by periods of mental confusion occurring upon wakening at night or in the morning

 

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep Paralysis is a transient and generalized inability to move and speak that occurs during the transitional period between sleep and wakefulness

 

Sleep Terrors

Sleep Terrors (for the sleep specialists, ICSD) or Night Terrors (for the psychiatrists, DSM-IV) are characterized by a sudden arousal from sleep accompanied by a panicky scream or cry

 

Sleep Violence

The violent behavior during sleep can be directed to self or  individuals, or objects or property, but is always unintentional

Sleep Walking

Sleepwalking is a series of complex behaviors executed during the slow-wave sleep

 

Hypnagogic Hallucinations
Hypnagogic hallucinations are vivid perceptual experiences occurring at sleep onset while hypnopompic hallucinations are similar experiences but occurring at awakening

 

Nightmares

Epidemiological data on the incidence of nightmares in adults or in subjects with psychological difficulties is scarce, yet this information would be of great interest