12 replies to this topic

[sarah_444]

Occasionally my son sleepwalks. The episodes are usually quick because usually i'm still awake when he does it and i take him back to bed.  
Everything I have read recently says that sleepwalks do not take place while you are dreaming - that it happens during a different sleep level. But when I watch him he clearly looks like he is still dreaming.
Tonight as he was getting out of bed I walked in because i could hear him mumbling incoherently and fidgeting and I knew he was getting up.  He got out of bed and started walking to the door but then stopped, turned around and went back to put something invisible back his bed that he was "carrying" (his hands were really empty) before heading back out to the bathroom.
I've heard of people doing other more interesting things in thier sleep, but if the things they do are not dream related - what's going on?

[orangepeaceful79]

Seems like he's dreaming to me.  Maybe sleep research is kinda fuzzy and has room for error?  Or every individual is different.  I know my mom has told me that I used to sleepwalk when I was younger.  To my knowledge I don't any longer though.

[Likely Guy]

Relax Sarah, it's completely normal. I was a chronic sleepwalker from about age 4 to 9. It subsides.

The worst scare for my parents was when I was about 8 and we were at a rural rodeo in northern B.C. I got put to bed in the camper, got up later and wandered around the bush for a while. I vaguely remember them looking for me (with flashlights), and me trying to avoid them.

They eventually found me fast asleep in the cab of the truck, no worse for wear!

You're 'awake', in a sense, and think that you're acting reasonably. i.e. Won't do anything to hurt themselves.

[with bells on]

my sister slept walked through childhood.. we just had to always hide the back door key from her, as she would be going out to roller skate..

[Kazahel]

sarah_444, on 18 November 2012 - 06:04 AM, said:

Everything I have read recently says that sleepwalks do not take place while you are dreaming - that it happens during a different sleep level. But when I watch him he clearly looks like he is still dreaming.
Tonight as he was getting out of bed I walked in because i could hear him mumbling incoherently and fidgeting and I knew he was getting up.  He got out of bed and started walking to the door but then stopped, turned around and went back to put something invisible back his bed that he was "carrying" (his hands were really empty) before heading back out to the bathroom.
I've heard of people doing other more interesting things in thier sleep, but if the things they do are not dream related - what's going on?

Hmm interesting. It looks like an example of how people can dream during non rem stage sleep. I just had a quick read about it too out of curiosity and found that people tend to sleepwalk in delta stage sleep, which I guess you found too.

You might of not found this part though.   "Initially, dreaming was thought to only occur in rapid eye movement sleep, though it is now known that dreaming may also occur during slow-wave sleep. "

Quickly taken from here. http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Delta_wave

So yeah, he sounds like he was dreaming and sleepwalking.   Sleep walkers always kinda spin me out. My sister was at one stage.

Edited by Kazahel, 18 November 2012 - 09:46 AM.

[and then]

I once had a sleep disorder and was prescribed AMBIEN.  I only took it for a few days because I began sleep walking.  My wife had to get up and follow me around.  Once she told me I actually went outside and was pointing into the back of our SUV and asking her did she not see "them" moving around in there   so, no more AMBIEN.

[B Randomly]

I think sleep is something that still largely eludes scientists.

For myself, I know I've always heard that when you're dreaming, you are in sleep paralysis.  I've also heard that when you sleep-talk, you're not actively dreaming.  However, when I sleeptalk, I sometimes will wake up during and can distinctly remember the dream that I was in.

Just recently, I've started to slip directly into a dream from being awake.  If the alarm goes off, and I hit the snooze, I will lay back down, and automatically enter a dream.  Sometimes even the dream I just awoke from.  In itself, that's not strange... But lately, when this happens, I'm aware of both the dream, and the material world.  (My dog will come and lay his head on the edge of the bed, and I'll be dreaming this dream.)  I'm aware that he is there, and needs to go out to do his business, and also aware that I'm dreaming.

That's the downside to some areas of science.  They can largely generalize things that shouldn't necessarily be generalized.  Sleep is a highly personal subject, due to the nature of people in general.  It's good to have these generalizations as a benchmark, but that doesn't mean someone, or many people aren't going to come along and break the mould.(As clearly is what is happening with your son.)

[sarah_444]

Kazahel, on 18 November 2012 - 09:44 AM, said:

Hmm interesting. It looks like an example of how people can dream during non rem stage sleep. I just had a quick read about it too out of curiosity and found that people tend to sleepwalk in delta stage sleep, which I guess you found too.

You might of not found this part though.   "Initially, dreaming was thought to only occur in rapid eye movement sleep, though it is now known that dreaming may also occur during slow-wave sleep. "

Quickly taken from here. http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Delta_wave

So yeah, he sounds like he was dreaming and sleepwalking.   Sleep walkers always kinda spin me out. My sister was at one stage.

That makes a lot of sense, and you are right - I didn't know that before, it's interesting. Thanks for the link.


The actual sleep walking doesn't concern me much. Obviously I wish he didn't do it, but I know its normal and have an idea why/when it occurs with him. Thankfully so far the most dangerous thing that has happened is him going downstairs and falling asleep on the couch.
I was mostly interested in ideas/theories about the dreaming/sleepwalks together, because I also know that while dreaming your  body should be paralysed.  It got me reading a bit more about REM behaviour disorder too, out of curiousity..but apparantly that is unrelated to sleepwalking because people with that disorder are generally easy to wake up and can remember thier dreams among other things.

[sarah_444]

and then, on 18 November 2012 - 10:35 AM, said:

I once had a sleep disorder and was prescribed AMBIEN.  I only took it for a few days because I began sleep walking.  My wife had to get up and follow me around.  Once she told me I actually went outside and was pointing into the back of our SUV and asking her did she not see "them" moving around in there   so, no more AMBIEN.

oh wow. Was she creeped out?? lol That reminded me of one time when i was walking him back to bed and he asked me if the little boy was still hiding under his bed. He wasn't even sleep walking that time.. (he was very groggy though) Not exactly the nicest thing to be imagining in the middle of the night!

Edited by sarah_444, 19 November 2012 - 04:54 AM.

[EllJay]

Speaking of sleepwalking, here is the soundtrack for sleepwalkers..

Santo & Johnny - Sleepwalk -

[Mr Walker]

<sup>There was a young woman in my state who had an accident when driving. It was found she was not legally responsible because she was asleep. She had been taking a prescription medicine which, it was later found, put people into a sort of sleep walking state, where they behaved autonomously doing things like driving, while actually asleep.

Ps Ive never been paralysed while asleep or dreaming. I know there is some evidence that people don't move while dreaming as a form of protective behaviour, but it certainly is not universal. There are borderline forms of sleep where you are both conscious and asleep. If you can learn to control these you are on the way to controlled lucid dreaming.  As a teenager i could get up from bed, walk 20 yards to our outside toilet,  go to the loo, get back into bed; all the while maintaining a dream i was having, while awake enough to  get out of bed go through several doors,( actually 5 going out ,and the same on returning)  turn on several lights, walk 20 metres in the dark, complete my toilet and return, switching off the lights as i went. I would continue the dream the whole time, and be conscious of both my awake state and my dream state.</sup>

Edited by Mr Walker, 26 November 2012 - 12:54 PM.

[SpiritWriter]

My daughter sleep talks a lot. It's quite hilarious. She sits fully up and is very adamant about what she is trying to say but never gets it out quite right. She's only gotten out of bed and walked around like twice though.

I think your son will be fine... He's an active dreamer, probably has some good dreams. Does he tell you about them?

[sarah_444]

SpiritWriter, on 27 November 2012 - 04:26 AM, said:

My daughter sleep talks a lot. It's quite hilarious. She sits fully up and is very adamant about what she is trying to say but never gets it out quite right. She's only gotten out of bed and walked around like twice though.

I think your son will be fine... He's an active dreamer, probably has some good dreams. Does he tell you about them?

His sleep talking is usually incoherent  mumbles, but one morning I heard him laughing so intensely.  It was his "I'm being tickled and can't breathe" laugh, and it lasted probably 10 seconds.   I went in a minute later and he was sound asleep. Hilarious! lol But yeah, he often tells me about his dreams.  Flying on Pterodactyls, playing soccer with his friends, dreams involving Autobots  etc. Thankfully they mostly seem to be fun.