Anyone familiar with sleepwalking?

Question

Is it possible for a sleepwalker to wake up in the middle of an activity? And to what level are sleepwalkers acting out their dreams?

Answer 1

My youngest daughter is a sleepwalker and she already does it since the time she was able to get out of bed by herself. She usually doesn't wake up during her sleepwalking and l always immediately wake up when she does and I tell her in a friendly way to go back to bed again what usually makes her turn around to go back to bed sometimes she wants to do something in her sleep and I follow her actions and gently persuade her to go back to her bed again but I have to try not to wake her up because then she's totally upset and doesn't know what has happened to her.

Answer 2

Sleepwalking occurs during Stage 4 sleep, which is a very deep sleep. There is actually no connection between dreams and sleepwalking. Dreams occur during REM sleep, which is completely different. The body actually has a protective mechanism that paralyzes the body while you are dreaming to prevent you from acting out your dreams. In rare cases, this mechanism stops working and a person will begin acting out dreams, but it is far more likely that a sleepwalker is not dreaming.

If you're familiar with night terrors at all (where young children suddenly just wake up screaming like they've had the most horrible nightmare), this is another phenomenon that occurs in Stage 4 sleep and also has absolutely nothing to do with dreaming.

As for waking up a sleepwalker, I guess it would be the same as waking up a heavy sleeper. Perhaps a challenge, but I guess that it could be pretty easy if they walk into a wall or trip over something. : )

Answer 3

I once walked halfway across campus in my sleep after dreaming that I had missed the all-important final, for which I already new the prof would take no excuses at all. In the dream I was on my way to beg for mercy so I could finish my degree. Campus security woke me up shining a flashlight in my face asking me if I was OK. Reasonable question to ask a person who is walking across the quad at 4 AM in a robe and bunny slippers!

Answer 4

Yes, my step sister does sleep walk. From experience, they are asleep all the while, and most instances are acting a part of their dream (e.g. climbing a tree, etc).