Sleepwalking

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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Many factors can contribute to sleepwalking, including:

  • Sleep deprivation
  • Fatigue
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Fever
  • Sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings
  • Some medications, such as zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar)

Sleepwalking is sometimes associated with underlying conditions that affect sleep, such as:

  • Sleep-disordered breathing — a group of disorders characterized by abnormal breathing patterns during sleep, the most common of which is obstructive sleep apnea
  • Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
  • Migraines
  • Head injuries

In other cases, use of alcohol, illegal drugs or certain medications — including some, antihistamines, sedatives and sleeping pills — can trigger sleepwalking episodes.

Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. Sleepwalking. Sleepeducation.com. http://yoursleep.aasmnet.org/disorder.aspx?id=14. Accessed June 9, 2011.
  2. Overnight sleep study. Sleepeducation.com. http://yoursleep.aasmnet.org/Topic.aspx?id=12. Accessed June 10, 2011.
  3. National sleep disorders research plan. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. National Institutes of Health. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/sleep/res_plan/section5/section5a.html. Accessed June 7, 2011.
  4. Matwiyoff J, et al. Parasomnias: An overview. Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2010;131:333.
  5. Stores G. Aspects of parasomnias in childhood and adolescents. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2009;94:63.
  6. Avidan AY, et al. The parasomnias: Epidemiology, clinical features, and diagnostic approach. Clinics in Chest Medicine. 2010;31:353.
  7. Attarian H. Treatment options for parasomnias. Neurological Clinics. 2010;28:1089.
  8. Harris M, et al. Treatments for somnambulism in adults: Assessing the evidence. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2009;13:295.
DS01009 Aug. 12, 2011

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