A doctor finally settles the debate whether or not to wake a sleepwalker.
Have you ever found your partner in the middle of the night sitting at the end of the bed, staring into space? Don’t panic, it’s probably a sleepwalking attack. “Sleepwalking is one of the adverse physical events that usually occurs during deep slow-wave sleep or at a time when deep slow-wave sleep changes to another stage of sleep.” explains Dr Françoise Vecchierini, sleep specialist and member of the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance. Slow-wave sleep usually occurs in the first hours of the night, when the attack begins. Sleepwalking mainly affects children and young adults, generally up to 28-30 years old. Affected people sleep and are not aware of what they do during the night but “They have the feeling that something has happened.”
Children and adults will not behave the same way during a sleepwalking attack. “The child will get up, walk, start playing and we find him asleep on the living room carpet. For the adult, it is often less rewarding: sometimes he gets up, he sits down, he half-sitting, he turns and goes back to sleep”continues our interlocutor. Sleepwalkers may also engage in coordinated activities such as walking or whatever is usual for them. It is a parasomnia, which means “next to sleep” and is linked to a dissociation of states. “This means that we continue to sleep even though we have the freedom to act, which is contrary to physiological sleep” argues Dr Vecchierini. You can move, walk, go down stairs and even open the window “even if it’s a little more awkward than if we were awake.” A behavior that is not without risk.
Unlike sleepwalking in children, an adult in the middle of a crisis can face an image of someone or something that wants to harm them, that wants to attack them. He can “getting up to strike, he therefore has a risk of endangerment”. Indeed, in addition to the genetic factor, a triggering factor such as stress or trauma can be the cause of sleepwalking. If you witness a sleepwalking attack, there is an attitude to have: “You have to try very gently to get the person back to bed, without waking them up.” But be careful, you have to be careful not to be the victim of aggression. “If the person defends themselves, or simply resists, they must be left alone” warns the expert. The best thing is to observe, making sure that the person does not put themselves in danger and does not go out into the street.
When a person is sleepwalking in the home, it is necessary to make some adjustments and secure the living environment to prevent windows, doors and even cupboards from opening because “some will also cook.” The best is to consult a health professional accompanied by the adult who lives with the sleepwalker. “because it is important to have the description of the person who sees the event” explains Dr. Vecchierini. During the diagnosis, it is necessary to check that there are no other associated pathologies such as sleep apnea for example. Treatment is based on the level of severity of the sleepwalking. An assessment with a psychologist will consist of knowing the level of anxiety and stress and directing towards relaxation or even hypnosis. Work on sleep hygiene is also essential, “to avoid rebounds”.