Sleep walking

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Sleep walking

Alternative Names:

Walking during sleep; Somnambulism

Symptoms:

eyes open during sleep
may have blank facial expression
may sit up and appear awake during sleep
walking during sleep
other detailed activity during sleep, any sort
no recall of the event upon awaking
confusion, disorientation on awakening
sleep talking is incomprehensible and non-purposeful

Signs and tests:

Usually, no further examination and testing is necessary. If sleep walking is frequent or persistent, examination to rule out other disorders (such as partial complex seizures) may be appropriate. It may also be appropriate to undergo a psychologic evaluation to determine causes such as excessive anxiety or stress, or medical evaluation to rule out other causes.

Review Date: 7/28/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.