Sleepwalking becoming a problem

[mauveb]

It started out with insomnia in my teens.
In recent years i've been sleeping more but only remembering nightmares (which means im just as tired waking up as if i hadn't slept at all)
But since last summer i've started sleepwalking.
It wasn't so worrying when i was drinking random things (ok so i hid all the cleaning products when i took a swig of rubbing alcohol - the only time i woke up from sleepwalking).
Now this morning we woke up and the front door's unlocked and my boyfriend says i unlocked it at 3am :-S

Im worried about what i might do next.

 

[Telstra]

interesting.

Are you suffering from depression in anyway?

 

[mauveb]

I was taking effexor for about a year up until may but @ 75mg. didn't do much but make me forgetful.

 

[kallipolis]

Now this morning we woke up and the front door's unlocked and my boyfriend says i unlocked it at 3am :-S

I am curious to know why your boyfriend - awake, and observing you unlock your front door at 3am did not relock the door and, stop you from sleep walking?

Can your boyfriend be so precise on the timing of your sleepwalking episode and yet be so lax over your mutual security?

Never mix alcohol and medication particularly antidepressants for the results can be self destructive.

 

[justsimon]

My sister-in-law's sister sleepwalks. She keeps a set of house keys tied around her wrist while she sleeps (just in case).

 

[Maklaar13]

I recommend that you talk to your doctor about this serious situation, perhaps a sleep study is necessary to determine what is causing this problem. Sleep walking should be taken very seriously as it could be very dangerous. Best of luck.

 

[evanrick]

why do you think you sleepwalk and only remember nightmares?

do you have a traumatic past?

im sorry to hear this is going on, maybe you are not reaching the level of sleep that you should be.

 

[KaraBulut]

Just to confirm something- you're not taking any sleep aid like Ambien, etc?

If you're not on any medication that is known to cause sleepwalking, then you have a parasomnia. It sounds like this has persisted for some time.

You should discuss this with your primary care physician. You will probably need a sleep study and you may be referred to a physician who specializes in sleep disorders.

 

[Ambrocious]

Medications can interfere with sleep patterns and so if you are taking medication or any other drugs before bed then you may need to see a doctor and as Maklaar13 said, you might need to take a sleep study.

One other way that you may be able to defeat your sleepwalking is to learn how to engage in self hypnosis. Self hypnosis for therapeutic reasons is a form cognitive meditation. You must first learn how to induce yourself via self audio recording into a meditative state, learning the proper things to say in the recording is important too.

You may also want to find a professional hypnotherapist as well in case the doctors don't or can't find anything wrong with you. But before I would go down the path of self hypnosis, I'd say arrange for a sleep study FIRST. You can meditate before you go to sleep too.


Before you go to bed, take at least 1 hour to settle down and stay away from the computer, TV, or smartphone, this includes any gaming console as well. Read a book during this hour before bedtime. Studies have found that people actually are sleeping better when you take some time away from electronics before going to sleep.

Other relaxation techniques may help you too. Learning to meditate can take a long time to do it effectually but in the end, it's REALLY worth it.


P.S. As evanrick said, having a traumatic past or current mental trauma related issues (abuse, post traumatic stress, ect.) can trigger abnormal sleep patterns that may become long term in a persons life. It's good to vent your emotions to people you trust OR to keep a private journal or if you feel OK with it, a public blog about anything and everything that runs across your mind. Often people with these sort of issues are able to articulate and write amazing feats of fascinating stuff, even if to you it's just your random thoughts.

 

[mauveb]

Just to confirm something- you're not taking any sleep aid like Ambien, etc?

If you're not on any medication that is known to cause sleepwalking, then you have a parasomnia. It sounds like this has persisted for some time.

I've always had trouble sleeping one way or another.

You should discuss this with your primary care physician. You will probably need a sleep study and you may be referred to a physician who specializes in sleep disorders.

Lucky me, i hate doctors and get panic attacks in hospitals/clinics :S

 

[mauveb]

Medications can interfere with sleep patterns and so if you are taking medication or any other drugs before bed then you may need to see a doctor and as Maklaar13 said, you might need to take a sleep study.

One other way that you may be able to defeat your sleepwalking is to learn how to engage in self hypnosis. Self hypnosis for therapeutic reasons is a form cognitive meditation. You must first learn how to induce yourself via self audio recording into a meditative state, learning the proper things to say in the recording is important too. .

So far the only thing ive figured to keep myself from sleepwalking into tricky situations is to re-arrange the furniture so that im unfamilliar with the setup, that way i tend to wake when things are too tricky - though my bf tells me even when im sleepwalking i tend to talk/answer so he's never sure if i am or not :S

You may also want to find a professional hypnotherapist as well in case the doctors don't or can't find anything wrong with you. But before I would go down the path of self hypnosis, I'd say arrange for a sleep study FIRST. You can meditate before you go to sleep too.


Before you go to bed, take at least 1 hour to settle down and stay away from the computer, TV, or smartphone, this includes any gaming console as well. Read a book during this hour before bedtime. Studies have found that people actually are sleeping better when you take some time away from electronics before going to sleep.

Other relaxation techniques may help you too. Learning to meditate can take a long time to do it effectually but in the end, it's REALLY worth it.


P.S. As evanrick said, having a traumatic past or current mental trauma related issues (abuse, post traumatic stress, ect.) can trigger abnormal sleep patterns that may become long term in a persons life. It's good to vent your emotions to people you trust OR to keep a private journal or if you feel OK with it, a public blog about anything and everything that runs across your mind. Often people with these sort of issues are able to articulate and write amazing feats of fascinating stuff, even if to you it's just your random thoughts.

You're nice enough that i won't bullshit - childhood wasn't exactly fun - but im not looking for a pitty trip - in fact, im *expletive* sick of talking to psychs, therapy never goes anywhere until you tell them you don't want to keep coming anymore.

 

[mauveb]

Im open to taking a diferent class of anti depressants. I cant go back on effexor though.

What worries me more, my mother came into town tonight, we had dinner at a nice deli, and she told me my great grandfather was a sleepwalker too, and they once found him outside naked (he slept naked, i do not)...considering ive already unlocked the door...:-S

 

[KaraBulut]

I've always had trouble sleeping one way or another.

The point of the question is not to determine whether the medications were effective. The point is that certain medications interfere with sleep and can cause "sleep-walking".

In particular, some sleep aids are known to cause people to have episodes where they may do otherwise normal behaviors- like call people on the phone, eat food from the refrigerator, do laundry, etc- but have no memory of the event when they awaken the next morning. There are even cases where people got in their car and drove yet had no recollection of leaving the house. A few years ago, a popular sleeping pill was removed from the market because there were several accidents caused by people who had taken the medication and sleep-walked afterward.

If you have a sleep disorder, then you have to be conscious of any and all medications that you take and how they may worsen your sleep-walking.

Lucky me, i hate doctors and get panic attacks in hospitals/clinics :S

Sleepwalking in adults is very serious. Because of the risk that you may harm yourself or others, it's something that you need to address.

 

[palemale]

Maybe you should sleep with a shock cord (like surfers use keeping the board attached to the ankle) attached to the headboard and your waist so you can't wander off without getting pulled back and awakened. Either that or an alarm on the bedroom door that will wake you up if you open it while sleep walking.

 

[ndavies]

My brother in law used to make full meals and do all kinds of strange stuff while sleep walking. Thank god he never did anything like drive, etc.

He had no other psychological issues to speak of and wasn't on any meds. Given that, his doctor prescribed Trazodone and he sleeps through the night completely.

Baring any other medication related issues, and I'm saying that is the only way, but sometimes medication IS needed. Sleep is important and sleepwalking is serious business.

Consult your doctor, preferably not while sleepwalking.

 

[chrisw87]

If you find a good remedy that doesn't involve drugs please post it in here.

I've always suffered from bad sleep, mostly insomnia and poor quality of sleep. The best sleep I had recently was taking Circadin from when I went travelling.

Recently I have had a lot on my mind and I think I am starting to sleep walk again, I used to do it a lot as a kid but since I live on my own I usually don't know.