What Triggers Sleepwalking

Previously published in Examiner

Part 3 of the sleepwalking series

Most Montrealers complain they do not get enough sleep. Yet, sleep affects are physical and mental health. Not having enough sleep affects our mood, our stamina, our home-life and career, and our social relationships.

Sleep is an important human function which is essential for good physical health and good mental health. Even though sleep is so important many Montrealers take sleeping for granted. They either sleep too much or more often than not, sleep less than is recommended for good health. Montrealers will catnap rather than sleep, burn the midnight oil studying, play on the computer, or just insist that they are too busy too sleep.

Conditions that affect sleep, our health, and mental health include such topics as sleepwalking. For help in the Montreal area for sleep disorders you can in Montreal click here:

Mount Sinai Hospital Sleep Center

Montreal Sleep Clinic

The Genetic, Environmental, Biological and Medical Factors Associated With Sleep Walking

The factors that influence sleepwalking

Basically speaking sleepwalking is affected by familial (genetic), environmental, biology, and medical factors.

Genetic factors for sleepwalking

Sleepwalking is ten times more likely to occur if a first degree family member such as a parent also sleepwalks. Identical twins are more prone to sleepwalking than other children.

Sleepwalking and the environment

Many outside sources can affect sleepwalking such as:

• Messed up sleep schedules
• Sleep deprivation
• Magnesium deficiency
• Stress factors
• Fever
• Drunkenness
• Certain medications such as sedatives or hypnotic drugs that are designed to induce sleep
• Tranquilizers
• Narcoleptic drugs used for treating psychosis
• Stimulants
• Antihistamines used to control allergies

Physiologic (biological) factors that may trigger sleepwalking

• The length of the slow wave sleep cycle which happens to be longer in small children. Children are more prone to sleepwalking than teens or adults.
• Certain medical conditions
• Fever
• Pregnancy or menstruation has been linked to sleepwalking
• Abnormal heart rhythms known as arrhythmias
• Acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux) which is the regurgitation of food or liquid from the stomach into the esophagus (throat or food pipe).
• Asthma that occurs at night
• Nighttime convulsions or seizures
• Obstructive sleep apnea (when the sufferer has continual intervals where he or she stops breathing during sleep).
• Certain mental disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociative Disorder or panic attacks.

Sources

http://www.medicinenet.com/sleepwalking/article.htm