OUtgrowing Sleepwalking

I learned a lot about sleepwalking from your recent blogs. My mother says I outgrew sleepwalking—which I did for about 5 years during early childhood. What does that mean?

It means that sometimes sleepwalking in childhood does not continue into adulthood. The reason for this is unclear. As I mentioned earlier in a blog, studies revealed that all of the sleepwalkers in the family studied had a specific genetic code that the non-sleepwalkers did not possess. Those individuals with the specific genetic code had a 50% chance of passing it on to the next generation. The mutated gene appears to be located in chromosome 20 but further studies are needed to identify the exact location of the gene in chromosome 20. The studies also noted that individuals who were sleepwalkers in childhood did not always continue as adult sleepwalkers—that is, they outgrew sleepwalking just as you did. Studies continue as some believe this means several other genes may be involved beyond the one mutant gene located in chromosome 20. All interesting . . . 

Adult Sleepwalking, 13

Results of Dr. Dauvilliers’ research:

     22.8 percent of sleepwalkers studied presented with nightly episodes

     43.5 percent presented with weekly episodes.

     58 percent had a positive history of violent sleep related behaviors was found in 58 percent

     17 percent with violent sleep-related behaviors had experienced at least one episode involving injuries to the sleepwalker or to the bed partner that required medical care.

The injuries that were reported related to sleep walking included, bruises, nose bleeds, and fractures (one participant had sustained multiple fractures and serious head trauma after jumping out of a third-floor window.” According to the lead researcher, “Sleepwalking is an underdiagnosed condition that may be clearly associated with daytime consequences and mood disturbances leading to a major impact on quality of life … The burden of sleepwalking in adults needs to be highlighted and emphasized.”

Adult Sleepwalking, 7

Sleepwalking does tend to run in families. In addition, some individuals seem to be more susceptible than others although contributing factors for this have not specifically been identified. A study published in the British Journal of Psychology concluded that a first-degree relative of a sleepwalker is ten times more likely to sleepwalk than the rest of the population. A study published in the journal Neurology concluded that twins are more likely to sleepwalk than non-twin siblings. Back to the original question, my brain’s opinion is that adults who sleepwalk need to be evaluated by health care professionals competent in the field, especially since additional information is being identified related to this potentially serious that may induce violent behaviors and affect health-related quality of life.

Adult Sleepwalking, 6

Sleepwalking is a common parasomnia affecting up to four percent of adults. It involves complex behaviors that occur during arousals from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. During an episode of sleepwalking the brain is partially awake, resulting in complex behaviors, and partially in NREM sleep with no conscious awareness of actions. Triggering factors that increased both the frequency and severity of episodes were reported in 59 percent of the study participants. These factors , related mainly to:

    - stressful events

    - strong positive emotions

    - sleep deprivation

    - drug or alcohol intake

    - intense evening physical activity

Such factors tend to promote increased slow wave sleep (SWS) and NREM sleep instability.

Adult sleepwalking, 5

The reported largest prospective cohort study on adult sleepwalkers seen in a clinic, the results of which appeared in the journal SLEEP, involved a case-control study of 100 adult patients in whom primary sleepwalking was diagnosed from June 2007 to January 2011. 

Exclusion criteria included a positive clinical history of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a similar parasomnia that involves violent dream-related behaviors emerging during REM sleep. 

The age of the sleepwalkers ranged from 18 to 58 years with a median age of 30. Results were compared with 100 healthy control subjects without any history of sleepwalking. More tomorrow.

Adult Sleepwalking, 4

A variety of undesirable symptoms can accompany sleepwalking. When compared with a control group of non-sleepwalkers, symptoms for sleepwalkers may include:

     A higher frequency of daytime sleepiness

     Generalized fatigue,

     Insomnia,

     Symptoms of anxiety and depression

     Lowered quality of life.

     Placing themselves in harm’s way

     Acting out dangerous behaviors

Dr. Dauvilliers has pointed out that “Adult sleepwalking is a potentially serious condition and the consequences of sleepwalking episodes should not be ignored.”

Brain & Adult Sleepwalking, 3

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine explored the theory that genetics plays a role in the sleep disorder of “sleepwalking.” To do this, they went on a genome-wide search and studied the DNA of a large family of sleepwalkers. Interestingly, they discovered that there was a DNA difference between sleepwalkers and non-sleepwalkers. They discovered that all of the sleepwalkers in the family studied had a specific genetic code that the non-sleepwalkers did not possess. Those individuals with the specific genetic code had a 50% chance of passing it on to the next generation. The mutated gene appears to be located in chromosome 20. Now the task will be to identify the exact location of the mutated gene.