Author Yana Filimonova
03/19/2013 15:00 (Updated: 06/14/2021 00:34)
Health » Health and prevention » Psychotherapy
Sleepwalking (scientifically, somnambulism) is a disease so mysterious that it has acquired a mass of myths and legends.
Professor Antonio Zadra and his fellow scientists from the University of Montreal in Canada debunk some popular myths about sleepwalking. For example, the idea that somnambulism occurs only in children and adolescents is incorrect. It is also wrong to think that sleepwalkers often cause harm to themselves and others (although sometimes this cannot be avoided). What is the “true face” of sleepwalking?
A quarter of somnambulists suffer from sleepwalking after adulthood
"He'll outgrow it." With these words, doctors usually reassure the parents of a child who has been diagnosed with somnambulism. These ideas are based on the knowledge that with age, the proportion of deep slow-wave sleep decreases, during which sleepwalking attacks occur. However, the belief that somnambulism certainly goes away during puberty is nothing more than a myth.
The statistics are encouraging, but do not guarantee a 100% cure for sleepwalking with age: a quarter of somnambulists still suffer from sleepwalking even after adulthood.
How do you know if a person is a drug addict?
Perhaps the most effective method of visually determining whether a person is taking drugs is determination by the pupils.
The pupil is the dark hole in the iris of the eye. It limits the light flow going to the retina.
A little theory:
Changes in pupil size occur in response to light stimulation of the retina, convergence of the visual axes of both eyes, eye strain to distinguish objects located at different distances from each other, and also in response to stimuli of different nature. The size of the pupil changes due to two muscles of the iris: the circular muscle, which provides constriction of the pupil, and the radial muscle, which provides dilation.
A sober person's pupil is never completely calm. Constant movements of the pupil depend on numerous stimuli: increased human activity, pain, emotional stress, severe fear, a sudden sharp stimulus (shock, loud sound) lead to dilation of the pupils. This is how the human body tries to quickly obtain visual information about the stimulus. In a drug addict, the pupil is in one position (during the action of the drug), sometimes changing slightly by literally 1mm.
How to identify a drug addict?
The pupil can indicate the type of drug taken. What it looks like is shown in pictures (photos) 1,2,3
FIGURE 1 Normal pupil (sober person)
In moderate lighting it is in medium size, changing depending on the brightness of the light, the pupil is constantly in motion from constricted to dilated.
The sharpness of the change in lighting also affects the sharpness of the change in lighting, so if you shine a flashlight into the eyes, then in a sober person the pupil will immediately constrict, turning off the bright light the pupil will dilate - this is a sign of normal pupil function; in a drug addict, after such manipulations, the pupil will be in the same position, in which ? narrowed or expanded, see Figures 2 and 3.
FIGURE 2 Eyes of a drug addict
The pupil of a drug addict - Heroin, morphine, poppy drugs, codeine-containing medications (Terpincode, Codelac, Nurofen, etc.) - cause constriction.
The pupil of the eye is constricted (small), does not respond to changes in lighting, if you shine a flashlight for a few seconds and turn it off, the pupils will remain in one, constricted position; for people who understand such situations, the eyes of a drug addict with a constricted pupil arouse suspicion already from a distance of 1-2 meters.
For information, the duration of action of drugs such as opiates (opioids), heroin, morphine, codeine, etc. is about 5 hours, by this time the pupils of the eye begin to gradually function, the reaction of the pupil to light is slow, almost imperceptible, but it is still present. As the active substance (drug) leaves the body, this occurs after 5 hours after use, the addict sobers up and the functionality of the pupil is gradually restored.
FIGURE 3 Eyes of a drug addict
The pupil of a drug addict - Cocaine, amphetamine, ecstasy, LSD, perevintin (screw in slang) causes noticeable dilation of the pupils.
The pupil in this position is immediately noticeable, usually the effect of such drugs lasts about 24 hours (except for cocaine, which has an effect of 1-1.5 hours), and the pupil can be dilated after a day or more, sometimes coming to the middle position, then expanding again, this happens as the person sobers up.
In some cases, after consuming perevintin (“screw” in slang), the pupil remains dilated for two days. When checked with a flashlight, the pupil remains dilated and large, changing slightly by literally 1 mm, depending on the time spent taking the drug.
Marijuana, hemp, hashish, etc. can cause both constriction and dilation of the pupil. After taking this drug, the white of the addict’s eye becomes pink or red, inflamed (swollen) blood vessels are visible, and most importantly, the addict’s eyes become “glassy” (glare in the light).
The color of the iris (eye color: blue, gray, brown, etc.) does not matter, but the darker it is, the more difficult the diagnosis.
If you see a person very often with non-standard pupils, then this is the first sign of drug use.
Usually a person uses one drug. When a child or relative returns home, look closely at the eyes; if the pupil is constantly not standard and the same size, or large or small, this is a sign of drug use.
Do not forget, a small or large pupil is a reaction to lighting, darkness
or in the sun, but a constantly small or large pupil is a sign of use. Change the lighting or turn the flashlight on and off while shining it into their eyes. In a sober person, the pupil will constantly change, in bright light it will narrow, in the dark it will expand, while the pupil of a drug addict will be in one position (in which? see photos, Figures 1,2,3).
If a person has been observed using opiates (heroin, codeine, poppy, tramal, zaldiar, etc.), such drug addicts use some tricks to disguise the pupil. The trick is that pharmacies sell a lot of drugs that dilate the pupils on purpose or not.
A dilated pupil also indicates withdrawal syndrome (refuse to use, withdrawal, drug hangover).
Sleepwalkers can remember what happened to them
“I don’t remember anything.” The myth says that somnambulists cannot remember anything from their nocturnal adventures. However, this is not always the case.
Somnambulism in both children and adults has the same symptoms:
- part of the brain is asleep,
- some are awake.
The waking part is responsible for appropriate behavior:
- a person opens and closes doors,
- washes hands,
- goes up or down stairs,
- his eyes may be open,
- he can even recognize people.
At the same time, consciousness is changed, and reactions to the environment are unusual and illogical. However, since part of the brain is still awake, the somnambulist sometimes remembers what happened. Some can even record what they thought or felt at that moment, although such an improvement in memory in somnambulists occurs again with age.
Sleepwalkers have a special logic
A sleepwalker automatically repeats actions that are familiar to him from his waking state. This is wrong. The study's authors, Professor Antonio Zadra and his fellow scientists from the University of Montreal in Canada, believe that
- The essence of somnambulism is partial sleep, when the brain does not fall asleep completely. Therefore, there is still a logic in the actions of sleepwalkers, but a special, “dreaming” logic.
A 28-year-old man says: “Now I do not suffer from somnambulism, but in childhood and adolescence my relatives saw me walking in my sleep several times. One night, my mother discovered that I was pouring water from a vase of flowers on the floor onto the floor. She didn’t immediately realize that I was sleeping. When asked what I was doing, I did not respond. But when she told me to get a rag and wipe up the water, I leaned over and began to “mop” the floor with my empty hand. In fact, I dreamed that I was watering indoor flowers, and then that I was wiping the floor.”
What causes sleepwalking, and why is it dangerous?
Until today, scientists have not been able to fully interpret what leads to manifestations of sleepwalking. But most scientists are inclined to believe that sleepwalking is a consequence of an imbalance in the functioning of parts of the brain.
This can be explained in more detail as follows: when a person falls asleep, his brain also rests, the departments fall into deep sleep. Then one of the departments “turns on” and begins to stay awake while the other department is fast asleep. Against this background, discord arises - the person is fast asleep, but his movements are active.
As for childhood sleepwalking, it is believed that the children’s nervous system is not yet stable enough, so parts of their brain can quickly switch, which leads to wakefulness during sleep.
Scientists and doctors also believe that sleepwalking is a hereditary phenomenon, since many parents suffering from sleepwalking give birth to children with the same disorder. However, it has not yet been possible to find the gene that is responsible for this disorder of brain function.
However, sleepwalking can manifest itself in a person quite unexpectedly. The reason for this may be:
- Very high temperature.
- Excessive fatigue.
- Severe stress experienced the day before.
- Chronic sleep disturbances, insomnia or increased anxiety.
According to experts, sleepwalking is not a dangerous disease, so there is no need to give it special treatment. However, in some cases, somnambulism is fraught with serious consequences.
For example, one man, suffering from sleep disorders, once, while in a sleeping state, left the house and got behind the wheel of a car. It’s fortunate that he was noticed in time, otherwise the consequences could have been disastrous.
Important: a group of scientists believes that somnambulism cannot lead a person to such catastrophic consequences. The explanation for this is simple: despite the fact that a person is awake, his reflexes are turned off, so he can get into a car and even start it, but he will not be able to drive.
But sleepwalking is fraught with other consequences: in a dream, a person can easily get hurt, cut or bump.
Are sleepwalkers dangerous to others and themselves?
The actions of a sleepwalker can be dangerous for himself and for others . Usually, episodes of somnambulism are so short that the sleepwalker does not have time to do something truly threatening, as the exciting plots of books and films tell:
- open the window and go out onto the ledge,
- take a weapon
- cut yourself with a knife...
However, the idea of sleepwalking as a dangerous disorder is still not far from the truth: if in the example described above the young man had dropped and broken a vase, in his sleep he could well have walked over its fragments and cut himself.
Is it possible to wake up a sleepwalker?
It is better not to disturb a sleepwalker - this popular belief has good reason. When a person, while in a somnambulistic sleep, takes walks, his sudden awakening leads to unpleasant consequences.
What happens if you wake up a sleepwalker?
The sleeper may get scared, fall and cause physical injury to himself. Being in a state of somnambulism, a person is aware of and sees only surrounding objects near him. If the human psyche suddenly enters a state of consciousness, the body does not have time to react appropriately. The sleeper does not have time to take the actions necessary for his own safety.
But if the subconscious mind works (it is what controls a person in a state of somnambulism), it smoothly leads the body to a gradual transition to awareness of reality. The subconscious mind easily copes with this task and safely, without frightening, brings the sleepwalker back to bed, gently transferring him to a state of awakening.
Is it possible to wake up sleepwalkers?
Some attempts that are too active and noisy turn out to be unsafe for those who want to bring the sleepwalker to his senses. A sleeping person, frightened, is able to attack the irritating factor (the one who wakes him up) and cause him physical injury. If the awakening is too abrupt (using clapping, loud sounds, pouring water), such a shake causes the somnambulist to feel very frightened. A person can become a stutterer. Sudden awakening even leads the patient to a heart attack and acute shock.
Is it easy to wake up a sleepwalker?
Some “active sleepers” come to their senses from a couple of words spoken in a loud voice. But in most cases, it is difficult to wake up a sleepwalker - after all, at this time the person is in the deep sleep phase.
Dangerous Lunatic - Kenneth Parks
One of the most impressive examples of dangerous sleepwalkers was the Canadian Kenneth Parks.
In May 1987, this 23-year-old man walked out of his home in a Toronto suburb in a dream, started his car, and drove more than 20 kilometers to his father-in-law's house. Getting out of the car, he took a tire iron from the trunk and opened the door with the key he had. Once inside, he strangled his father-in-law, Dennis Woods, and beat his mother-in-law, Barbara Ann Woods, before stabbing the woman to death with her own kitchen knife. Parks then returned to the car, drove to the nearest police station and stated: “I think I killed someone.” The surprising thing is that Kenneth Parks was asleep all this time.
It is clear that at first investigators were deeply skeptical of Parks's assertions that he committed the double murder in his sleep (with his eyes open and being able to drive) and did not remember anything. However, further investigation, as well as a psychiatric examination, an interview with Parks' relatives and examinations of the criminal himself confirmed that he was indeed one of the most dangerous lunatics of his time.
Medical studies showed that Parks was characterized by unusually deep sleep. Analysis of his brain waves showed that he experienced sleep stages more frequently than most people. He also suffered no physical pain during the attack - this despite tearing several tendons that later required surgery. Parks only came to his senses at the police station.
His relatives said that as a child he often spoke in his sleep, sometimes walked, and until the age of 11-12 he constantly woke up in a wet bed. (An earlier 1974 study of 50 sleep-aggressive adult sleepwalkers found that many of them wet the bed as children and walked around without waking.) One night, one of Parks' brothers grabbed his leg at the last moment as he was about to exit through the window. Similar symptoms occurred in his relatives in three generations.
True, some other details from Parks’ life did not put him in the best light. Almost a year before the attack, he became addicted to gambling. This took a toll on his marriage, and he ended up stealing $30,000 from his job to pay off his debts. Two months before the attack, the misconduct came to light and Parks was fired. A few weeks of abstinence were enough for him, after which he began to gamble again, and once even forged his wife’s signature to get money. The wife and her parents quarreled with Parks. Three days before the attack in a dream, he decided to improve: he visited the Anonymous Players Club for the first time and decided to reconcile with his wife’s parents, with whom he was, apparently, quite close. Parks was so nervous about the upcoming meeting that he even lost sleep because he was preparing for the upcoming conversation.
Despite the seemingly far-fetched nature of his alibi, Parks was acquitted. Some features of his condition: neuroticism and insomnia are typical for sleepwalkers, we will talk about this below.
Childhood sleepwalking: flying in a dream or in reality?
CHILDHOOD SOLUNATISM: FLIGHTING IN YOUR DREAM OR IN WAIT?
People who walk or talk in their sleep are colloquially called "sleepwalkers." However, this phenomenon is not at all harmless. Svetlana Bezukh, a neurologist at the EXPERT clinic, said what diseases can be a symptom of childhood sleepwalking?
Svetlana Bezukh is a doctor of the highest category, neurologist, MD, professor. Author of 150 scientific papers. Member of the International Association of Neurologists. Work experience - more than 40 years. Accepts patients at the Expert clinic.
— What is sleepwalking? What are its main symptoms?
— Somnambulism itself, or sleepwalking, as it is called at the everyday level, is a type of sleep disorder, that is, parasomnia. Moreover, there is not only sleepwalking, but also sleep-talking. Often, a child suddenly wakes up, sits up in bed with his eyes closed, seeing some of his dreams, lies down a few minutes later and continues to sleep. He can talk in his sleep or mutter something without waking up; he can also get out of bed and take a few steps with his eyes closed.
— How to behave correctly with a sleepwalker?
— Parents often ask whether it is worth waking up the child in this situation? No. This will only make the situation worse. If he is in a state of sleepwalking, then he needs to be carefully taken by the hand and laid down. There is no need to talk to him, bother him, or ask him anything.
— How does a child feel during such states?
— During parasomnia, the child does not feel anything, he sleeps. In the morning, as a rule, he does not remember anything.
— Is sleepwalking possible during daytime sleep?
- There may be episodes of sleepwalking during any sleep.
Sleepwalking may be a type of epilepsy
— Why is sleepwalking dangerous?
- If you know that a child is falling into such a state, it is necessary to protect him from unpleasant situations. There should be no furniture with sharp corners in your child’s bedroom; choose a low bed for him. When he sleeps, the windows should be closed so that they cannot be opened. If states of disturbed sleep occur frequently, it is necessary to periodically monitor the child at this time, keeping the door to his room ajar, and so on.
— At what age does sleepwalking and sleep-talking most often occur?
— In my clinical experience, most often these were children 6, 10, 11 years old, as well as during puberty, when hormonal levels change, the process of puberty begins, and, naturally, the body experiences stress.
— What provokes sleepwalking?
— The answer to this question may be associated with the perinatal period, that is, with the time of intrauterine development and childbirth. If it turns out that a child suffering from sleepwalking has the prerequisites for the formation of an organic lesion of the central nervous system (CNS), since his mother had a complicated pregnancy and/or childbirth, and also if he suffered a traumatic brain injury, meningitis, then it is necessary conduct an examination to rule out epilepsy.
— Which doctor should you contact in this case? What tests are usually ordered?
— Such a child needs to be shown to an epileptologist or neurologist, somnologist, or neuropsychologist. The instrumental examination plan includes electroencephalography; if indicated, an MRI or CT scan of the brain may be performed, especially if sleepwalking has developed after a traumatic brain injury or neuroinfectious disease.
— How is the treatment of a child who is suspected of having epilepsy due to sleepwalking?
— If a diagnosis of epilepsy is made, then specific drug treatment and observation by an epileptologist are prescribed.
The right regime is the key to health
- What else can sleepwalking hide?
— Hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. We encounter it quite often. Such children are extremely hyperactive, they have a lot of uncontrolled movements: they can twitch their shoulders, blink, make various sounds against the background of hyperactive behavior and impulsiveness.
— And what treatment is used in this case?
— Mainly, non-drug methods: psychological and pedagogical correction, family psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, elimination of concomitant pathology. The use of medications is indicated if the above methods are ineffective.
— What to do if the child does not have problems with the central nervous system, there is no hyperactivity, but sleepwalking occurs from time to time?
— If the child does not have these diseases, then the correct regimen is necessary. A few hours before bedtime, it is recommended to stay in the fresh air and play quiet games. The child's room should be well ventilated, and the apartment should be quiet until he falls asleep. Before going to bed, you can read a fairy tale for 10–15 minutes. It is necessary to monitor the child’s emotional state, especially in the afternoon and before bedtime: exclude computer games and TV.
— Previously, it was believed that somnambulism was associated with lunar phases. Is there such a relationship?
- These are superstitions; sleepwalking has nothing to do with the phases of the moon. Sleepwalking during certain phases of the moon is just a coincidence.
— Is somnambulism inherited?
— If a child suffering from sleepwalking is diagnosed with epilepsy, then it is difficult to assume in advance that in the future he will pass this disease on to his children. The hereditary cause of epilepsy is detected in 5–8% of cases.
If a child is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it is recommended to ask the parents if they had any manifestations of this disease in childhood. This syndrome has a hereditary predisposition in 10–15% of cases. Especially boys.
— Can somnambulism go away on its own over time?
- If this is a symptom of epilepsy, it will not go away on its own. If it is part of the structure of hyperactivity and attention deficit, then it can also go away only after treatment. If sleepwalking is a manifestation of sleep disorders - parasomnia, then appropriate treatment and observation by a somnologist is also necessary. It is very important to establish a sleep and rest schedule and eliminate stress factors that affect the child’s proper sleep. If there are no above-mentioned diseases, then establishing sleep hygiene will eliminate sleepwalking.
