Sleepwalking

Introduction This disease is also known as night snoring, sleepwalking. It is a state of consciousness change that exists simultaneously with sleep and awakening. Sleepwalking, commonly known as "disorder", refers to sudden rise in sleep to carry out activities, and then sleeps, wake up and know nothing about the activities during sleep. Sleepwalking does not occur in a dream, but occurs in the deep sleep phase 3-4 of sleep, which is concentrated in the first half of the night. Therefore, sleepwalking usually occurs 2-3 hours after falling asleep. Sleepwalking occurs mostly in children (6 to 12 years old) and can occur in any period of children, but it is more common in 5 to 7 years, lasts for several years, and can disappear after entering puberty.

Cause

Cause:

Psychosocial factors

Some children with sleepwalking are related to psychosocial factors. Such as the disorder of daily life, environmental stress, anxiety and fear, family relationship is not good, parent-child relationship is not good, learning tension and poor test scores have a certain relationship with the occurrence of sleepwalking.

Too deep sleep

Because sleepwalking often occurs in the first 1/3 of the deep sleep period of sleep, various factors that make the sleep deepen, such as overwork during the day, lack of sleep for a few days and nights, and taking sleeping pills before going to bed, can induce sleepwalking. happened.

genetic factors

Family surveys showed that patients with sleepwalking had a positive family history in their families, and the same rate of twins was 6 times higher than that of twins, indicating that the disease and genetic factors are certain. Relationship.

Developmental factors

Because the disease occurs mostly in childhood, and gradually stops with age, indicating that sleepwalking may be related to the developmental delay of the cerebral cortex.

an examination

Related inspection

Neurological examination EEG examination

diagnosis:

(l) Most commonly seen in childhood, developmental factors play a role in the pathogenesis.

(2) Sustained or first in adulthood, often associated with psychological factors.

(3) Occasionally, it can also be started in the elderly or in the early stages of dementia.

(4) Many patients have a corresponding positive family history.

(5) Attention has a low level of attention, responsiveness and motor skills.

(6) It is often possible to get out of the bedroom or even the home. It is dangerous to come to a less familiar environment.

(7) In most cases, you can return to the bed quietly or under the gentle guidance of others.

(8) Patients usually cannot recall the events, whether they are in the attack or wake up the next morning.

(9) If a patient is suddenly awakened during an episode, the patient is often afraid of his or her behavior.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis:

1) Psychomotor seizures: The disease is less likely to occur only at night, and when the attack occurs, the individual has no reaction to environmental stimuli, and common actions such as swallowing and picking up hands are common. EEG can be seen in epileptic abnormal waves. The above is different from sleepwalking. However, the possibility of coexistence of epilepsy and sleep sickness is not ruled out.

2) Separate roaming: The episode lasts much longer, the patient is more alert and can perform complex, purposeful behaviors, and when he wakes up, he can find strangers away from his home. Moreover, septal disorders are rare in children, and typical episodes begin with waking state. All of the above are different from sleepwalking.

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