If you’ve ever seen a sleepwalker, or if you’ve ever sleepwalked yourself, you'll know it can be a disturbing thing to witness, and an even more disturbing activity to participate in.
Imagine going to sleep in your warm, comfy bed and waking up alone in the middle of your living room, or even worse, outside in the street!
These nightly wanderings can be frightening and dangerous, and if this sounds familiar, you're no doubt wondering “how can I stop sleepwalking”.
Sleepwalking & Poor Sleeping Habits
Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, is quite often caused by lack of sleep, which is itself usually caused by poor sleep hygiene. That doesn’t mean that you forgot to brush your teeth or do your hair before bed, no.
Sleep hygiene is a term that refers to natural behaviours that affect sleep quality. In many cases sleepwalking is remedied by simply changing behaviours affecting quality of sleep; like that cup of coffee right before bed, or your nightly gym routine that hikes your adrenaline.
How to Cure Sleepwalking
Ending your after-hours journeys around the hallways of your house could be as simple as making some changes to your sleep routine. By learning ways to improve your sleep hygiene, you'll simultaneously cure your sleepwalking. Statistics show that at the heart of every sleepwalking problem is a person who isn’t sleeping well; the same is true of sleep paralysis.
Of course, there can be other medical factors at play, and you should always seek the advice of a physician if you are experiencing regular sleep walking episodes.
But in the majority of cases, if you can get yourself sleeping well on a regular basis, you will at the very least reduce the amount of episodes you experience. Try correcting your routine using the following advice:
Avoid eating anything spicy or containing caffeine for four to six hours before trying to fall asleep. Also, try not to do anything that will stimulate your brain just before sleep; like using the computer, and don’t work out too late in the evening. Use your evenings to prepare for quality sleep by treating your mind to genuine relaxation.
Sleepwalking Treatment
In the majority of sleepwalking patients, a course of good sleep hygiene will bring abouta rapid decrease in episodes. However, be sure to speak with a medical professional for further advice, particularly if your episodes are occurring more than once a week.
