How can you get rid of your sleepwalking or sleeping disorder

Sleepwalking is a sleeping disorder that is also known as somnambulism or noctambulism. It is a series of complex behaviors such as moving furniture, going to the bathroom, dressing and undressing, and similar activities during sleep. Some people even drive a car while actually asleep. The episodes can be brief or can last for 30 minutes or longer. Sleepwalking is a rapid eye movement (REM) behavior disorder occurring in the dream stage of sleep. During this phase, the body releases a chemical that paralyzes the body.

It can affect you at any age but it occurs usually in children aged 6 to 12 years old. It may occur in younger children, in adults, or in the elderly, and it appears to run in families. Sleepwalking is common among children, an estimated 15 percent of all children between the ages of 5 and 12 have walked in their sleep at least once, and most outgrow the disorder. Generally sleepwalker sits up, gets out of bed, and moves about in an uncoordinated manner. Less frequently, the sleepwalker may dress, open doors, eat, or go to the bathroom without incident and usually will avoid obstacles. But sleepwalkers don't always make their rounds in safety. They sometimes hurt themselves, stumbling against furniture and losing their balance, going through windows, or falling down stairs

Sleepwalking is fairly common and can be treated easily. Usually diagnosis is not required for sleepwalking, but doctor can perform psychologic evaluation to determine whether excessive stress or anxiety is the cause of sleepwalking. Sleepwalking can be treated by medication as well as by change in life style.

You can treat sleep walking yourself by following these tips.

• Follow a fixed sleep regime to prevent sleep deprivation
• Escape yourself from other sleep disorders
• Create congenial sleep environment.
• Avoid certain drugs and alcohol
• Avoid stress and fever
• Stay awakened about 15 minutes before you usually sleepwalk and then kept awake through the duration of a typical episode. After 1-4 weeks of these awakenings, episodes usually become less frequent or even disappear.

If these tips don’t work for then consult the doctor. He can solve your problem with medication. Sometimes drugs such as benzodiazepines and antidepressants may be prescribed to cure sleepwalking. Apart from medication doctor can also recommend therapies for treatment. You should not select treatment option yourself, consult a doctor for optimum result.