Home > Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders > Sleepwalking disorder

Definition

Sleepwalking disorder, also called somnambulism, is characterized by repeating episodes of motor activity during sleep such as sitting up in bed, rising, and walking around, among others. The person appears to be awake because their eyes are usually open and they can maneuver around objects, but is considered asleep.

Sleepwalking disorder is one of several sleep disorderslisted in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, often called DSM-IV-TR, produced by the American Psychiatric Association and used by most mental health professionals in North America and Europe to diagnose mental disorders.

Description

Sleepwalking episodes usually occur during the first...