Why do people sleep walk?
In: Biology
We don’t know. There are several theories and it seems like certain illnesses, mental disorders and fever can contribute to it, but there in no known scientific reason.
It does appear to be genetic however, children with 1 or more parents that sleepwalk are something like 50% more likely to do it.
Normally when we sleep, our motor center is shut down to prevent all the activity going on in our brain from stimulating our muscles. This sensation of near-total paralysis is known as sleep paralysis.
Sleep-walking can occur when that step to shut down the motor center and induce paralysis doesn’t occur, causing the semiconscious sleeper to act out their dreams or otherwise carry out actions while most of their conscious brain is deactivated and sleeping.
I wish I knew, I rarely wake up were I went to sleep. It can be an issue when I’m in hotels.
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