Adult sleepwalking: anyone else dealing with this?

I wasn't sure if this belonged here or in the psychology section, so feel free to move it if I've missed the mark.

So, I'm looking for some insight. I've done a little reading, and apparently, this isn't exactly common.
My boyfriend sleepwalks. Up until now, it’s been minor stuff—talking or singing in his sleep, shouting, wandering around the room (he’ll wake up on the floor on the far side of the room, for instance), twitching, or even turning on the TV or the computer... but last night actually terrified me. His bedroom is upstairs, and he got up, walked all the way down the spiral staircase, went straight to the phone, dialed my cell number, let it ring twice, hung up, climbed back upstairs, and crawled back into bed. About a minute later, I called him, which woke him up, and he had absolutely no clue anything had happened. This happened once before, but we came up with some other explanation and brushed it off. Now? There’s no explanation other than the fact that he trekked halfway across the house while unconscious just to call me.

Ever since we started dating—over a year now—he complains every single day about how exhausted he is and how much he needs sleep. It never made sense to me because he sleeps more than I do. Now, everything clicks, and honestly, I have no idea how to handle this. He thinks the whole thing is hilarious, but I don't. Those stairs are a nightmare, and I'm genuinely scared he's going to break his neck one night. I don't know if I should force him to see a doctor, but this chronic fatigue and lack of real rest is getting serious.

Sorry for the long-winded rant. My main questions are: Can a doctor actually help with this? Is there any effective treatment for sleepwalking at all?
Does anyone know more about this?

I’m really curious about this thread. Had a super weird experience last night.

So, I go to bed in one room, then suddenly wake up in a totally different room in a different bed. It actually freaked me out. Never had anything like this happen before. Now I'm worried I might be sleepwalking... honestly, kind of terrifying.

Keep the windows shut, lock the bedroom door, and clear out anything dangerous from reach—standard safety precautions. When you see an adult acting out like this, it isn't just "odd behavior"; it could be tied to underlying psychological issues or even side effects from certain medications, such as specific beta blockers. You really ought to consult a doctor and potentially follow up with a psychiatrist or a specialist at a Sleep Disorders Center. In more severe cases, there are pharmaceutical options available that can help keep everything under control.

Folks, I am reaching out because I really need some guidance... I am dealing with some incredibly difficult issues regarding my elderly father—it is becoming quite overwhelming. Whether it is during the day or in the middle of the night, he is constantly groaning or wandering around in a complete state of confusion. He will wander out of one room and somehow find himself waking up in another; one evening, he nearly walked right out of the house without even realizing it. We have also caught him several times just standing there, clutching the television in his arms, totally disoriented. It used to happen only at night, but now it is constant. He sleeps all through the day, yet during the night, he gets up and paces every few minutes. Even when he tries to lie down, he won't settle—he just moans or sings to himself. We took him to see a neurologist, who referred him for a CT scan and a consultation with a psychologist, both of whom insisted everything seems fine. They prescribed medication, too, but nothing has changed. I am truly at a loss—we are exhausted, feeling quite desperate because we don't know how to help him or where else to turn.
I sincerely hope no one else is facing this, but if you are, please, if you have any advice or suggestions, I would be deeply grateful.

Thank you all so much.

Maybe someone’s just sleepwalking 🤷. Does that only happen while they're out cold, or can it happen when they're awake too?

There’s a Sleep Disorders Center over at the local Mayo Clinic. I've heard they do pretty solid work.

Honestly, this whole sleepwalking thing is starting to get on my last nerve...

For instance, I’ll pass out on the couch and somehow wake up in my own bed... I even catch myself talking to people while I'm half-asleep—my sister has actually called me out a few times for stuff I said during these episodes... like, I'll start rambling, swearing at her, picking a fight, and then just drift right back to sleep... naturally, I have zero memory of any of it the next morning.🙂

When I was a kid, I used to walk in my sleep and stay wide awake until about age ten.

I don't remember dreaming 99% of the time, and on the rare occasion I do, it’s never anything funny or scary.

Bottom line: I just want to fix this—at the very least, I want to stop picking fights with the people living with me while I'm unconscious.😁

Paul Doyle5 said:Honestly, this whole sleepwalking thing is starting to get on my last nerve...

For instance, I’ll pass out on the couch and somehow wake up in my own bed... I even catch myself talking to people while I'm half-asleep—my sister has actually called me out a few times for stuff I said during these episodes... like, I'll start rambling, swearing at her, picking a fight, and then just drift right back to sleep... naturally, I have zero memory of any of it the next morning.🙂

When I was a kid, I used to walk in my sleep and stay wide awake until about age ten.

I don't remember dreaming 99% of the time, and on the rare occasion I do, it’s never anything funny or scary.

Bottom line: I just want to fix this—at the very least, I want to stop picking fights with the people living with me while I'm unconscious.😁

Are you feeling any physical consequences, like exhaustion, or does it just bother you that you're doing things you can't remember?
With sleep disorders, the real trouble starts when your sleep quality drops so low that you can't actually rest, not to mention the constant risk of injury from sleepwalking and such.
If you're really serious about fixing this, you should head to a doctor; they'll let you know if you need further testing or not.
My mom has been sleepwalking for twenty years. They advised her to stick to a strict schedule—going to bed and waking up at the exact same time every day—to relax before bed, keep the room quiet, avoid going to sleep hungry, and make sure she uses the restroom first. But honestly? Nothing seemed to help. 🙂

Roger Rodriguez said:Are you feeling any physical consequences, like exhaustion, or does it just bother you that you're doing things you can't remember?
With sleep disorders, the real trouble starts when your sleep quality drops so low that you can't actually rest, not to mention the constant risk of injury from sleepwalking and such.
If you're really serious about fixing this, you should head to a doctor; they'll let you know if you need further testing or not.
My mom has been sleepwalking for twenty years. They advised her to stick to a strict schedule—going to bed and waking up at the exact same time every day—to relax before bed, keep the room quiet, avoid going to sleep hungry, and make sure she uses the restroom first. But honestly? Nothing seemed to help. 🙂

Regarding the fatigue—I basically never get enough sleep, but honestly, the exhaustion isn't even the worst part. It's the tossing and turning... it’s not exactly comfortable (trust me, waking up on the cold tile floor by the exit isn't great)... my biggest worry is wandering outside and making a total fool of myself. 😁

I used to sleepwalk a lot when I was a little kid, but now that I'm 17, it’s started happening again over the last week. I share a room with my twin sister, and since she’s a pretty light sleeper, she always ends up recounting everything I said or did while I was out of it... Most nights it happens around 3:00 AM (during that deep REM phase), and I’ll be fixing the curtains, yelling at them, or just rambling about stuff. Last night, for instance, I actually got out of bed, told my sister I had to study, walked over to the window to mess with the curtains, turned around, went all the way down to the downstairs bathroom, then came back and crawled into bed. Sometimes I turn the lights on myself, and sometimes she flips them on because she hears me moving around. I don't remember any of it, which honestly makes me laugh once she tells me what I was up to. Usually, I'm just talking about random daily stuff—like asking her if she set her alarm for the right time or whatever. She says sometimes she tries to ask me things and I'll answer, but I never actually look at her; I just stare off into space. I was reading online that stress can trigger sleepwalking, and I've been dealing with a ton of drama at school lately, so that probably explains why I kept saying I needed to go study. Anyone else here deal with sleepwalking? When does it happen for you, and do you have any idea why? 🙂

Anyone here actually tried Normabel on a doctor's recommendation?

What actually works to make sleepwalking stop once and for all? Honestly, I was doing this stuff constantly as a kid, but it never really went away. Lately, I’ve been catching myself wandering in my sleep—I’ll wake up in a completely different room or just find random things moved around the house in the morning.
My husband and the little one sleep like rocks, so they never hear a thing I'm doing.
It gives me the creeps, you know? It’s this thing happening that I have zero control over, and I’m genuinely terrified I’m going to end up doing something stupid or breaking something in the middle of the night.

Should I try hypnosis? Or maybe see a psychiatrist?

Richard Morris43 said:What actually works to make sleepwalking stop once and for all? Honestly, I was doing this stuff constantly as a kid, but it never really went away. Lately, I’ve been catching myself wandering in my sleep—I’ll wake up in a completely different room or just find random things moved around the house in the morning.
My husband and the little one sleep like rocks, so they never hear a thing I'm doing.
It gives me the creeps, you know? It’s this thing happening that I have zero control over, and I’m genuinely terrified I’m going to end up doing something stupid or breaking something in the middle of the night.

Should I try hypnosis? Or maybe see a psychiatrist?

Answer:

Angela Wright said:There’s a Sleep Disorders Center over at the local Mayo Clinic. I've heard they do pretty solid work.

I’ve been sleepwalking constantly since the start of the year.🤦

My husband I was 2 days ago found me standing outside by the basement waiting for a bus.

The weird part? I actually managed to put on my sneakers and tie the laces without any trouble, even with my pregnancy swelling.

Basically, my psychologist told me she can't really help right now because I'm due in about 15 days. She suggested I bring it up at the hospital where I'm delivering, or maybe request a consultation once they admit me.

To be honest, I've never had the urge to wander like this before being pregnant, though obviously, it's stress-related rather than the pregnancy itself.

I just don't get what triggers it.

Everything was fine until I started going outside.

Honestly, I'm terrified of this happening until I give birth...

Steven Gomez3 said:I’ve been sleepwalking constantly since the start of the year.🤦

My husband I was 2 days ago found me standing outside by the basement waiting for a bus.

The weird part? I actually managed to put on my sneakers and tie the laces without any trouble, even with my pregnancy swelling.

Basically, my psychologist told me she can't really help right now because I'm due in about 15 days. She suggested I bring it up at the hospital where I'm delivering, or maybe request a consultation once they admit me.

To be honest, I've never had the urge to wander like this before being pregnant, though obviously, it's stress-related rather than the pregnancy itself.

I just don't get what triggers it.

Everything was fine until I started going outside.

Honestly, I'm terrified of this happening until I give birth...

First things first, go see a neurologist.
An EEG is non-invasive, so there's absolutely no risk to you or anyone else.
After that, you'll just coordinate with your primary care doctor based on whatever those results show.

velvetmoose9 said:First things first, go see a neurologist.
An EEG is non-invasive, so there's absolutely no risk to you or anyone else.
After that, you'll just coordinate with your primary care doctor based on whatever those results show.

Thanks for the help.

I want this handled ASAP. I'm not waiting until after the baby comes because this is already wearing me down...

Hey everyone! 🙂

So, this is the third time in just a few weeks where—I guess you could say—I’ve basically been sleep-acting right next to my partner in the middle of the night.

Every single time, I wake up mid-scene and just... continue the dream, complete with talking, gestures, and whatever else. One night, I actually stood up and started explaining some incredibly vital task out loud—all part of the dream logic, obviously. 🤣

Luckily, all three times it didn't last too long; eventually, my brain realizes that the things I'm doing don't make sense, or I realize I'm about to drive the person next to me crazy. 😁

It's nothing aggressive or anything—it's pretty harmless—but it's still annoying to wake up like that, and honestly, it's a bit embarrassing once I'm actually awake. Thankfully, the wonderful soul sleeping next to me is super understanding; one time it even ended up being kind of sweet.

Anyway, I'm looking for a serious explanation, some advice, or maybe a way to end this little nightly adventure. 🕺

So, do you generally lead a pretty high-stress kind of life?

I work in a field that can get pretty psychologically brutal—though, honestly, it happens way more often than those weird dreams I've been having. I read somewhere that this kind of stress might actually trigger these kinds of anomalies, but as far as I can tell, nobody really knows how to stop them from happening again. 🙂