I have been sleepwalking all my life, and as I am growing older, I am starting to see the humor in it. I have looked high and low for a website with information about sleepwalking or to find other adult sleepwalkers, but to no avail. I found medical sites describing sleepwalking in young children, or more bizzare "sleep eating", or other dangerous, life-threatening behavior. These sites recommended medication and were more than likely written by people without first hand sleepwalking experience.
I do not see my sleepwalking as a problem and do not want to be medicated. This site is created in part to offer a picture of a sleepwalker who is not a loony. I am in my 30's, have a full time job, friends, my own house and am emotionally stable. I encourage other sleepwalkers who find this site to leave their stories, questions and observations in the message board section of this site. I also created this site purely for entertainment.
I have never walked into traffic nor hurt anyone (although I do occassionally have bruises that I can't explain). I currently live alone, so I am not always aware when I have walked. This is a record of the dreams that I have woken up for, or was reminded of by roommates/lovers/house-guests. As far as I can tell, I sleeptalk every night, and sleepwalk twice a month on average.
When I am sleepwalking, most often my eyes are open and I see my surroundings as they are (i.e. walls, furniture, etc), but the dream superimposes other things, noises, or people into my surroundings. Doorknobs have always been a trigger to wake up for me. When I must go outside in a dream, often just touching the doorknob will bring me out of sleep. Also if a roommate tells me "you're dreaming, go back to bed", I get very frustrated. They seem to be blowing me off, not willing to deal with what I am saying at the time. I reply angrily "I know when I am asleep and I know when I am awake, and I AM AWAKE NOW!". I have been saying this for years. Now when I hear myself saying it, it is a trigger to wake up.
Thanks for visiting
-christine |
