What are the causes, incidence, and risk factors of sleepwalking?
Sleepwalking has been described in medical literature dating before Hippocrates (460 BC-370 BC). In Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s famous sleepwalking scene (“out, damned spot”) is ascribed to her guilt and resulting insanity as a consequence of her involvement in the murder of her father-in-law. Sleepwalking is characterized by a complex behavior (walking) occurring while asleep. Occasionally nonsensical talking may occur. The person’s eyes are commonly open, but have a characteristic glassy “look right through you” character. This activity most commonly occurs during middle childhood and young adolescence. Approximately 15% of children between 4-12 years of age will experience sleepwal…
