In ancient times, people thought that the moon affects the mental state of some individuals. It was believed that under her influence, persons suffering from mental disorders, got up and walked in a dream. Today it is known that the moon is unable to exert such an impact. However, many are still interested in the question of why people sleep in the night.
Prevalence and types of illness
Today, experts are carefully studying the causes and features of this phenomenon. This violation is called somnambulism. In colloquial speech he is called sleepwalking. Indeed, in the Middle Ages it was believed that such patients are subject to the influence of the night luminary and evil spirits. They were often accused of witchcraft. Fortunately, times of ignorance are a thing of the past. And to the question of why people sleep in the night, scientists are already able to give specific answers.
Somnambulism is a common disorder. It is found in two percent of the inhabitants of the Earth. Most of the people suffering from this disorder are individuals of youthful and young age. Some patients who had symptoms of the disease, "outgrew" sleepwalking to 15-19 years.
Many people believe that with somnambulism a person rises from the bed and walks. But it's not always the case. There are two types of disorders:
- Easy flow. Attacks are observed two to three times a month. The patient does not get out of bed and does not perform complex actions. With this type of disorder, a person talks during sleep, grinds his teeth, sits up, picks up or moves objects located on the bedside table in front of the bed.
- Severe degree. This form is characterized by the fact that the patient walks and performs complex actions: does housework, eats, walks along the street, gets in the car, goes to work or to visit.
Any manifestations of the disorder cause shock in loved ones who are next to the patient. Why do people sleep at night and talk? How to help a patient suffering from somnambulism? These questions interest many.
Causes of the disorder in minors
It is known that sleepwalking is most often found in children and people of puberty. Male individuals are more prone to it.
Pathology is associated with insufficient central nervous system maturity in children and adolescents. Increased mental and emotional stress, active activities (watching TV, computer games) in the evening - all this leads to the fact that the nervous system cannot calm down even during sleep.
Often somnambulism is combined with involuntary urination, tic, neurosis. In addition, one of the answers to the question of why people sleep in the night is the presence of a hereditary predisposition. If the disorder was observed in relatives, then there is a likelihood of its development in the child.
Somnambulism is often found in infants and teenagers during a migraine attack, during a period of illness that is accompanied by fever. Another possible cause of the disease is epilepsy.
Factors contributing to the development of pathology in adults
Adult individuals rarely suffer from this disorder. As a rule, it has a secondary character. Why do people sleep at night and talk in their sleep? The causes of the development of the disorder in adults can be:
- chronic lack of sleep;
- psychological overstrain;
- hemicrania;
- neoplasms in the brain;
- neurosis;
- dementia in old age;
- Parkinson's disease;
- mechanical damage to the brain;
- epilepsy;
- severe arrhythmia;
- respiratory disorders in a dream;
- pathology of the vessels of the brain;
- the period of gestation and critical days;
- asthmatic attacks during sleep;
- a decrease in glucose concentration in diabetes;
- eating a lot of food at night;
- unbalanced diet;
- intake of alcohol-containing products, narcotic substances, medicines.
Symptoms of the disorder
Usually patients with somnambulism get out of bed, walk, talk, perform various actions. At first glance, it seems that these people are in a state of wakefulness. However, if you carefully monitor them, you can notice the characteristic features. Patient movements are slow. The eyes are open, but the person does not perceive what is happening, does not see and does not hear anything around. I can’t wake him up. There are cases when people during an attack opened the door lock, started the car.
But not all people with somnambulism are so active. There are patients who are standing or sitting in bed.
As a rule, episodes of sleepwalking are short-lived. They stop on their own after about half an hour. The man returns to bed and falls asleep. After waking up, he does not remember a night attack.
Potential hazard
Many are interested not only in the question of why people sleep in the night, but also how much this condition threatens the patient or others. Somnambulism is not a fatal affliction. However, during night walks, the patient poses a potential danger to himself and others. He may get injured, jump out of the window, fall from the roof, get into a car accident. There are cases when such patients committed criminal acts. Relatives of individuals suffering from this disorder should not be woken up abruptly. Such an effect can provoke stress.
How to get rid of somnambulism?
One of the answers to the question why people sleep in the night, talk and walk, is the presence of overload and emotional stress. This is especially true for individuals of childhood and adolescence. First of all, to get rid of the symptoms of somnambulism, it is necessary to stabilize the sleep and rest regimen.
You must also consult a doctor to undergo an examination, which must include an encephalogram. After finding out why a person sleeps at night in a dream, a specialist selects a method of therapy. In the absence of serious ailments, the doctor will recommend remedies with a calming effect. If pathologies are detected, treatment of the underlying disease will be necessary.
Precautionary measures
The main questions that concern the patient's loved ones are: why do people sleep around at night and how to prevent possible damage. To avoid injury, you must remember these rules:
- It is necessary to put the bars on the windows of the room in which the patient is sleeping.
- Do not place wires, objects made of glass on the floor.
- Wet cloth should be placed near the bed so that the patient, rising from the bed, stepped on it and woke up under the influence of cold.