Sleepwalking can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'very serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose sleepwalking, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Seizure Disorder | 99% | Confirm |
Heartburn | 24% | Unlikely |
Parkinson's Disease | 16% | Unlikely |
Alcohol Consequences | 3% | Ruled out |
Asthma | 2% | Ruled out |
Panic Attacks | 0% | Ruled out |
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | 0% | Ruled out |
Sleep Apnea | 0% | Ruled out |
Have you experienced Sleepwalking? These are episodes where you perform activities in your sleep (not necessarily just walking) and have no knowledge at the time that you are doing them.
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ No, never → Yes, episode(s) in the past but not currently → Occasionally / a few episodes per year on average → Frequently / several episodes per month on average |
Sleepwalking can be caused by hypnotics, sedatives, neuroleptics, stimulants or antihistamines.
Parkinson's Disease is thought to trigger sleepwalking in those without a previous history of sleepwalking.