Somnambulism without mysticism

Valeria is 27 years old. She always considered herself a rational woman and was skeptical about “mysterious phenomena”. Until one morning I found myself in the kitchen sitting on the floor near the refrigerator, with a purse in my hands. “How could I come here in a dream, take a bag and sit on the floor without realizing it at all?” Valeria does not find answers and admits that the incident worries her very much.

The ability to walk in a dream is puzzling and even frightening. And although scientific research is gradually dispelling the mystical fog around this phenomenon, interest in it remains. After all, there is still no answer to the questions: why are some people prone to somnambulism, while others are not? What are his seizures? And what can these walks in a dream tell about the sleeper himself?

Eyes wide shut

To begin with, let’s define the main thing. Somnambulism (also known as sleepwalking or sleepwalking) has nothing to do with mysticism. This is one of the altered states of consciousness, manifestations of sleep.

It is known that our sleep consists of several stages. One of them is called deep sleep, and the name quite clearly describes our state at this moment. But then, under the closed eyelids, the sleeper’s eyes begin to move actively – as if he is trying to consider something. “This stage is called REM sleep, or REM sleep,” says neurophysiologist Alexander Kaplan. – The electrical activity of the brain, which is recorded by the devices, changes dramatically (it is at this moment that we begin to dream). Their testimonies testify that we are no longer sleeping, but awake. But we continue to remain motionless, our eyes are closed. It looks like we can and should even wake up during REM sleep. But a certain psychological mechanism completely relaxes all the muscles – so that even the eyes cannot be opened. However, sometimes this mechanism fails – and the sleeper opens his eyes.

False alarm

Scientists have not yet come to a consensus about the stage of sleep at which the phenomena of somnambulism occur. Some consider them a violation of the deep sleep phase. Others are inclined to believe that somnambulism “weds” between deep and REM sleep, including the work of the muscles, but leaving the mind inactive. Finally, others see sleepwalking as a paradoxical manifestation of precisely REM sleep. One of the widespread hypotheses about the nature of somnambulism says that its manifestations are echoes of mechanisms that were formed in reptiles: from them we inherited the deepest and most ancient structures of the brain. For millions of years, sleep brought our distant ancestors not only rest, but also the danger of becoming a victim of predators. And nature took care of protection: several times during the night, animals wake up at least for a moment in order to “scan” the world around – and fall asleep again if there is no reason for concern.

The appearance of homo sapiens changed the situation. Firstly, man, as he developed, managed to protect himself from nocturnal predators. And secondly, sleep without constant awakening is critical to our health. But evolution is unable to extract the outdated brain from our heads and replace it with a new model. She has to make adjustments as she goes. It develops ways to block old structures, pushes unnecessary circuits into the hidden depths of the brain. However, in a dream, when consciousness is turned off, the blocking mechanisms can fail, and the “legacy of the past” is brought to light. Lunar.

There is a lot of evidence in favor of this hypothesis. For example, many manifestations of sleepwalking are easily explained by a possible sense of danger. “Cases of somnambulism are more common than commonly thought,” says Alexander Kaplan. – And in most of them, a person performs quite ordinary actions. Goes, for example, to close the window or goes to the kitchen. Why? It can be assumed that in a state of half-sleep-half-wake he suddenly heard a suspicious sound coming from the street. Or the dishwasher squealed in the kitchen. And a person, not waking up completely, seeks to protect himself from danger or to make sure that it does not exist.

Little sleepwalkers

Somnambulism occurs in 30% of children and only 1-3% of adults. “The child’s brain is still in the process of development, the sleep control structures are not fully formed,” says somnologist Mikhail Poluektov. “And the likelihood of mixing different states of it in children is much higher.” The first episodes of somnambulism usually occur at the age of 4–8 years, and their peak occurs at 8–12 years of age. They happen to both boys and girls. The tendency to them may be genetically determined. “60% of parents who go to the doctor about the sleepwalking of their children have themselves suffered or are suffering from this disorder,” explains Mikhail Poluektov. Stress, high body temperature, sleep disturbances can also provoke sleepwalking. “There is no need to treat a child for sleepwalking,” says the somnologist. “After 12 years, the problem usually goes away on its own.” But it is worth taking care that the child does not injure himself. There is only one danger: about 3% of cases of sleepwalking in children are associated with the development of epilepsy. A doctor should be consulted if the child is less than three or more than 12 years old; if attacks occur in the second, and not in the first half of the night; if motor activity during sleep is simple and repetitive. An additional examination will help answer all questions.

Daria Rybina

Staging a dream

Probably everyone remembers dreams that intertwined the events that happened at that time in reality. For example, we hear an annoying alarm clock. But the body has not yet rested, it refuses to wake up. And sleep comes to the rescue, turning an alarm clock into a phone call we don’t want to answer. Dreams receive and transform signals of reality, enough to be fixed, but not enough to wake us up.

Psychophysiologists use this feature to study dreams. “At different moments of sleep, so-called marks are introduced: sound or light signals,” says Alexander Kaplan. “When the subject wakes up and talks about his dreams, you can track whether these labels have been integrated into dreams.” By the way, most often and most easily, the marks are integrated into dreams again during REM sleep, which at least coexists with manifestations of sleepwalking.

This perhaps explains why somnambulism is not limited to everyday activities. Hearing a suspicious sound, the somnambulist goes to check if everything is in order. But if the sound is integrated into the dream, then the consequences are unpredictable. In a sense, the sleepwalkers’ actions may be reenactments of the dreams they are having at this very moment. And if a person dreams that he is being pursued by a cruel villain or a terrible monster, then it’s just right to climb onto the roof.

The connection of somnambulism with dreams is one of the most controversial issues. And there are no less categorical opponents of this idea among scientists than supporters. Neither one nor the other has irrefutable arguments. But the testimonies of the somnambulists themselves are sometimes eloquent. “I got up one night and went to my daughter’s bed,” recalls Irina, 39. – My husband found me when I was shaking our girl hard. He was able to calm me down and take me back to bed, while I never woke up. The next day, Irina had absolutely no memory of what had happened, but she remembered her dream very clearly. She dreamed that many spiders were crawling over her daughter … “From that day on, I began to be afraid of myself, afraid of what I could do,” she admits. – Although you can’t even say that what I did in a dream, I did. It was some other person.”

Myths and legends

Somnambulism has been surrounded by mystical and often ridiculous explanations for centuries. We will not consider versions about the possession of evil spirits, and the influence of the moon should not be taken seriously either. After all, if a person walks at night, when is it most likely to be seen? Of course, on a full moon. This is even more true in times when there was no street lighting. “There is a lot of talk about the influence of the moon on the psyche, but there is still no reliable data on this subject,” confirms Alexander Kaplan.

But other outlandish stories can be listened to more carefully. For example, there is evidence that in a somnambulistic state a person can show unusual strength and dexterity. The outstanding Russian physiologist, Nobel laureate Ilya Mechnikov wrote: “Cases of this kind show that during natural somnambulism a person acquires properties that he did not have in a normal state, and that he becomes a strong, dexterous, good gymnast, completely similar to his anthropoid ancestors. Man inherited from his ancestors many brain mechanisms, the activity of which was suppressed by later developed brakes. In the somnambulistic state, these ancient mechanisms are disinhibited due to the inhibition of the later acquired, human-specific sections of the cerebral cortex. In other words, in a somnambulistic state, abilities can awaken in a person that have been blocked by evolution as unnecessary – which again returns to the hypothesis of the legacy of the past.

To wake up or not to wake up

Is somnambulism dangerous for those who are subject to it, and for those around them? More often no than yes. Alexander Kaplan is sure that somnambulistic phenomena in one form or another happen in the life of every person. We simply do not remember them, and for those around them they go unnoticed due to their complete harmlessness.

However, some “safety” does not hurt. There is no need to wake up the somnambulist – neither if he is walking along the ledge, nor when he is simply going to the kitchen. The somnambulistic state is akin to a deep sleep, a sharp exit from which is fraught with trouble. “A sudden return to reality can lead to a state of extreme confusion, stupor, physical shock and push for abrupt behavior: erratic movements, flight and the associated risk of falling,” explains the psychophysiologist. True, it is not so easy to interrupt a somnambulistic dream. But it is possible and necessary to return the somnambulist to bed gently and calmly. Most of the time, the person never wakes up.

But sometimes manifestations of somnambulism become not harmless. “Imagine that you stepped on your foot in the subway,” suggests Alexander Kaplan. – They came and apologized, the incident is over. You will probably answer: “It’s okay” – and forget. But this happens because your consciousness works with all the controlling mechanisms, cultural and social settings. If you turn them off, then you might immediately pounce on the offender with your fists. So, the consciousness of the somnambulist is turned off, it is sleeping.

Does this mean that in such a state a person is at the mercy of his unconscious? Not always, but from time to time it is quite possible. Alice, 24, recalls rebelling against her mother as a teenager: “We fought about everything. Once we were waiting for guests, and my mother terribly criticized me for how badly I set the table. A week later, Alice’s parents found Alice at night in the kitchen. In a somnambulistic state, she threw the cutlery into the trash can …

Neurologists note that attacks of somnambulism are often associated with stress, overwork and sleep disturbances. And although this causal relationship has not been proven for sure, it looks quite likely. Treatment prescribed by a doctor not only helps to cope with stress, but also prevents new bouts of sleepwalking.

* I. Mechnikov “Etudes of Optimism” (Knigovek Book Club, 2012).

Other nightlife

In addition to somnambulism, there are other phenomena related to the category of parasomnia – the abnormal behavior of a sleeping person. All of them are observed during deep sleep.

Somniloquia: talking in your sleep. Subjects to somniloquy can pronounce not only individual words, but also entire phrases, often making sense. However, the speaker continues to sleep, and his speech is not controlled by consciousness.

Night terrors: children are the most affected. Night terrors should not be confused with nightmares. This is not about dreams, but about situations where the child, not fully awake, does not recognize his parents and is in a state of great confusion.

Sexsomnia: characterized by a sharp rise in sexual desire. In a state of sexsomnia, a person can masturbate and even have sexual intercourse without waking up.

Anna Sabova