Sleepwalking
Bizarre bedtime behaviours that include a woman who went motorbiking while asleep and a man who uses a shoe to dial out for pizza. What can we learn from their brain activity?
Why do some of us do bizarre things in our sleep? Like riding a motorbike, using a shoe to ‘phone for pizza or even having sex while sleeping? These are complex behaviours and yet sleepwalkers aren’t aware of what they’re doing and often have no memory of their strange night-time activities.
These sleep disorders are known as non-REM parasomnias and include conditions like night terrors and sleep eating.
Neurologist, Dr Guy Leschziner, talks to patients he’s been treating at his sleep clinic at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London. They include Jackie who began sleepwalking as a child and continued her strange night-time behaviour as an adult, even driving her car whilst sleeping; from Alex who rescues people from floods in his sleep. And we hear from Tom, whose recent diagnosis of sexsomnia has had a significant impact on his life.
(Image: Girl on tightrope in moonlight, Credit: Shutterstock)
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Clip
-
The woman who went driving in her sleep
Duration: 02:10
Broadcasts
- New Year's Day 2018 13:32GMT91Èȱ¬ World Service except News Internet
- New Year's Day 2018 20:06GMT91Èȱ¬ World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & Europe and the Middle East only
- New Year's Day 2018 21:06GMT91Èȱ¬ World Service Australasia, East and Southern Africa, South Asia, West and Central Africa & East Asia only
- Tue 2 Jan 2018 02:32GMT91Èȱ¬ World Service except News Internet
- Mon 8 Jan 2018 06:32GMT91Èȱ¬ World Service South Asia
Get the podcast
Subscribe or download individual episodes for free
Why do we look the way we do?
Tattoos, trainers, jeans, hair, ties ... why?
Podcast
-
The Why Factor
The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions