sleep walking – please help
Question:
Can antidepressant or depression/anxiety induce sleep walking? And is it rare for people to perform complex tasks during sleep walking, e.g. such as preparing food or dialing a phone? How can it be cured?
Response:
Hik, Curious, In article <34DCF12F.869BB…@hotmail.com>, curiouscuri…@hotmail.com writes: >Can antidepressant or depression/anxiety induce sleep walking? >And is it rare for people to perform complex tasks during sleep walking, >e.g. such as preparing food or dialing a phone? >How can it be cured?
Anxiety can increase the incidence of sleepwalking, according to what I’ve read. (I’m a medical writer who writes a lot about sleep disorders, not an expert.) I don’t know how antidepressants affect parasomnias (which is what sleepwalking is), but many medications have effects on sleep that the prescribing doctor may not be aware of. People may perform complex tasks while sleepwalking. The problem is that they can also perform dangerous acts and be seriously injured or killed. Sleepwalking responds to medication. I think you need to talk with a sleep specialist, who knows what to prescribe, before your hurt yourself. You can find the closest accredited sleep disorders center at <http://www.asda.org> and call for an appointment. Ask to see whoever on their staff is experienced at treating sleepwalking. Best wishes, Sally in Seattle (JSo…@aol.com) Coauthor, with Dr. Ralph Pascualy, of Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Personal and Family Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment, published in 1996 by Demos Vermande, NY. Available through bookstores, ISBN # 0-939957-82-5.
