Sleepwalking can conjure up cartoonish images of a person walking through the house in a trance-like state, with their arms telescoping straight out in front of them. In reality, sleepwalking is a legitimate sleep disorder that occurs in the deep stages of sleep. The sleepwalker may exhibit incoherent talking, and is generally unable to respond during the episode. Sleepwalkers do not recall getting out of their beds, and are often shocked at the outcome of their activities during the time they were supposed to be snoozing. Some sleepwalking stories are quite incredible.
Painting Masterpieces in Sleep
Lee Hadwin is a nurse who has been sleepwalking since he was at the tender age of four. When he was a teenager, Mr. Hadwin started waking up to carefully crafted drawings which he didn’t remember making. Unfortunately, in his state of sleep, he didn’t choose the most practical medium for his artwork. Mr. Hadwin drew on walls, floors, tablecloths, and clothes. Seeing his house adorned by his sleepwalking masterpieces when he woke up in the morning was extremely confusing to Mr. Hadwin at first. To solve the issue, he started leaving art supplies out before he went to sleep. This tactic proved a perfect solution. The “sleepwalking artist” has shown his work in major galleries. The most unusual part of this story is that Hadwin admits to very limited art skills in his waking life.
Emailing while you Snooze
One anonymous woman in her 40s got into the habit of logging on to her computer at around midnight. She managed to send three emails without waking up. Her emails were reportedly a blend of misspellings, typos, and a few random sentences which made minor sense, such as “dinner and drinks, 4pm.” Neurologists call this phenomena the very clever “zzz-mailing.” Doctors find examples of parasomnias such as this unusual because sleepwalking usually only leads to simple tasks. The multi-tasking efforts of turning a computer on, entering various login passwords, and composing messages (even if primarily gibberish) is much more complex behavior than what would usually be exhibited by a sleepwalker.
Sleep Apnea Help from your Columbia Dentist
One sleep condition that is no laughing matter is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If you are concerned that you might have this condition, Dr. Foster can help. David Foster, DDS, is a Columbia, TN native who has served the dental needs of patients and their families in our community since 1085. If you live in Columbia, Lewisburg, Lawrenceburg, Hohenwald, Centerville, Pulaski, or any of the surrounding community, then call us today at (931) 388-3384 to schedule an appointment.
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